Ocala National Forest RV campgrounds and Jeep Trails

Salt Springs can handle a 40' MH well and have FHU. It's more like a big feild of site rows with having some trees but not that many.

Juniper Springs is a much nicer pleasant and prettier well forested really nice CG but as said not FHU or any HU's at all but has a good Bathhouse centrally located. Has a dump station just outside the 2 loop entrances with potable water also. Roads are all paved as are the sites for an RV and vehicle. Most all use their blue lagoon to empty their holding tanks as it just a short distance to the dump sataion t pull them behind a vehicle on the paved roads. However, many of the sites may be a real squeeze for a 40'er with a toad. We stayed a month or so for 4 years at Juniper Springs CG and loved it. Just recharge your batteries each day with a QUIET generator but can't be run at night. Having adequate solar will sure help but doesn't recharge much if cloudy and zero charge at nightime. A QUIET around 2000 watt generator is more than adequate and some were using 1000 watt Honda's to recharge their batteries and it worked fine for them.

Last time we were to Alexander Springs (about 6 years ago) the roads to get there were long, gravel and dirt, and quite dusty, and not very smooth at all. Don't know if they have paved them since. No Hookups like at Juniper.

I assume the Ocala NF still has much of it restricted as it's used for a practice bombing range. They can be very loud and shakes the RV's in the CG's as they are not many miles south of highway 40 east of Ocala. Never had them bomb at night.

agesilaus wrote:

lap527 wrote:

agesilaus wrote:
Silver River SP is nice, we haven't camped there. Have they converted that park to FHU yet? Juniper Springs NF CG is closer to the trails but I'm sure it's no utilities. The same for Alexander Springs. Salt Springs is a very popular park too.

They converted some of the sites at the Silver River to FHU but not all. The FHU sites are almost always taken first as you can imagine. It's still a very nice park.

We've gone hiking there several times, a very nice park on the crystal clear Silver River. It's less than 50 miles from our home so we haven't camped there.

15 minutes for us...lol!

Big Katuna wrote:
I’ve read that on other posts.
What’s the problem with camping close to home?
We camp close to home often.

Nothing wrong with it.

We do it occasionally but tend to do some State Parks with springs like Manatee SP. Or beach state parks which work out to be more than 50 miles. And these short run camping trips tend to be shake down trips before a longer trip. I think this may change tho as my wife nears retirement and we both have more free time.

I’ve read that on other posts.
What’s the problem with camping close to home?
We camp close to home often.

lap527 wrote:

agesilaus wrote:
Silver River SP is nice, we haven't camped there. Have they converted that park to FHU yet? Juniper Springs NF CG is closer to the trails but I'm sure it's no utilities. The same for Alexander Springs. Salt Springs is a very popular park too.

They converted some of the sites at the Silver River to FHU but not all. The FHU sites are almost always taken first as you can imagine. It's still a very nice park.

We've gone hiking there several times, a very nice park on the crystal clear Silver River. It's less than 50 miles from our home so we haven't camped there.

Silver River State Park was renamed Silver Springs State Park in 2013 when the state took over operation of the springs.

agesilaus wrote:
Silver River SP is nice, we haven't camped there. Have they converted that park to FHU yet? Juniper Springs NF CG is closer to the trails but I'm sure it's no utilities. The same for Alexander Springs. Salt Springs is a very popular park too.

They converted some of the sites at the Silver River to FHU but not all. The FHU sites are almost always taken first as you can imagine. It's still a very nice park.

Salt Springs is FHU. Wilderness RV Park is good.
Check Ocala Jeep Club. They organize outings randomly.

Silver River SP is nice, we haven't camped there. Have they converted that park to FHU yet? Juniper Springs NF CG is closer to the trails but I'm sure it's no utilities. The same for Alexander Springs. Salt Springs is a very popular park too.

Freightguy wrote:
Can you guys give your thoughts on RV campgrounds in Ocala? I want to go trail riding there with my Jeep and would like to figure out which RV campground is the best as far as ease of access for a large motor home, hook ups and proximity to the trails. Also what trails would you recommend? Thanks.

Hi Freightguy. If you don't find what you're looking for here, you might want to post over in the Toy Hauler forum. We don't have a ton of members in Florida, but it's still a pretty big group. Many of the Toy Hauler members are off-roaders and know lots of the hidden corners around the country.