Ocala National Forest
The Ocala National Forest is the second largest nationally protected forest in the U.S. State of Florida. Find it 9 mi northeast of Silver Springs Shores East. Management falls to the United States Forest Service.
A national forest, 9 mi northeast of Silver Springs Shores East
Lake Kerr is the nearest base
Lake Kerr is 14 miles north, with 7 places to stay. Where to stay ↓
A day trip from Jacksonville
Jacksonville is about 81 miles north (straight-line). Where to stay ↓
Established in 1908
Ocala National Forest dates from 1908 and is run by United States Forest Service. About ↓
Best months: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Oct, Nov and Dec
January, February, March, April, October, November and December are the mild months, with highs of 70–84°. When to go ↓
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.
Picking a season
The months below show the weather around Ocala National Forest.
Ocala National Forest
The Ocala National Forest is the second largest nationally protected forest in the U.S. State of Florida. It covers 607 square miles (1,570 km2) of North Central Florida. It is located three miles (4.8 km) east of Ocala and 16 miles (26 km) southeast of Gainesville. The Ocala National Forest, established in 1908, is the oldest national forest east of the Mississippi River and the southernmost national forest in the continental U.S. The word Ocala is thought to be a derivative of a Timucuan term meaning "fair land" or "big hammock". The forest is headquartered in Tallahassee, as are all three National Forests in Florida, but there are local ranger district offices located in Silver Springs and Umatilla.
- Type
- National forest
- Established
- 1908
- Area
- 607 square miles
- Run by
- United States Forest Service
- Wikipedia readers
- 17K a year
Towns to stay in near Ocala National Forest
Places to stay start in Ocala (75) and Silver Springs (14).
Ocala
The closest town with somewhere to stay.
71,753 people
20 mi west of Ocala National Forest
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From Ocala National Forest | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ocala | 20 mi west | 30 min | 75 38 hotels · 21 motels · 4 inns & B&Bs · 4 lodges & cabins · 2 campgrounds · 6 RV parks | 71,753 | $241K | D |
| Silver Springs | 15 mi west | 20 min | 14 8 hotels · 2 motels · 1 campground · 3 RV parks | 2,712 | $31K | — |
| Lake Kerr 38% vacation homes | 14 mi north | 20 min | 7 1 hotel · 3 lodges & cabins · 2 campgrounds · 1 RV park | 1,697 | $110K | — |
| Lady Lake | 19 mi south | 30 min | 12 9 hotels · 3 RV parks | 17,496 | $227K | — |
| Belleview | 16 mi southwest | 25 min | 8 1 hotel · 1 motel · 3 lodges & cabins · 1 campground · 2 RV parks | 6,512 | $210K | C− |
| Astor | 17 mi east | 25 min | 9 1 hotel · 1 inn or B&B · 2 lodges & cabins · 5 campgrounds | 1,391 | $116K | — |
| Mount Dora | 27 mi southeast | 40 min | 23 8 hotels · 9 inns & B&Bs · 6 lodges & cabins | 18,791 | $382K | — |
| Lisbon | 20 mi south | 30 min | 8 1 lodge or cabins · 2 campgrounds · 5 RV parks | 100 | — | — |
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
After Ocala National Forest
All of these are within 58 miles.
Big draw58 mi Theme parkWalt Disney World Resort
Big draw53 mi Theme parkUniversal Studios Florida9.5M visitors a year
Big draw55 mi Theme parkUniversal Epic Universe
Big draw51 mi Stadium & arenaCamping World Stadium
46 mi Stadium & arenaBen Hill Griffin Stadium
Big draw53 mi Theme parkUniversal's Islands of Adventure9.5M visitors a year
57 mi Theme parkSeaWorld Orlando4.3M visitors a year
51 mi Stadium & arenaKia CenterPhoto credits
Walt Disney World Resort: Anthony Quintano from Westminster, United States, CC BY 2.0 · Universal Studios Florida: Radiobroadcastcenter, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Universal Epic Universe: Martin Lewison, CC BY 2.0 · Camping World Stadium: Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0 · Ben Hill Griffin Stadium: The original uploader was Hughs at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 2.5 · Universal's Islands of Adventure: David Bjorgen, CC BY-SA 2.5 · SeaWorld Orlando: SeaWorld, CC BY 2.0 · Kia Center: 350z33 (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0
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Asked about Ocala National Forest
What town is Ocala National Forest near?
Silver Springs Shores East, FL, about 9 miles southwest.
When is the best time to visit Ocala National Forest?
January, February, March, April, October, November and December, with highs of 70–84°.
How far is Ocala National Forest from Orlando and Jacksonville?
About 57 miles southeast of Orlando and about 81 miles north of Jacksonville, as the crow flies.
What is the closest airport to Ocala National Forest?
Gainesville Regional (GNV), about 45 miles away. The nearest big hub is Orlando Sanford (SFB), about 45 miles.
Where should I stay near Ocala National Forest?
Ocala (20 mi, 75 places to stay), Silver Springs (15 mi, 14 places to stay) and Lake Kerr (14 mi, 7 places to stay).
What locals in Silver Springs Shores East say
Start the conversation in Silver Springs Shores East’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.