Kicking off the new year on a new trail - and it was a great one! This trail is part of the Majorie…read moreHarris Carr Cross Florida Greenway that stretches from the Gulf to the St Johns River, the Greenway is a Florida State Park. This address takes you to the Landbridge Trailhead (approximately 1.4 miles NE of the actual I-75 Landbridge) and has separate parking and trails for equestrians -vs- hikers and bikers which is nice. There are bathrooms, a water bottle filler, a bike wash station, a few picnic tables, a bike tool station (although the air hose was cut) and all of it very well maintained given the impressive number of acres. The mountain bike trail intersected the paved trail so when we had enough bumps (hello, beginner here?!) we could take the paved trail a little while longer and all the back, thank goodness.

Came here for the first time this past weekend and really enjoyed it. We will definitely be coming…read moreback. At this trailhead, there is PLENTY of parking (when you pull in go to the right - it goes around a corner and there is where you'll see a couple of parking lots). There are bathrooms, a water fountain, and trail map here at the trailhead. You can choose a couple different trails - going to the right is a 3.5 mile hike (one way - so there and back is 7 total) that goes over to the 49th ave trailhead or to the left goes to Santos (7 mile one way). We went with Santos. Things were pretty clearly marked; however we somehow ended up on the bike trail at some point (there were 4 of us and we were busy in conversation so ya know, it happens lol), but was easy enough to make our way back so our 7 miles turned in to about 8-8.5. Worked out great because we ended up coming out where Santos Bike Shop is and took a Lyft/Uber back to our car at the trailhead. The bike shop was great, super nice people, plenty of knowledge in there. The trail itself is shaded for the most part, sun creeps in, but it's definitely shaded with all the trees. We saw a LOT of cool looking trees. I'm a big fan of being able to explore Florida (free is even better) so it's nice to be able to go out on the trails without having to pay to get in to parks or for parking or what not. If you have bikes, this is a GREAT trail to come to - the trails are separate as far as bike friendly and people hiking friendly which is nice for both parties. We really enjoyed and can't wait to visit again.

I drove through here on the way home from the Panhandle. It reminded me of what I thought Florida…read morewas like when I was a child growing up in Massachusetts. Forrests and springs, fishing, canoeing, swimming, and yes, gators. There are over 400,000 acres in the Ocala National Forest. It needs more than one visit to fully explore this wonder. There are many opportunities for camping and backpacking. I want to come back soon to go on a nature hike. Like Dave O. says, this is the wilderness so don't be naive. You must go in prepared with water, protein snacks, and emergency supplies. This is not Disney, this is the real Florida adventure.

Another spot of beautiful nature in Wild Florida…read more I love going on nature hikes, and this trail has plenty of wildlife and plants to see. Even with the paths seeming wild and free, they're easy to follow and I wasn't afraid of getting lost.

While tooling around Ocala recently, my husband and I stumbled upon the Scott Springs Park…read more It has lush green space to picnic or frokic on. Its got a Bike track for BMX and a large playground with clean, modern styles. The highlight here for me was the walk down to the sink hole/spring. Its a lovely bit of Florida history. Last year, there was water in the sinkhole. Today it has mostly become a dry pit with a boil at tue back, beneath the rocks. There was a turtle taking advantage of the little pool of water. Truly a nice park to visit

Scott Springs Park is a great park in Ocala, Florida…read more I enjoyed my time here while getting some steps in and stretching my legs. Overall, the park has decent parking and is a nice place to escape the hustle and bustle of the daily grind. If you are in the area, go check out Scott Springs Park. As Ocala continues to grow, it is nice to have places like this to just go chill.

We spent about half a day at Silver Springs State Park and it was such a beautiful park! I…read moreoriginally planned on paddleboarding but after doing some research, I saw that the alligators can be more protective during mating season so we decided to skip the water activities this time. Instead, we did the glass-bottom boat ride which was really cool! We saw a few gators, paddlers, birds, and lots of other wildlife. They offer a 30 minute ride or a longer 1.5 hour ride. If you're prone to motion sickness like me, I'd definitely stick with the 30 minute option. That was plenty for me lol We also did about an hour of hiking. There are different trails throughout the park but we weren't really prepared to hike for much longer especially in the middle of summer. Unfortunately, we didn't get to see any of the monkeys this time! There's also a café/bar, discovery center and gift shop near the entrance, so there's plenty to check out. Overall, we really enjoyed our visit and I'd definitely come back. Hopefully next time I can actually paddleboard when it's not quite as hot and the gators aren't as protective!

