Camping in a Florida Forest

Specifically, we camped in the Ocala National Forest, less than 50 miles north of Orlando.  Who says that there are no good NFs in the southeast?!  Two years ago, we camped at Alexander Springs; nice but we found nicer!  Pulled our RV into Juniper Springs; nice campsite, nice facilities - even showers.  The CCC was busy here in the mid 1930s building a pool for the natural warm spring to bubble up and fill.  They even built a water wheel which generated electricity for the then new campground and recreation area.  All really nice.

Met our RV friends, Gail and Dan, and with their transport help, we first went went on a five mile hike.  Then another day we headed back to finish the Paisley off road bike trail, which we had started two years earlier.  A little sandy, but what a great ride through the palmettos, the live oaks, and the big leaf pines.  Eleven miles felt like twenty, but gladly, no one fell in some of the deeper sand patches.  FUN.

Next activity....canoeing the seven miles from the springs bubbling pool, and then down through the forest.  Very clear instructions regarding staying in your canoe made sense as we passed a number of alligators sunning themselves.  A pretty strong current made our paddling easy, except for a few sharp bends and even a rapids.  We were ready to finish up our four hour paddle when we spotted the one and only bridge where we were to end this adventure.

Before we said goodbye to Dan and Gail, we celebrated Ruthie's birthday.  Good to have some friends to help in this celebration.





Following our activities at Juniper Springs, we pulled in the sides and drove to Salt Springs, just 20 miles further north.  Another nice campground in the Ocala NF, even electric and full hookups, but this campground did not have the environment of Juniper.  An OK place to spend a few days, but we wished we had stayed at Juniper.