Pretty scrub and ponds abound in the Juniper Prairie Wilderness

After a month of being prevented from backpacking by flooded trails, a pesky cold, and the national championship run of a certain basketball team, I will finally be able to return to the Ocala National Forest this weekend, possibly for my last one-nighter of the season as the heat of summer approaches. It will be my third one-nighter in the motherland of the Florida Trail, and I hope to enjoy it as much as my most recent weekend adventure there in early February to the Juniper Prairie Wilderness. This stretch of the Ocala National Forest is a great way to see some of the first designated legs of the Florida Trail.

Comprising almost 15,000 acres within the largest concentration of Ocala sand pine in the world, the Juniper Prairie Wilderness stretches for miles through many of the first sand islands in Florida’s peninsula to rise above the sea.  It is an ocean of roadless scrub prairie, undulating gently through low hills and pond-dotted forest.  The highlight there for many is Juniper Springs and the seven-mile kayak run on Juniper Creek, lying near busy campsites at the Juniper Springs Recreation Area. But I chose to focus on the well-trodden nearby section of the Florida Trail.

I began my one-nighter by paying the nominal fee to enter and park my car for the night at the Juniper Springs Recreation Area, then met the crossing of the Florida Trail just south of its entrance, before hiking approximately 5 ½ miles north to Hidden Pond. Pretty as it may have been to camp there, I paid attention to the warning on FloridaHikes.com that the pond can be frequented by bears, so I continued another mile-and-a-half north to find a secluded spot for my tent beside the trail. I then retraced my steps the next morning for a 14-mile round trip.

Just like so many small sections of the Florida Trail I’ve experienced this season, I was treated to a variety of ecosystems. The first miles, which circled around the Recreation Area before turning north, were spent rolling gently through relatively dense scrub forest, at times skirting the palmetto-lined Juniper Creek. After crossing Whispering Creek about three miles into the hike, I emerged along the shores of several ponds, with their reedy watersides patrolled by cranes in shallow water that stretched to pines on the distant opposite shore.

Soon after, the trail climbed to the shadeless dunes, with rolling vistas obstructed only by occasional sand pines.  Occasionally I passed sinkholes, and I saw scrub jays jumping among the scrub throughout the trail around me.

Eventually I reached the Hidden Pond, a perfect place to rest for a snack. Its crystal-clear water was being enjoyed by several swimming campers, as well as a few families setting up tents on the far shore. Several groups of day-hikers arrived at this popular spot while I enjoyed a respite from the afternoon sun.

After continuing north through the sand hills through more dense scrub, I eventually found a perfect trailside clearing for my tent in a field of charred trees, many broken in half like matchsticks. This being only my second time random-camping beside the trail away from designated campsites with firepits, my spot had ample breezes to keep any mosquitoes at bay and minimal tree cover to interrupt my stargazing after dinner. Despite the full moon, I was able to enjoy watching Venus, Jupiter, and Mars float among the constellations as I fell asleep in my tent.

When I awoke the next morning (shivering in my sleeping bag liner, having left my sleeping bag at home after underestimating the nighttime lows), I emerged to a magical fog-covered dreamscape, and I enjoyed my coffee while watching the sun fight through the mist on the eastern horizon. On my hike back to my car, I saw several deer and hawks, and I was passed by several groups of northbound thru hikers.

With summer approaching and cool swimming available at Hidden Pond and Juniper Springs, this is a great place to get acquainted with the Ocala National Forest, even as the mercury in the thermometer starts rising.