Walking the trails was peaceful and scenic, with lots of shade and chances to spot wildlife (we saw…read morea few monkeys in the distance, which was wild!). The whole park is well-maintained, and the staff were helpful and friendly. Whether you're kayaking, hiking, or just relaxing by the springs, it's a great day trip that feels like a little escape into old Florida.

Silver Springs Conservation Area is a nice place to go for a walk/hike/run with another by yourself…read morebe cautious. It is dog friendly ( leashed ) and it isn't the kind of place that has all the frills. The conservation area is 330 acres and it's the largest intact property that is privately owned undeveloped adjacent to Silver Springs and had been purchased to protect our ground water and Silver Springs by preserving this recharge site. The conservation area consists of three types of natural communities ; Sandhill, Upland Mixed Forest, & Wet Prairie. Some of the wildlife seen here are Whitetail deer, Sherman's fox squirrel, gopher tortoise, black racer, yellow rat snake, northern cardinal, towhee, pileated woodpeckers. Today I had seen a beautiful butterfly but it was too fast for me. Unsupervised recreation and I did not see a bathroom. Some of this may come from someone being 60 and a little leery ( or maybe wise lol ) .

This is a forest area in the truest sense of the word with dense tall trees and a narrow rock trail…read morethat should be taken seriously. It's for hikers, bikers & 1 of the 3 entrances is for horses to enter. Though their website says it is good for fishing all I've found is a dried up creek bed. There are always things to remember when on a trail like this: always yield to the equestrian; be prepared with extra fluids; you can never take enough protection & make sure your cell is fully charged. It's a huge 4,600 acres so please also tell others where y'all are going - just from a common sense point of view. This only opened a few months ago and so far is very rudimentary. There's no doubt about it that this is back country trails. There is only 1 small shelter and in the heat of an intense summer there is no other shade though there's all types of wildlife. I've yet to see any wildlife and I'm thinking they were also taking shade behind trees. ;) Enjoy but keep in mind that this is a conservation area. Leave no footprints.

We were looking for a campground for some primitive tent camping near Rainbow River and this place…read moreworked out perfect. Chad (campground host) was super helpful in getting us situated, and the $20/day rate was fair. Unfortunately the sites do not have electric hookups, but generators can be used until 10pm. They do have water hookups at each site. The grounds have a couple community pavilions, and about 22 total sites. Each site includes a fire ring and picnic table. Fire wood can easily be found by looking around. Most sites offer plenty of shade. The place is commonly utilized by equestrian groups, although there were none during our stay. We were 1 of only 3 occupied sites during our visit. They do have a large bathhouse on site that was very clean. There is a trailhead leaving the park but we did not have an opportunity to do any hiking during our 1 night stay. There are several stores and restaurants nearby if you need to stop for supplies. I wouldn't hesitate to come here again, and would recommend Shangri-La to any others looking for tent or rv sites in this area.

Fun place to stay. Quiet & nice grounds with big bathrooms and showers! We stayed for two nights…read moreand had no issues. We brought our dog and used the horse trough poles to tie her leash to and even our hammocks. Would stay again!

Silver Springs State Park was an amazing experience. I came out with a group to kayak, and it ended…read moreup being one of the highlights of the trip. The water is absolutely beautiful and crystal clear, and we saw wildlife pretty much the entire time. We spotted tons of birds, turtles, fish, and even the famous monkeys! Kayaking was a great way to explore the park because you can get surprisingly close to the wildlife while still just enjoying the scenery. Seeing the monkeys out there in the wild was definitely something I won't forget. Beautiful park, plenty to see, and a great place to spend a few hours on the water. I'd absolutely come back.

