Ocala National Forest

Ocala National Forest in north-central Florida covers 607 square miles between the Ocklawaha and St. Johns rivers, making it the state’s second largest nationally protected forest. Established in 1908, it is the oldest national forest east of the Mississippi River and the southernmost in the continental United States. Its sandy terrain, springs, swamps, and more than 600 lakes and ponds help recharge the Floridan Aquifer. The forest includes the Big Scrub, noted for its sand pine scrub habitat and vast sand pine concentration. Human presence reaches back to Paleo-Indians, and today the forest remains important for wildlife, fire-shaped ecology, recreation, and conservation.

Ocklawaha, Florida · United States