Target: Hopkins Prairie
Type: Rightpoint
State: Florida

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Ocala came together on short notice and I didn’t have much time to plan. I had to be in Orlando on a Sunday evening and so it seemed a shame not to take advantage and get an outdoor weekend while I was at it. I had visited Ocala twice before but it had been many years. Given the time constraints I decided to jump on Forest Service roads until I found a likely base camp to explore from.

Through a stroke of luck I ended up at the Hopkins Prairie Campground which is a developed campground with a few dozen primitive sites. Given the heat and the storm clouds that were predicted for the weekend, I was the only one there the entire time. The Florida Trail runs right by it so I took advantage and headed out for a hike.

Hopkins Prairie is a fire created swampy grassland surrounded by old man’s beard draped live oaks rising above thick, uninviting vegetation. A large, shallow lake fills the center with tendrils snaking out in a hundred directions. Anhinga’s perched on dead trees spreading their wings to clean in the sun and songbirds flitted here and there in groups and singles.

The rain started shortly after I started walking and stayed close for the next few hours. The humidity was oppressive, but the lightning and rolling clouds provided a dramatic backdrop that seemed appropriate for the setting. Surprisingly there were few mosquitoes, or maybe my repellent was just working very well. The total effect was pleasant if uncomfortable.

The Florida Trail runs along the north end of the field, hugging the treeline. After a few miles it leaves the area and continues on for another few dozen miles so I had a choice to make. I could continue on for a while and then backtrack, or I could try to find a way to circle the lake. There are no marked trails on the south side of the lake, but I suspected that there would be game trails at the least so I headed that way.

To my surprise there was a wide, well defined sand road. Parts of it were underwater, and the sand was loose enough to be a pretty stiff workout, but travel was easy and I could enjoy the views without worrying about my steps. I started to notice a few dispersed campsites along the way and about halfway through I passed some campers setting up. These would be the only people I saw the entire weekend.

As I neared the end of the priarie, the road carried on east, but I needed to move north again to get back to camp. Fortunately there was another, more primitive trail pointing that way. It would through the live oaks and was well cleared, but huge golden silk spiders had built webs spanning the entire width. Trying to get through them without destroying too much was challenging and I had streamers of web all over me before long.

I stopped for a while at a water filled sinkhole, just to throw some rocks and enjoy the quiet. Shortly after that I made it back to the primary road to camp. It was getting late so I turned in to read and relax for the night. I did some exploring the next day and saw a coral snake, my first, that was unfortunately dead. After visiting another lake, and having a peaceful lunch in the trees, I turned towards Orlando.