50 Hikes in Central Florida

by Sandra Friend

  Deeper into the forest, the trail undulates up and over mounds, and the forest grows on these mounds—they are leftover diggings from the phosphate pits. You encounter the extremely deep pits, each with a fence along the edge, where the forest has filled in. Slash and loblolly pines reach for the sky, as tall above the pits as they are below. Albertus Vogt struck it rich with a find of high-grade phosphate ore. Florida’s mining boom was on. Hard rock mining was an expensive process, however. As higher-grade phosphate ore was discovered near Lakeland, the mining industry tapped out its Dunnellon resources. The last mines here closed in 1965.

  Hiking through the sandhills of Rainbow Springs State Park

  The yellow blazes once again intersect with the white blazes. Turn left and follow them across the meadow, where a bench sits in the shade of a large cedar tree. Plum trees show their bright white blooms in February. Entering a stand of regularly spaced planted pines, the trail crosses a park road and returns you to the butterfly garden, completing a 2-mile circuit. To return to the park entrance, walk back through the gardens. This time, take the right fork before the path makes the steep descent down to the waterfall. This upper trail leads you around and over the pools of water that feed the two waterfalls. After you cross the second bridge, follow the winding path down to the junction of pathways at the base of the hill below the terrace. Head back to the terrace, where you’ll find restrooms, a small snack bar and picnic tables, interpretive displays, and the gift shop on your way out.

  OTHER HIKING OPTIONS

  1. The Gardens. For a quick and easy stroll with some serious terrain and elevation changes, stick with a circuit of the paved and bricked trails throughout the gardens and along the swimming/paddlesports area on the opposite side of the spring. Ramble almost two miles on the park’s walkways without ever stepping off the paved paths.

  2. Campground Nature Trail (29.087954, -82.420877). If you’re staying at the Rainbow Springs State Park campground, there is a 0.25-mile family-friendly nature trail to ramble. The trailhead is along the entrance road.

  3. Blue Run Park (29.049374, -82.446673). Where the Rainbow River flows into the Withlacoochee River, Blue Run Park offers access to more than four miles of gentle trails, paved and unpaved. Paved trails are open to bicycles. The primary trailhead is along CR 484 at the bridge over the Rainbow River, with a secondary trailhead (29.048086, -82.444214) off San Jose Boulevard a little farther east.

  CAMPING AND LODGING

  Rainbow Springs State Park (1-800-326-3521, floridastateparks.reserveamerica.com)

  Comfort Suites, 20052 Brooks Street, Dunnellon, FL 34432 (352-533-5234, dunnellonhotel.com)

  Two Rivers Inn, 20814 W Pennsylvania Avenue, Dunnellon, FL 34431 (352-489-2300, tworiversinn.com)

  Holly Hammock Hiking Trail

  Total distance: 2.4-mile loop and spur to campsite

  Hiking time: 1.5 hours

  Difficulty: Easy

  Usage: Free. Open sunrise to sunset. Call ahead for a free permit for primitive camping. Leashed pets welcome.

  Trailhead GPS Coordinates: 29.037983, -82.295851

  Contact Information: Ross Prairie State Forest, 10660 SW SR 200, Dunnellon FL 34432 (352-732-1201, freshfromflorida.com)

  Peeking out of a mature forest to ramble along the edges of one of the region’s largest natural grasslands, the Holly Hammock Hiking Trail provides an outstanding amount of habitat diversity on a relatively short hike. Ross Prairie is a landform that folks driving from Ocala to the Gulf Coast zip right by and hardly notice. It’s the only significant remaining natural prairie west of Ocala, draining toward the Withlacoochee River. In the wet seasons, the prairie teems with aquatic life, hosting ponds where American lotus bloom on the surface and purple pickerelweed creates natural bouquets. During the dry seasons, the prairie grasses grow tall and colorful, waving in sheets of golden and orange hues. Ross Prairie State Forest protects more than 3,500 acres surrounding this beautiful spot.

