Camping in Florida – Ocala National Forest

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After moving to Florida, Mark and I were eager to get back into our camping routine. We discovered Ocala National Forest, just a couple hours north of Orlando, and a couple very established campgrounds.



Juniper Springs - November 2015

Our first camping trip as Florida residents was to Juniper Springs. As a recreation area, there are both day use and overnight activities. They have a swimming hole, canoe rentals, the Florida trail*, campground with flushing facilities, and a little convenience store. We were going for the experience of being removed, and did not check out the store at all. It was a well-maintained campground, and I would visit here again. We saw a couple signs of large wildlife – there was a deer grazing just beyond the campground, and a pile of bear poo on the trail. The poo was recent, so we decided to go back to camp. The weekend was so relaxing! It was perfect to get out of town, away from our responsibilities and just be for a couple days. It was autumn, and the night temperatures dipped into the 50s, which was glorious.



Alexander Springs - February 2016

Recreation areas seem to be the most accessible from our location in Orlando. We found Alexander Springs had the same amenities as Juniper. The Florida trail was accessible from this point, but this camping trip was designed to be lazy. We took a mile loop trail and followed it with a nap. Between the two, I think I would go back to Juniper Springs. There seemed to be more space between camp sites there, or more foliage at least.



*Florida Trail – This path scoots through Florida from the panhandle down past Lake Okeechobee. It is not a continuous trail, but the sections we saw looked well established. Because central Florida does not have any hills or mountains of significance, it’s a pretty easy trail to explore.

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Photos

Juniper Springs
Cards by headlamp

Juniper Springs
Florida Trail