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12 Outdoor Ocala Adventures

Last Updated on February 29, 2024

Situated north of Orlando, Ocala is the epicenter of Florida’s equestrian industry. It is also a prime destination for fresh outdoor Ocala adventure and fun for those seeking a respite from the ordinary.

Enjoy paddling down a scenic river, dipping into a crystal clear spring, or traipsing through a pine forest.

Photo of two horses
Ocala is the epicenter of the Florida horse industry

Located in Marion County, Ocala is home to more than 70,000 acres of horse farms set amidst sprawling oak trees and rolling green pastureland. Ocala is known as the horse capital of the world. But is also a prime eco-friendly destination with a cornucopia of choices awaiting the outdoorsy traveler.

Things to do Outdoors in Ocala

Photo of a glass bottom boat in Ocala
Silver Springs State Park glass bottom boats

Silver Springs, Florida

Boat on Silver Springs
Source: Silver Springs State Park

The Silver Springs in Florida is Florida’s first tourist attraction to begin drawing visitors from up north in the 1870s. People came for its bubbly artesian springs that feed into the Silver River.

Photo of the Silver River
Ocala’s scenic Silver River

Moss-covered oaks and also cypress trees frame aquamarine springs in this beautiful “old Florida” setting. It became the filming location for Hollywood productions including Tarzan, Creature of the Black Lagoon, and the TV series Sea Hunt.

 

A trip to this park would not be complete without a cruise aboard an old-timey glass-bottom boat. This will allow passengers to peer into the marine world down under. Do this while gliding over the freshwater springs as boat captains tout the park’s colorful history.

Kayaking Silver Springs

The cruise is a perennial favorite for many. To really absorb the outdoor beauty of the park and its surroundings, consider an easy kayak paddle ride on the Silver River. Go on your own, or better yet, join a guided tour.

Silver Springs Kayak
Source: Silver Springs Kayaking LLC

Silver Springs Kayaking offers two trips. There is a roundtrip “Springs Tour” – an easy two-mile paddle ride along the Fort King Paddle Trail. There is also a one-way carefree downstream five-mile paddle extending deeper into the park. You’ll see and experience more wildlife and tranquility.

Photo of four monkeys
Non-native monkeys along the Silver River, photo, Silver River Kayaking

The short two-hour journey travels around Ross Allen Island (named after a herpetologist who held reptile demonstrations at the tourist attraction.) It then travels along the Fort King Paddle Trail, once only accessible to a former jungle cruise but now open to kayakers.

Photo of the Florida Cracker Homestead at Silver Springs State Park
Silver River Museum Florida Cracker Homestead

Paddle over the main Silver Spring and past the old abandoned attraction. It is Florida Cracker village complete with cabins, a church, and also a replica Fort King. Take in the vista with overhanging trees, turtles sunning on logs, and birds perched in trees along the riverbank.

“Welcome to the Jungle Cruise”

The second option is the “Welcome to the Jungle Cruise” adventure. It is a leisurely 4.5-hour one-way paddle ride (returned by shuttle.) It provides a slow gentle ride where the river will do all the work while paddlers venture deeper into the lush 5,000-acre state park.

More wildlife appears – including the star attraction – rhesus monkeys. A band of these non-native monkeys perches in trees along the river watching paddlers go by. How did these monkeys get to the Jungle Cruise?

In 1938, a tour boat operator named Colonel Tooey, reportedly introduced the monkeys by placing them on an island. His goal was to add to the “jungle tourist experience.”

To his surprise the monkeys were adept swimmers, crossing the river into the woods, where they thrived, now estimated to number around 200.

Photo of a duck
Wood Duck, photo, Silver River Kayaking 

You also will enjoy plenty of native wildlife along the way including otters, alligators, and a plethora of birds.

  • Green Herons
  • Kingfishers
  • Pileated Woodpeckers
  • Limpkins
  • ducks
  • Night Herons
  • Anhingas
  • Cormorants.

Wildflowers hug the riverbank with cypress trees as towering oaks also frame the waterway.

Juniper Springs Run

Juniper Springs in Ocala National Forest

If you don’t get enough on the Silver River, you may want to try another paddling opportunity. It’s called the Juniper Springs Run and is considered one of the top adventures in Florida. Located in the Ocala National Forest, this waterway is fed by the collective Juniper Springs.

Start this rigorous seven-mile one-way epic journey at the Juniper Springs Recreational Area. Savor the semi-tropical landscape of a shallow, sandy waterway winding through lush hammock forests.

 

Kayak under fallen trees, past swaths of bright wildflowers and wildlife to a wayside park, where you will be shuttled back to your vehicle.

Cooling down is easy here as there are four major springs within the Ocala National Forest. The Juniper, Alexander, Silver Glen, and Salt Springs are collectively known as the “jewels of the Ocala National Forest.” They offer refreshing 72-degree water for swimmers during the summer heat.

Rainbow Springs in Dunnellon FL
Photo credit: Sean Board

For another bubbling, beauty also try Rainbow Springs State Park, located southwest of Ocala near Dunnellon. This is the headspring of the Rainbow River, one of the most beautiful and beloved waterways in the state.

This river has enjoyed a reputation as a scenic and popular playground since opening in the 1930s as a family-owned attraction.

Juniper Springs swiming

Later, it became part of the Florida State Park System. Spring swimmers can also enjoy a large roped-off area with a dock and stairs to easily enter the spring.