  GETTING THERE

  From exit 350 on I-75, Dunnellon/Hernando, follow FL 200 south from Ocala, crossing CR 484 after 9 miles. After another 1.5 miles, look for the Ross Prairie Trailhead on the left, and turn left. Follow the entrance road around to park near the restrooms. If the gates are closed, park at the Ross Prairie State Forest sign and hike the dirt road from that parking area to the trailhead kiosk (29.037083, -82.295833).

  THE HIKE

  Start your hike at the sign near the parking area. It’s well marked with a trailhead sign, so you shouldn’t miss the gap in the fence that leads you into the deep shade of an old oak hammock along the blue-blazed trail. The narrow footpath emerges through another gap in a fence marking the boundary between the Cross Florida Greenway (where you’re parked) and Ross Prairie State Forest. A kiosk shows the trail map and may have trail brochures available. This trail is part of the statewide Florida State Forests Trailwalker Program, so on your way out pick up a postcard to send in.

  Cross the firebreak—which serves as part of the larger equestrian trail system in this forest—and follow the blue blazes into a very dense oak hammock. Per the name, American holly is a major component of this hammock, as is sparkleberry. A little elevation makes a big difference in habitat as the trail rises into the sandhills, where young longleaf pines rise above a sea of wiregrass. The understory is very open, the better to showcase colorful wildflowers, including pawpaw and blazing star, in spring and fall. In the winter, the winged sumac turns a bright crimson.

  As you descend back into the hammock, the elevation change is obvious, and you enter a mix of sandhills and scrub, where sand live oaks shade the trail and silk bay grows next to holly. Look for red blanket lichen on the holly trunks—it almost looks like blazes! Colorful lichens are a major component of this hammock. The sand live oaks get very large here, and typically have lush gardens of resurrection ferns in the crooks of their branches. Look closely, and in summer, you may notice greenfly orchids in bloom, hidden amid the profusion of resurrection ferns.

  Sandhill habitat along the Holly Hammock Hiking Trail

  After 0.5 mile, the trail emerges along what looks like a retention pond, but is in fact an arm of Ross Prairie, diked by a rancher who once owned this land. In the early morning, you may see sandhill cranes or herons here. Turn right and walk to the next HIKING TRAIL sign, which steers you back into the forest through a thick carpet of deer moss and reindeer lichen. Back in the shade, the trail passes more massive oaks with ferns and orchids. Fungi grows in leaf litter and on rotting logs. After making a sharp turn at a bed of moss, the trail ambles around large trees to emerge again along the prairie arm. It turns right and passes a large sand pine that sits low to the ground. Along the trail’s edge, purple blooms of spiderwort delight the eye and attract the showy tiger swallowtail butterfly.

  Turning right, the trail reenters the shady hammock. After 0.9 mile, a sign marks the side trail to the campsite. Lime green blazes lead right, snaking through a patch of deer moss to emerge in an open spot beneath the oaks. A picnic table and fire ring are at the center of the camping area, with places to pitch your tent nearby. Returning to the main trail, turn right. You see light through the trees, as you’re approaching one of the larger expanses of Ross Prairie. As the trail slips into the open, you’re greeted with a panorama of grassland and a distant tree line. Walk into the prairie to savor the view. American lotuses decorate a pond just down the slope. It’s a beauty spot, but be cautious of alligators sunning along the water’s edge. In Ross Prairie, they generally don’t have many opportunities to find a body of water this big.

  Pond in Ross Prairie

  The trail returns to the shade of the hammock, meandering past more large oaks. As the footpath winds through the woods past sentinels of sand live oaks, it passes through an oak portal before emerging at the end of a prairie arm. The bright pink blooms of pale meadow beauty lend color to the landscape as you cross a firebreak and reenter the forest. It doesn’t take long for the elevation to rise again, and you ente
r the sandhills, with longleaf pines all around. Delicate wildflowers peep out of the wiregrass. Descending again, you’re greeted with patches of saw palmetto along the sides of the trail and can see patches of prairie through the understory. The trail weaves its way around one patch to emerge into the sun within sight of a fence line. Turn left and head down the straightaway to the kiosk. At the kiosk, turn right to exit.

