The Ocala National Forest is where the Florida Trail began in 1966, and it is here that the trail joins its Eastern and Western Corridors together at Kerr Island. The Ocala is a favorite destination for backpackers, with more than 100 miles of hiking through scenic areas like the Juniper Prairie Wilderness, Hopkins Prairie, and Eaton Creek.

Once north of the Ocala, the trail connects a string of natural lands en route to Osceola National Forest, including the Caravelle Ranch Conservation Area, the extremely scenic Rice Creek Conservation Area, Etoniah Creek State Forest, Gold Head Branch State Park, Camp Blanding, the new Palatka-Lake Butler Trail, and Plum Creek timberlands. Hikers enjoy a broad variety of outdoor experiences and opportunities for town visits along the trail. The Osceola National Forest is best known for Ocean Pond, a great place to watch the sunset, its tall pines, and its scattered pitcher plant bogs.