The Forest

The Ocala National Forest lies between the Ocklawaha and St. Johns Rivers in central Florida. It contains the largest concentration of sand pine in the world as well as some of the best remaining stands of Longleaf Pine in Central Florida. The forest's porous sands and largely undeveloped character provide an important recharge for the Floridan Aquifer. The Ocala Forest is also known for having over 600 natural lakes and ponds. It's is riddled with slow-moving rivers and wet "prairies". They are sunny, shallow expanses of water, usually ringed by cypress trees and filled with water lilies and other with aquatic plants. Ocala has a wide variety of wildlife. The Florida Black Bear population has its highest concentration here. American Alligators, white-tailed deer, wild boar, and numerous small animals, including bats, Coyote, Gray Fox, Red Fox, Virginia Opossum, Raccoon, North American River Otter, Bobcat, Striped Skunk, Southeastern Pocket Gopher, and Nine-banded Armadillo can be found as well. The sandy soil is home to the Gopher Tortoise. This is the best time of year to be exploring there, as it is neither too hot, too overgrown, nor too buggy.