My parents were reminiscing about when they were middle school aged and came here for field trips…read more I was surprised to find out that Silver Springs State Park and the glass bottom boat tours have been around for that long! It was about a 1.5 hour ride from Orlando. Woke up real early on a Saturday (on honestly one of the coldest days of the year) to arrive at the park around 8am. I highly suggest purchasing glass bottom boat tour tickets online about a week in advance atleast since time slots fill up! We purchased the 1.5 hour tour on the boats. Our tour guide was incredible and shared so much knowledge and facts about the wildlife and park. I got to see tons of manatees! Plus getting to see gators, turtles, birds, and even monkeys! The glass bottom gives such a cool perspective on viewing the wildlife and plants underwater. Aside from the tour, we walked several trails to enjoy the great outdoors. Also, we had coffee in the morning when we first got here and lunch after the tour. The food was pretty good and filling. At the gift shop I made sure to leave with a magnet and Christmas ornament to remember such a great day here.

Great place for family recreation. There is a big playground at the beginning of the trail for…read morechildren. Over five miles of bike paths and walking trails. Nice peaceful scenic views throughout the greenway. We live close by and have enjoyed this place for years.

A fabulous place to play & workout! Playground review toward the end…read more I've used the beautifully paved trails for skating, biking & running & walking for many years, it's a great place to be active. I did have to be careful skating as the trail is paved through natural FL brush & fields and twigs, stones & leaves can put you on your face quickly. There are clean bathrooms & water fountains before the trailheads. There are pet rules that I've not noted because I don't have pets. I assume the pet info is on the website. It's Florida, therefore it's hot & without preparation you're subject to dehydration, bring water bottles or stay near the fountains. There are also insects, so some type of repellant is always a good idea for outdoor activities in FL. & there's very little shade, so a sunscreen is suggested. The playground is clean with both natural ground (mulch covered) or a cushioned cover. It was designed for all ages & those with disabilities. My 8 year old nephew & 6 year old niece enjoyed it all immensely.

What an AWESOME day! Crystal River Kayak Company & Dive Center made for such a great experience!…read moreThe staff were friendly and informative, equipment was clean & well maintained, and check-in/out was simple and quick! We rented paddle-boards for 3 hours to go visit Three Sister Springs at the Crystal River Wildlife Refuge, and it did NOT disappoint! You cannot swim at Three Sister Springs unless you arrive by watercraft as the refuge is protected, so going on an adventure via paddle-board was a nice relaxing way to explore the area. We saw multiple manatees and even got to swim with them when they came in the refuge (SUCH A COOL EXPERIENCE)! The coolest thing about the manatees was how much trust they put in the people visiting their home. There was a mom and calf swimming right up to people, and I thought how cool it was that she put that much trust into her surroundings as to show off her baby. I highly recommend checking out this company next time you're visiting the area!

Very friendly and knowledgeable staff, easy entry point for a day on the river. Great time…read morekayaking with the manatees!

Highly recommend Manatee Paddle if you are looking for an affordable rental to Three Sisters…read moreSpring! The staff was so helpful - from providing a map and walking through the best path to get to the spring to helping us launch, it was a great experience. You check in downtown and then the walk to the launch area is less than five minutes. Everything you need is at the launch area. This was probably one of the nicest kayaks I've ever rented. The springs was lovely and surprisingly not too packed for 4th of July Weekend.

Manatee Paddle truly went above and beyond to make our experience positive, exciting, and…read moreeducational. From the moment we arrived, we were greeted with genuine smiles, warmth, and encouragement. I was personally a bit nervous since I hadn't paddle boarded much before, but every step of the way we felt supported and truly cared for. Hearing about the family's passion for protecting the ecosystem and the manatees, along with all the helpful tips they shared to optimize our experience, was absolutely incredible. When we got to the dock, we were guided so kindly - Mike even held our shoes in his truck for us! When he noticed me struggling a bit, he took the time to give me multiple tips on how to better move in the water and maneuver the board, which made such a difference. We saw so many manatees, including mama and baby pairs, which was unforgettable. When we returned to the dock and shared how excited we were, Mike went above and beyond once again by recommending another nearby location we could walk to where we ended up seeing even more manatees up close and personal. I would 10/10 recommend Manatee Paddle to anyone looking for an incredible manatee experience. I am so grateful to Mike and his family for making our day so special. THANK YOU!!