Juniper Prairie Wilderness

The Juniper Prairie Wilderness is located in Ocala, Florida, part of a huge national forest that provides ample space for trail adventures and recreation. In fact, many of the visitors to the wilderness enjoy the numerous hiking trails and water areas.

The wilderness is a great place to explore on foot, where trails are open to hikers only and many of the trails are maintained with old-fashioned methods to keep the wilderness' natural appearance and environment intact. In fact, part of the state's scenic trail runs through the wilderness, accessible to hikers and backpackers who take day and overnight trips into the area.

Because it can get so warm in the summer, the Juniper Prairie Wilderness is ideal for swimming. Numerous ponds have water that is so pure that even drinking directly from them is possible. Regardless of the season, the wilderness is a beautiful place with scrub area and large sand type pines. However, during droughts, the water areas can dry up, though the deeper and larger ponds are still open to kayakers and canoeists. Best of all, visitors can find numerous camping areas, as well as enjoying such activities as wildlife watching, bird watching and turkey and other bird type hunting.