  OTHER HIKING OPTIONS

  1. Florida Trail (29.038822, -82.295425) to Spring Park. As this trailhead is shared with the Cross Florida Greenway, it provides access to a segment of the statewide Florida National Scenic Trail. Follow the blue blazes (from the other gap farther down the fence near the campground) to the orange blazes of the Florida Trail, and turn right at the junction. Continue another 0.25 mile to a clearing with a picnic table and a SPRING PARK sign, where there is a spring (which barely flows) in the bottom of a deep sinkhole. An out-and-back hike is 3.3 miles.

  2. Florida Trail to SW 49th Avenue. Follow the blue blazes to the Florida Trail per above and head east from Spring Park. The terrain is varied and often hilly, and no road crossings are required as there are underpasses under the roads. A hike from the Ross Prairie Trailhead to the SW 49th Avenue trailhead (29.040043, -82.202006) is 6.9 miles each way.

  3. SW 49th Avenue to Land Bridge. Hike east on the Florida Trail from the SW 49th Avenue trailhead to the Land Bridge, a giant planter over I-75 filled with forest. When it opened in 2000, it was the first one ever built in the United States. A round-trip is 5 miles.

  CAMPING AND LODGING

  Ross Prairie Campground/Cross Florida Greenway, 10660 SW SR 200, Dunnellon, FL 34432 (1-800-326-3521, floridastateparks.reserveamerica.com)

  Shangri-La Campground/Cross Florida Greenway, 12788 SW 69th Court, Ocala, FL 34473 (1-800-326-3521, floridastateparks.reserveamerica.com)

  Hampton Inn & Suites Ocala-Belleview, 2075 SW CR 484, Ocala, FL 34473 (352-347-1600, hilton.com)

  Silver Springs State Park

  Total distance: 8.7 miles; 7.3 miles along a network of five interconnected trails inside the camping entrance, plus 1.4 miles at the main entrance to see the springs.

  Hiking time: 4–5 hours

  Difficulty: Easy

  Usage: Admission $5–8 per vehicle. Open 8 AM to sunset. Leashed pets welcome. Bicycles permitted on camping entrance trails.

  Trailhead GPS Coordinates: 29.200899, -82.034505

  Contact Information: Silver Springs State Park,1425 NE 58th Avenue, Ocala, FL 34470 (352-236-7148, floridastateparks.org/park/Silver-Springs)

  Pouring from one of the world’s largest springs, the transparent waters of the Silver River meander 7 miles through a jungle-like setting to merge with the Ocklawaha, the largest tributary of the St. Johns River. Since the late 1800s, the Silver River has attracted tourists, with visitors climbing aboard glass-bottomed boats to see the river’s many springs. Now a Florida State Park, the former attraction has been merged with the pre-existing state park along the river. The complex is now known as Silver Springs State Park.

  The campground, a good base camp for exploring the park, has cabins and spaces for trailers and tents. Open to the public on weekends, the Silver River Museum presents in-depth information on geology, paleontology, and archaeology. Many important finds have been made along the river, from mastodon skeletons to artifacts from Florida’s aboriginal cultures. The Cracker Village shows off buildings found on an 1800s Florida homestead and hosts living history demonstrations, with the park’s signature event, Ocali Country Days, held in November. Additional fees apply for canoe rentals, museum, and boat rides.

  GETTING THERE

  From exit 352 on I-75 in Ocala, follow FL 40 for 8.4 miles through the city of Ocala to Silver Springs. Turn right on CR 35 (Baseline Road/NE 58th Avenue) and drive another 1.1 miles to the Camping Entrance (29.2011, -82.0534) on the left, gateway to most recreational activities. Ask for a trail map at the entrance station. Follow the entrance road 1.3 miles to the main parking area, flanked by the Cracker Village, the Silver River Museum, the Environmental Education Center, and two arched trailheads—Sinkhole Trail and River Trails.

  CAMPING ENTRANCE HIKE

  Begin your hike at the RIVER TRAILS archway. At the first junction, take the right fork. The trail wanders through hickories and oaks, past a low depression and over a grassy levee, emptying out onto a forest road. Turn left, downhill into dense hardwood hammock. Make a left onto another road at the bottom of the hill, where a kiosk for the bike trails sits straight ahead. Elevated slightly above a portion of Marshall Swamp, the trail rises into an open field with scattered sweetgum and then drops into a hydric hammock, dense with cabbage palms and bald cypresses. Passing a rain shelter, it emerges into an open area along the Silver River at 0.6 mile. Walk down to the canoe launch and its adjacent observation deck with its view of the river bend. Alligators drift through mats of pennywort, and ibises flutter up to the trees.

