Ocala National Forest, located in north central Florida, consists of nearly a half million acres of natural Florida vegetation and wildlife. The four wilderness areas inside of the forest are even more pristine. There is something here for just about every rider, except for sportbikers looking for twisties.

We spent two days on our new, lightweight KTM dirt bikes, which Wheeler modified to make street legal. We found the KTM to be about the only "real" dirt bike that we could make street legal in North Carolina. Ron is riding a 2004, 450-4stroke, and Nancy has the 250 4-stroke. We also spent one day touring the forest two-up on our FZ1.

When you first arrive at the Ocala as it is commonly known, stop by one of the information centers to purchase an area map. This map has lots of detail on the unimproved signed roads and points of interest, but doesn't show many of the unmarked trails that wind through the forest.

To help our navigation we brought our GPS and a compass. The GPS only gave us a general location when using the forest service map, so we abandoned the GPS and relied on the compass and map to tell us our location. The many unmarked trails eventually cross an unimproved signed Forest Service roads which are well marked and shown on the map. Of course, we always advise riders to carry a local map, especially while riding backwoods roads.

Our new, lightweight KTM's were great on the single-track back trails. The full knobbies grabbed the sand very well and the lightweight bikes (340 dry) allowed us to maneuver easily even in tight places... quite a difference from our KLR 650's. But, the KLR's would have been fun too, especially on the gravel, native surface and unimproved roads that criss-cross the forest. However the deeper sand and heavy vegetation overgrowth we found on some of the single track trails might have been a bit too much.

Most of the forest is open for licensed vehicles. But there are some restricted areas which are well marked with small red signs. These areas are closed to vehicular traffic. Unlicensed vehicles (dirt bikes and 4-wheelers) should check with the forest service for information on which areas they can legally ride. A good website for more information is www.floridatrailriders.com (check url). We prefer a street legal dirt bike which allows access to all of the roads and trails.

We saw many cruisers and tourers enjoying the mild winter weather, but were surprised not to see any dual sport and dirt bike riders like ourselves. Of course, we were there during the week and perhaps the weekend might prove a bit more crowded. We did come across a large group of Rainbow People who ironically used to have their annual meeting in Graham County near the Dragon.

For the off-road rider, the scenery is somewhat repetitious, allowing riders to concentrate more on the trail ahead. We found just about everything, except for rocky climbs, on the numerous unmarked backwoods trails that we tried. Be ready for lots of sand, which is deeper in some of the corners. You'll find downed limbs and bushes overhanging some of the narrow single lane trails, lots of whoop-dee-dos, and a surprising dead end every once in a while..

South of Florida 40, the forest has been fairly well rutted out by 4-wheelers and is a much more difficult ride. We found conditions much better north of Florida 40 in the area around Lake Kerr and Lake Delancy.

We camped at Shanty Pond, just south of Salt Springs. This is technically a recreation area and not even marked for camping on the maps. This secluded campground has only a chemical bathroom and provides no hook-ups, but offered us lots of privacy and a level camping area with a fire pit and picnic table. We checked out several other similar camp areas and found them all lightly occupied with plenty of room for private camping. We were told that the weekends and hunting season can be crowded.

For those looking to ride on the pavement, the roads are straight with very little traffic other than on Florida 40. You'll find a day use fee at most of the public areas such as the natural springs located in the forest. This would be a great way to spend a hot summer day, floating in the beautiful, cold-water springs. We enjoyed our day of cruising just to escape the cold weather we left behind in North Carolina. We found several interesting restaurants on the perimeter of the forest and even more to the west in Silver Springs. We heard there was a really good sub shop in Rodman, located north of the National Forest. And, for those looking for a little local flavor, try the Pig Pen Saloon located in Hog Valley at the northern end of the Ocala.

Be aware that naval fighters can fly in low over the bombing range, centrally located in the southern half of the Ocala. We heard from some of the locals that an errant 500 pound bomb nearly hit some campers a few months ago. There is seasonal hunting in the area, we advise you check hunting dates before your travels.

In closing, we had a great time in Ocala National Forest with highlights being the seclusion, trail riding all to ourselves, and warm weather in February. If and when we come back, we will once again stay in the northern part of the forest and ride our KTMs on the many trails criss-crossing the Ocala.

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HINTS:
>>Bring the bug spray, even in the winter.
>>No cell phone service in the Ocala. We had to go to Silver Springs to get good service.
>>Other things to do in the area: Lots of hiking, fishing, canoeing, swimming, mountain biking.
>>Wildlife in the area consists of mainly deer and wildcats. The bear and hog population is extremely low.

related websites:
>>Florida Trail Riders
>>Ocala National Forest