Cross Florida Greenway–SR 200 to CR 484
Stretching from the Gulf of Mexico to the St. Johns River, the Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway occupies much of the land formerly known as the Cross Florida Barge Canal. This 110-mile corridor encompasses a variety of natural habitats and offers an array of trails and recreation areas where visitors can experience Florida’s premier greenway.

This segment of the Cross Florida Greenway includes a variety of natural communities such as longleaf pine sandhill, mixed hardwood and conifer forests, and wet prairies on the western end. This region is also site of an historic "digging." This feature is a wide linear area that was literally carved out of the landscape in the 1930's as part of the original sea-level ship canal project funded through the Works Progress Administration during the depression. Today, they exist as reforested, small-scale valleys. Because the bottoms of "diggings" are comprised of clayey soils that hold moisture, they are dominated by loblolly pines that prefer wetter areas than longleaf or sand pines. In many areas, they also offer challenging terrain.
locator
Cross Florida Greenway - SR 200 to CR 484

Click here for printer-friendly version. (PDF 320K)

Major Activities hiking equestrian

Trail Length/Surface:
—unpaved hiking, Florida National Scenic Trail (FNST), approximately 2.5 miles
—unpaved equestrian, approximately 6.3 total miles
Please note that distance indicated is estimated for trail segments shown on map. Connector trails or alternate routes may alter distance actually traveled.

Fee: None
Counties: Marion
Nearby Cities: Ocala, Dunnellon

Notes:
The Ross Prairie Trailhead provides parking, restrooms, showers, and potable water. The trailhead also provides an equestrian staging area. An equestrian campground was under construction as of October 2002. Contact the Ocala Headquarters at 352-236-7143 for the latest status of this facility.

The hiking trail in this area is part of the Florida Trail and is officially designated as Florida National Scenic Trail (FNST). The Florida Trail Association produces a detailed hiking guide and segment-by-segment maps that are very useful for hiking the entire Florida Trail. For more information, visit their website at www.florida-trail.org.

Mountain biking opportunities are currently in development for this region of the Cross Florida Greenway.

Trails continue both east and west of this segment of the Cross Florida Greenway. For trails continuing east, see the CR 484 to 49th Avenue map. No map is currently available for trails continuing west.

Access/Directions:
Ross Prairie Trailhead
From I-75 in Ocala, take Exit 350 to SR 200. Head southwest (away from Ocala) on SR 200 for approximately 10 miles. The trailhead is located on the left.

Alternative route:
From I-75 south of Ocala, take Exit 341 to CR 484. Head west (toward Dunnellon) on CR 484 for approximately 9 miles to the intersection with SR 200. Take a left on SR 200. Trailhead is approximately 1.5 miles on the left.

Contact Information:
Office of Greenways and Trails
Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway – Headquarters (Ocala) 352-236-7143