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Florida’s
Ocala National Forest ATV Trails & Off-Road
Adventure Ride
Winter ATV Trail Ride
Destination
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Ocala National Forest Links |
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Ocala, Florida (12/6/2011) - About
now or very soon after those of us who live in cold
climates are reaching for an excuse to spend some
time in Florida. After all, Florida’s weather
is mild in the winter plus warm in the summer which
equals a total of fantastic outdoor weather all
year round regardless of what the calendar says.
Moreover, there are plenty of things to do in the
Sunshine State. For example, there are those great
beaches, Disney World, Sea World and more. There
is also great ATVing all around the state. One location
that attracts many ATV trail riders is the Ocala
National Forest in Ocala, Florida.
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Ocala National Forest Has
Miles of ATV Trails |
Three hundred eighty two thousand acres or 600
square miles in size, the Ocala National Forest
was established in 1906 and is the oldest national
forest east of the Mississippi River. The topography
includes very low hills that feature springs,
ponds, hill ridges, flat and hard woods, sandy
and clay trails and lakes. As would be expected,
the forest is full of wildlife including white
tail deer, black bears, wild turkeys, squirrels,
raccoons, foxes, armadillos, turtles, eagles and
osprey. Vegetation includes sand and slash pines,
palmettos, oak trees and brown wire grass.
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The
Ocala National Forest spans 82,000 acers
that features many different types of topography
& wildlife that make for an interested
ATV ride! |
There are also great natural sites like the Ocklawaha
and St. John’s Rivers, Cedar Creek, and
four crystal clear water springs -- Juniper Springs,
Salt Springs Run, Alexander Springs and Deleon
Springs. All the springs are ideal for swimming,
fishing, canoeing, scuba driving or just plain
relaxing. Juniper Springs has an old mill to explore
and Deleon Springs has a restaurant where you
are the chef.
Ocala National Forest also has more than 230
miles of ATV trails. Skill level to ride the trails
is said to be beginner to intermediate. There
are also trails for horseback riding, hiking,
bicycles and motorcycles. Motorcycles, horseback
riders, and jeeps share the ATV trails. The motorcycle
trails are said to be extremely challenging.
| Tour
Ocala National Forest On ATVs |
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| The
Ocala National Forest offers two ATV tours
including the Pipeline Trail & the Lake
Oklawaha Tour |
One way to really take advantage of the ATV trails
and the sites that await you is to take an ATV
tour. The ATV Off-Road Adventure Tours offer two
journeys into the Ocala National Forest -- The
Pipeline Trail Tour is 21 miles in length and
takes three hours and 15 minutes to traverse.
The Lake Oklawaha Tour is 40 miles long and travel
time is about six and one half hours.
Peter Briggs is the owner and official guide
of ATV Off-Road Adventure Tours. According to
Briggs, he started the tours in 2008 soon after
the forestry department transformed the forest
into a first class trail system. Briggs reports,
“I thought that with my prior motorsports
experience; racing motorcycles in Enduros and
Motocross events along with owning and racing
stock cars, starting an ATV outfitter business
in the Ocala National Forest would be a perfect
venture.” He had previously worked in South
Florida. as a general contractor before relocating
to Ft. McCoy in the middle of the forest. With
The Ocala National Forest all around him and a
trailhead leading into the ATV trail system only
eight miles from his home he decided to become
Florida’s first, and only, licensed outfitter
in the forest.
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