Ocala National Forest

Trees in Ocala National Forest

An essential “must do” while in the area is to enjoy a hike in the Ocala National Forest in Ocala, Florida. It is the second largest in the U.S. It is known as “the big scrub” by virtue of its dense Florida scrub vegetation. The Forest is considered one of the most endangered ecosystems in Florida.

Photo of Pine forest, Ocala National Forest
The Ocala National Forest is known as “The Big Scrub”

It is home to a wide variety of plants and animals also including the Florida black bear.

Check out: An Authentic Florida Day Trip: Florida Black Bear Scenic Byway

The Yearling Trail

The Yearling Trail

In the midst of thousands of acres of scrub in the Ocala National Forest is the Yearling Trail. It is a special area that provided inspiration for Marjorie Kinnan Rawling’s 1938 novel, The Yearling. 

She based her Pulitzer prize-winning story on a real-life Florida family who homesteaded in this scrub.

Photo of a table with a typewriter on it
The table where Rawlings wrote The Yearling

In the 1870s, Reuben and Sara Jane Long established a home in a shady, high spot surrounded by Florida pine scrub named Pat’s Island. The Longs carved out a pioneer existence living on small crops, cattle, hogs, fishing, and also moonshine.

Photo of the Yearling Trail
The Yearling Trail begins with a sandy pine scrub path 

Hikers can visit historical remnants of the Long family’s home to better understand their existence, the natural beauty, and the challenges they faced.

The Yearling Trail begins with a well-worn sandy pine scrub path leading through various ecosystems of scrub, pines, and hardwoods. There are two recommended trails – a short three-mile loop or also a six-mile trek.

Time for a break from nature but still want to be outside? How about an experience that has become increasingly rare in the state?

Florida U-Pick

The Florida orange is one of the most recognizable symbols of the Sunshine state. Years ago, Florida citrus groves and U-pick operations were common, dotting the rural landscape throughout the state.

 

But nowadays, citrus disease, weather, water, and economic woes have reduced the number of smaller family-owned businesses. But take heart, your citrus-picking dreams can still come true.

So, during citrus season grab your bucket and visit the 40-acre Hilltop Groves south of Ocala in Weirsdale. Owned by fourth-generation Floridian Bill Reed, the grove is open daily offering Navels, Satsuma, Ruby Red, Valencia Oranges, and Tangerines.

Florida Fresh Meat Company

Photo of chickens
The Florida Fresh Meat Company has developed a network of sustainable farms

Not far away is the Florida Fresh Meat Company where you can actually purchase locally sustainable grass-fed and finished, chemical-free Angus beef. You can also buy pasture-raised pork, lamb, goat, and also chicken.

Florida is home to one million head of beef cattle. Once cattle are six to eight months old or weaned from the mother cow, they are shipped out of state for fattening and slaughter. They will then be returned to Florida, packaged for the grocery market.

Photo of a man holding a chicken
Jan Costa, owner of Florida Fresh Meat Company

Jan Costa originally began his business to serve the kosher industry. He has developed a network of local ranches and farms that incorporate sustainable practices for healthy and tasty meat products.

Costa researched local farmer’s markets, tested consumer taste, and fine-tuned his knowledge to build his business.  It now supplies USDA-inspected meat to butcher shops, retail stores, and also upscale restaurants.

The headquarters is located in Summerfield where he sells his meat or can ship directly to your home.

Photo of people on a horse trail ride
No adventure to Ocala is complete without experiencing horse country

No Ocala adventure is complete until you experience horse country. More than 700 horse farms dot the Marion County landscape. These range from a small two-acre farm to the largest spread of 4,500 acres.

Visit Horse Country

To get a glimpse or even go “inside the gates” of Ocala’s horse industry, try these four tips:

Photo of the Live Oak Stud Farm
Take a drive through Ocala’s backroads to experience the prestigious horse farms

Consider a backroad drive through prestigious farms among the rolling hills of Marion County past pastures speckled with horses. Take Country Road 326 (look for Bridlewood Farm) or also County Road 225A, known as Millionaire’s Row (look for Robert’s Quarter Horse Farm).

Photo of two horses
Ocala Farm Tours takes visitors behind the gates of prestigious horse farms

For a behind-the-gates tour of several Ocala horse farms, take a tour with industry expert Karen Grimes of Ocala Farm Tours. She personally transports passengers in her van to various farms to learn about the multi-faceted industry of thoroughbred farms, stud farms, and training facilities.

Photo of horses on a carriage ride in Ocala
Horse Country Carriage Company tours guests through the countryside

For a completely different experience, go with the Horse Country Carriage Company. Ride through the countryside in a beautiful carriage while enjoying the clip-clop of horse hooves along canopied roads.

The personable guide will regale you with history, equestrian facts, and also take you near the fence lines to pat and admire the elegant horses.

Go horseback riding

Photo of two horses on a trail ride
Get on a horse with BG Trail Rides 

And finally, if you are ready to actually get on a horse, you’re in the right place. Inside the Florida Horse Park, BG Trail Rides will help you saddle up and enjoy the neighboring Florida Greenway. It provides scenic riding trails through hammocks and oak forests.

Check out: Our Favorite Places to Horse Around in Florida

There’s plenty of adventure in Ocala, and it’s all about outdoor fun, any time of year.

Places to stay near the Ocala National Forest:

Holiday Inn Express, Silver Springs

BG Sun Plaza, Silver Springs

Looking for more?