Contact Information
325 John Knox Road Suite F-100
Tallahassee, FL 32303
850-942-9300
The word Ocala is thought to be a derivative of a Timucuan Indian term meaning fair land or big hammock. The lush Ocala National Forest lives up to its name: Towering palms, large live oaks, and scrubby sand pines dominate the forest's scrub oak ecosystem. The Ocala's sand pine scrub ecosystem is the world's largest continuous forest of its type. But that's not all. Between the river boundaries of this forest lie central highlands, coastal lowlands, swamps, springs and hundreds of lakes and ponds. It's the lakes and ponds that make the Ocala exceptional. The forest is riddled with slow-moving rivers and wet prairies. In the Florida and south Georgia, the word prairie refers to submerged flatlands, not the rolling grasslands of America's midwests. They are sunny, shallow expanses of water, usually ringed by cypress trees and filled water lilies and other with aquatic plants. The wonderful rivers and wetlands make Ocala probably the most famous canoeing destination in Florida outside of the Everglades. Like most of the rest of Florida, the Ocala is low elevation and generally flat. No far reaching views here. Because the Ocala is just north of Orlando, it's the most heavily visited of the three national forests in Florida. Its lushness and topographical evenness offer a real benefit. Despite its popularity, the forest provides an extraordinary sense of solitude. If you can't see the forest for the trees, you can't see the people for the forest. The Ocala climate is characterized by long, warm, humid summers and mild, dry winters. So when the chill wind blows, head for Florida. But bypass the mouse for dose of real adventure. Who needs a high tech carnival ride when reality is so much better?
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