Ocala Wetland Recharge Park
Park
63 acres2.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
West Ocala Historic District · Photo: Ebyabe · CC BY 2.5B−Outdoors
Outdoors in Ocala
Ocala has 932 acres of parks, 14 for every 1,000 residents
The biggest trail networks: Ocala Wetland Recharge Park (2.8 mi), Jervey Gantt Park (1.3 mi), Lillian F Bryant Park (1.1 mi). 2% of Ocala’s land is conserved, about 746 acres. 65% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 49% of U.S. towns · #325 of 638 in Florida. What drives it
Conserved land
2%
746 acres · of 48.1 sq mi of land
Trails
14 mi
0.3 per sq mi of land
Park land
932 ac
14 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
65%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
26 mi
23 mi lanes · 2.2 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
5
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Ocala have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Ocala is ahead of 49% of U.S. towns, #325 of 638 in Florida. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; conserved land pulls it down.
B−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Ocala’s overall grade.
Conserved land2% of the land · typical FL town 3% · U.S. 4%C+Trails0.3 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (14 mi) · FL 0.4 · U.S. 0.4B−Park land14 acres of park per 1,000 residents (932 acres) · FL 6 · U.S. 13BParks close to home65% of residents within a half mile of a park · FL 70% · U.S. 72%B−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 49%
LessMore
Florida towns of 2,500+ (638)Ahead of 49%
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would still be B−. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Ocala Wetland Recharge Park, with 2.8 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Lillian F Bryant Park
Park
23 acres1.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Veteran's Memorial Park
Park
5 acres0.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Polly Palmer Park
Park
6 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
CF Fitness & Recreation Park
Park
7 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 29 parks & preserves
Ocala Wetland Recharge Park63 acres · 2.8 mi of trail
DirectionsJervey Gantt Park71 acres · 1.3 mi of trail
DirectionsLillian F Bryant Park23 acres · 1.1 mi of trail
Veteran's Memorial Park5 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
Polly Palmer Park6 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
CF Fitness & Recreation Park7 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsDowntown Art Park3 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsScott Springs Park32 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsClyatt Park8 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Marion County Jail and Sheriff's Office90 acres
Ocala Regional Sportsplex80 acres
Tuscawilla Park34 acres
DirectionsBrick City Adventure Park30 acres
31st Street Park12 acres
Tom's Park12 acres
Obstacle Course9 acres · MCPS
M.O.M.S. park6 acres
Thompson Bowl Park6 acres
DirectionsNorthside Park5 acres
Fisher Park5 acres
Chazal Park4 acres
Ritterhoff Park3 acres
Lamb Park2 acres
Legacy Park2 acres
DirectionsCitizen's Circle1 acres
DirectionsNature Park1 acres
Central florida college green areas1 acres
DirectionsOcala Downtown Square1 acres
DirectionsTuscany Place green areas1 acres
Who protects it
746 conserved acres
2% of Ocala’s land. Who manages Ocala’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city631 ac
County149 ac
Private owners2 ac
Local Park · 538 acLocal Recreation Area · 172 acLocal Other or Unknown · 72 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big Sun Youth Soccer League Local Park | Town or city | 188 | Open |
| Ocala Regional Sportsplex Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 71 | Open |
| Pine Oaks Preserve Disc Golf Course Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 63 | Open |
| Mcpherson Complex Local Park | County | 60 | Open |
| Jervey-Gantt Park Local Park | Town or city | 39 | Open |
| Ft King Memorial Local Park | County | 38 | Open |
| Fort King Property Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 38 | Open |
| Tuscawilla Park Local Park | Town or city | 35 | Open |
| Brick City Park Local Recreation Area | County | 32 | Open |
| Martin Luther King Recreation Complex Local Park | Town or city | 23 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
28 places to go in Ocala
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Ocala
Deerwood Village Swimming Pool
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Ocala
CF Childcare Playground
DirectionsPlus 15 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Ocala
Deerwood Village Dog Park
DirectionsDog ParkIn Jervey Gantt Park
DirectionsPicnic areas in Ocala
CF Athletics Picnic Area
DirectionsCF Cafeteria outdoor eating area
DirectionsPlus 7 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Trails & water
5 lakes & rivers
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
26 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
23 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
2.2 mi
off-road bike paths
0.1 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
54Tennis
38Basketball
25Baseball
12Soccer
4Football
4Pickleball
3Beach volleyball
1Skate park
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →12 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
Coca-Cola Bottling PlantBuilding · listed 1979
About itMount Zion A.M.E. ChurchBuilding · listed 1979
About itMarion HotelBuilding · listed 1980
About itOcala Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1984
About itRitz Apartment, TheBuilding · listed 1986
About itTuscawilla Park Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1988
About itE. C. Smith HouseBuilding · listed 1990
About itEast HallBuilding · listed 1995
About itOcala Union StationBuilding · listed 1997
About itOcala Historic Commercial DistrictDistrict · listed 1999
About itWest Ocala Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2002
About itFederal Building, United States Post Office, and Court HouseBuilding · listed 2022
About itWhen to get out
April is the best month for walking in Ocala
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 10.5 | 11.1 | 11.9 | 12.8 | 13.6 | 14.0 | 13.8 | 13.2 | 12.3 | 11.4 | 10.6 | 10.3 |
| High (°F) | 70 | 73 | 77 | 83 | 89 | 91 | 92 | 92 | 89 | 84 | 77 | 71 |
| Rain (in) | 3.4 | 2.9 | 3.5 | 2.6 | 3.5 | 7.7 | 7.1 | 8.0 | 6.2 | 2.9 | 2.1 | 2.8 |
November is the driest month (2.1 in) and July the warmest (highs of 92 °F). 8.0 inches fall in August, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 92 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Ocala →
Next door
Ocala and its neighbors
Ocala has the second most mapped trails of the 3 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ocala | 2% | 0.3 | 14 | 65% | B− |
| Silver Springs | 37% | 1.7 | 459 | 75% | A+ |
| Liberty Triangle | under 1% | 1.1 | under 1 | 10% | C− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Ocala
Where can I hike in Ocala?
The longest trail networks: Ocala Wetland Recharge Park, 2.8 miles; Jervey Gantt Park, 1.3 miles; Lillian F Bryant Park, 1.1 miles; Veteran's Memorial Park, 0.7 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Ocala is conserved land?
2% of its land, against a typical 3% for a Florida town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Ocala’s trails?
Ocala Wetland Recharge Park and Jervey Gantt Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Ocala?
26 miles of bike routes are on the map: 23 of painted or protected lanes, 2.2 of off-road paths and 0.1 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Ocala?
30,832 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Ocala or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 932 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Ocala have?
Ahead of 49% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #325 of 638 in Florida. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Ocala neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →