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The Apalachicola National Forest is home to some of the most unique animal and plant species in the world. Here, visitors can enjoy safe, family-friendly activities such as fishing, hunting, hiking and trail-riding while surrounded by tranquil, diverse ecosystems.
Surrounding one of the few crystal-clear lakes in the Apalachicola National Forest, Camel Lake Recreation Area provides a quiet place to relax and take in the beauty of the longleaf pine forest. Seepage slopes in the forest create pitcher plant bogs, easily visited along the Florida National Scenic Trail headed west to Memory Island.
Boating
Electric trolling motors and paddle boats are welcome on the lake.
Camping
Above the lake's rim, the focal points of this recreation area are the well-shaded, 10-site campground, suitable for RVs or tents.
Picnicking
The day-use area has both picnic tables and a picnic shelter for visitors to enjoy.
Swimming
A beautiful sandy beach is available for swimming.
Wright Lake is a quiet scenic lakefront recreation area that offers a host of amenities and activities for campers and day-trippers. The area around the clear, spring-fed lake offers both a day-use area for swimming, picnicking hiking, and a campground in a beautiful forest setting along one portion of the lakeshore. It is perfect for fishing and boating. Swimmers can also enjoy the white sand beach, and a nearby bathhouse includes flush toilets and hot showers. Picnic tables and grills are scattered among trees with views of the lake.
Boating
Electric trolling motors or paddle boats are welcome on the lake
Camping
The campground includes 18 campsites with picnic tables, grills, tent pads and fire rings. Each site also has a lantern post.
Fishing
Wright Lake is the perfect place for fishing.
Nature Viewing
The area around Wright Lake is one of the best places in the Apalachicola National Forest to see pitcher plants, which bloom en masse in late March / early April.
Walking / Day Hiking
Two trails are available at Wright Lake: a short nature trail and a 4.6-mile interpretive trail that circles the lake and showcases the full spectrum of habitats in this part of the Apalachicola National Forest.
Nestled between well-known theme parks and white, sandy beaches, the jewels of the Ocala National Forest attract visitors from around the world.
A travel destination in its own right, the Ocala features more than 600 lakes and rivers where visitors enjoy swimming, fishing, snorkeling, canoeing and boating.
From migratory birds and playful manatees to delicate freshwater springs and some of the world's rarest plants, the Ocala is a haven where people (and animals) escape to one of Florida's remaining wild places. Here, opportunities abound for all to bask in the wonders of Mother Nature 365 days a year.
Juniper Springs is one of the oldest and best-known recreation areas on the East Coast. Located between Ocala and Ormond Beach along SR 40, this complex of swimming and picnic area, campground and trails was constructed in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps. This setting houses hundreds of tiny bubbling springs and massive springs gushing out of crevices in the earth beneath a dense canopy of palms and oaks, an oasis within the heart of the desert-like scrub ecosystem.
Boating
Juniper Run is a narrow, winding waterway set under a dense canopy of old-growth forest and few places solid enough to get out of your canoe. Just before the take out point near SR 19, the waterway broadens to encompass wetlands teeming with wading birds and wildlife.
Camping
Who doesn't love camping under a dense canopy of live oaks? Juniper Springs is one of the nation's top destinations for camping, not just because of the many activities available on site but also for its well-shaded setting.
Day Hiking / Walking / Backpacking
In addition to day hiking on the Florida Trail, which passes through the recreation area, families and those with limited mobility will especially appreciate the Juniper Run Nature Trail. This short (0.8 mile round-trip) but delightful introduction to the subtropical habitats found along our spring runs includes viewing areas to watch the bubbling springs; thickets of needle palms; tall sweetgum, maple and pine trees; and a variety of wildlife, from otters to our unique albino gray squirrels.
Backpackers often use Juniper Springs as a stopping-off point while working their way along a 72-mile unbroken segment of the Florida Trail.
Interpretive Area
As a Civilian Conservation Corps-era recreation area and campground, Juniper Springs is a historic site with an interesting story to tell. Stop in the old Mill House to learn why and how the swimming area and campground were built, and how the mill used to provide electricity for the campground.
Nature Watching
The dense, jungle-like forests surrounding Juniper Springs and Juniper Run - as well as the waterway itself - are home to wildlife that you might not commonly see elsewhere. Among the more interesting residents of our natural communities are the albino gray squirrels seen near the Mill House, the otters that play along the edges of the spring run and the American eels that migrate out to the Sargasso Sea to spawn, returning to Juniper Springs to live.
Swimming
Juniper Springs is notable as a crystalline pool of spring outflow, shallow at one end and deep enough to jump into at the other. Natural tapegrass grows along the bottom of the spring. Don't be surprised to see an American eel amid the greenery.
The Osceola National Forest is a peaceful place where people come to escape their busy lives and reconnect with the land. Flatwoods and swamps transport visitors back in time, and provide a tranquil setting for first-rate hunting, fishing and swimming opportunities.