  Turn around and take the trail to your left along the river, following the floodplain forest on the river’s edge. Scattered cedars, cabbage palms, and groundsel bushes grow amid tall grasses. Watch for a rough trail leading into the floodplain forest, affording a view of the river from beneath the cypress trees. Return to the main trail, where there is a bench with a river view at 0.9 mile. The glittering blue bottom of the river hides more small springs. Purple asters cascade down the riverbanks.

  Glass-bottomed boats gliding across the surface of the spring-fed Silver River

  View of the Silver River from the River Trail

  The River Trail loops back toward its beginning, through stands of tall wax myrtle, cedars, and cabbage palms, returning to the main trail near the rain shelter. Turn left, following the old road back through the floodplain forest. Turn right at the T intersection with the bike trail kiosk, retracing your steps up to the footpath that turns right within sight of the park cabins. Ramble beneath the hickories and oaks to the trail junction just before the parking area. You’ve walked 2 miles. Turn right to start the Swamp Trail. Rounding a yaupon holly hugging a laurel oak firm in its grip, notice the bat boxes up in the lofty trees of this hardwood hammock.

  The trail turns to follow the edge of the floodplain forest, a dense stand of cypresses leading off toward the river. You walk beneath tall southern magnolias and under hickory trees furry with wild pine. A swamp chestnut oak drops enormous leaves on the footpath. At the T intersection, turn right (left leads to the Environmental Center). This trail has a layer of crushed lime rock beneath the leaves. It winds through live oaks, red bay, and tall slash pines, with cinnamon fern and gallberry in the understory. Where a trail comes in from the left, turn right. There are many trails from the Environmental Center that join the Swamp Trail, so Marion County schoolchildren can investigate the forest as part of their environmental curriculum. The twists and turns may seem confusing, but as long as you follow the sporadic SWAMP TRAIL arrows, you’ll make your way to the river.

  After a short stretch on the tram road, follow the trail into the floodplain forest to join a boardwalk. At 3 miles, the boardwalk ends at a dock and observation deck on the Silver River. A purple gallinule floats across the glassy surface. Watch the three-dimensional world below, where bluegill hang in crystalline suspension and a mud turtle moves in slow motion across the river bottom just a few feet offshore. The Silver River has dozens of smaller springs like this adding more than 200 million gallons of water to the daily outflow of Mammoth Spring at its headwaters.

  Take the boardwalk back to the tram road, looking for orange-tipped SWAMP TRAIL markers that lead you to a second opening in the forest on the left. The trail ducks into a tunnel of sand live oaks knitting a dense canopy overhead, their twisting trunks covered in a thick blanket of lichens. As the trail gains elevation, it enters a pine flatwoods with a thick understory of saw palmetto. Beyond a tunnel of oaks with squiggly-looking trunks, the trail crosses the tram road and enters a scrub forest with fluffy sand pines. You pass a bench before reaching another
tunnel of oaks, where the Swamp Trail comes to an end as it reaches the intersection with the Sinkhole Trail at 3.5 miles. Turn right.

  Red-tipped markers guide you along the Sinkhole Trail into a sand pine scrub, with the footpath ahead a blinding white. At the junction of the Sinkhole and the Sandhill Trail, 3.7 miles into the hike, there’s a picnic bench and a kiosk. Turn right to start the Sandhill Trail. Continue down the forest road until you reach the yellow-tipped posts and yellow arrow markers that usher you left into a longleaf pine forest with a very open understory beneath the pines and turkey oaks. Sandhill wireweed, with its spiky blooms, emerges from the wiregrass. At the next T intersection, turn left to follow a forest road. Where longleaf pines dominate the forest, notice the change in the understory. Blueberries take root in the acidic soil, as do winged sumac, which rises above the saw palmetto.