Ocala National Forest - Feb. 23 - Mar. 3

Leaving Myakka on a Saturday, we knew Ocala National Forest would be our safe haven. This proved to be true after trying two county parks along the way. The Ocala National Forest is located in central FL covering about 385,000 acres. There are four natural springs, many lakes and different habitats. At each of the springs, there are recreational areas that have a variety of things to do such as canoeing, hiking, swimming in the springs, cycling, camping and so forth. There are also many other campgrounds throughout the forest. Aside from the beauty, national forests are appealing because they are more affordable than state parks and half price with the Golden Pass. It is also possible to stay in these campgrounds from 120 to 180 continuous days. What we found were many people wintering over, in some cases from October through March with water, electricity, sewerage and endless supplies of wood from the forest for up to $16/day depending on the campground. Interesting concept! For the last week, we have been working our way north up through the forest.

Photos