In all, Santos offers more than 80 miles of diverse bike trails for beginners to expert-level riders – so don’t leave without posting the perfect action shot! Here you can also find some of the remains of the defunct Cross Florida Barge Canal project, now renamed the Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway. It offers some of the best mountain biking in the southeastern US, thanks to numerous wooden features and an extreme-terrain area built in a former lime rock quarry. Hikers and mountain bikers love the Santos Trailhead and Campground. It’s impossible to take a bad photo here! Santos Trails With hundreds of tiny bubbling springs emerging from underwater crevices, and a dense canopy of palms and oaks, Juniper Springs is an oasis in the heart of Ocala National Forest’s desert-like Big Scrub. And don’t forget to take a selfie of yourself at peace! Stroll on one of the park’s paved walkways and encounter mature oaks, hickories, sweet gums and long-leaf pine trees. Sholom Parkĭesigned to be a source of inner peace for all who visit, Sholom Park combines native Florida plants with cultivated ornamentals, perennials and annuals. Don’t miss the downtown area’s colorful public murals, which are featured in Florida’s statewide Mural Trail. Snap a shot of that great meal our award-winning chefs created just for you, or show off your unique shopping finds. The conserve is also home to a not-for-profit organic vegetable and herb farm, which visitors are invited to tour.Īrt, history, fine dining and entertainment share the spotlight in Ocala’s Downtown Square. Make sure your posts point out that you’re visiting the home of 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah and 2016 Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist! Crones’ Cradle ConserveĪ visit to this 756-acre ecological preserve will make you feel like you’re in another era, where Florida’s natural flora and fauna grow freely without any sign of human influence. Enjoy a guided horse-and-carriage tour of the area’s beautiful, sprawling breeding and training farms, which have produced some of the world’s finest racehorses. With more than 70,000 acres of working horse farms to its name, Ocala/Marion County has earned its title as “The Horse Capital of the World®”. The Rainbow River’s adjacent KP Hole Park is also home to a variety of photo-friendly wildlife, including alligators, turtles, otters, birds and fish. Be there in early spring when their blooms color the entire headsprings with vibrant pinks, purples and whites. This popular swimming, snorkeling, tubing and camping destination is one of Florida’s largest springs, but it’s particularly revered for its magnificent azaleas. Pretty much everything about Rainbow Springs is picturesque (including its name). Take one of the three loop trails, where visitors frequently spot resident deer, turkeys and bald eagles. The Carney Island Conservation Area is situated on a peninsula in Lake Weir-the largest in Marion County-and dotted with jaw-droppingly large live oak trees and panoramic views of the lake and its sandhill islands. During the cooler winter months, manatee sightings are frequent, as they take a liking to the springs’ warmer waters. Part of the Ocala National Forest, Silver Glen Springs boasts clear, aquamarine-hued waters that, when the sunlight hits just right, reflect hundreds of tiny rainbows. Hop aboard one of its world-famous glass-bottom boats, and you’ll be snapping shots of fish, turtles, birds, alligators, deer, and yes, even rhesus macaque monkeys! Silver Glen Springs Recreation Silver Springs became one of Florida’s first tourist attractions in the late 1800s, and it's picturesque artesian springs and abundant wildlife have been attracting visitors ever since. What better location to showcase your skills than picturesque Ocala/Marion County? If “I did it for the ‘gram” is a part of your vernacular, then here are the 10 most Instagrammable spots in Ocala/Marion County you won’t want to miss.

Thanks to social media, it’s never been easier to embrace your inner photographer!

Good lighting, the right angles, the perfect composition.

Picturesque locations near me