Ocala National Forest

FWC: Captured bear biggest ever found alive in Florida

2013-05-23 14:26:00

Residents of a rural Lake County community long complained that a colossal four-footed creature had been feasting on their garbage and leaving damaged property in its wake. After an epic trajectory as the region's most prolific dumpster diver, officials...

Florida Forest Service's Roy Cribb wins Firefighter of the Year Award

2013-05-21 00:00:00

In the early afternoon of April 4, 2012, Roy Cribb emerged from the smoke of one fire in the Ocala National Forest and entered another. His primary responsibility at the second fire as a senior forest ranger with the Florida Forest Service was to...

Luxury drug-rehab center in Umatilla to offer recovery in style

2013-05-19 14:33:00

Troubled celebs struggling to overcome addictions might start pointing their limos in an unlikely direction: the remote Lake County town of Umatilla. The former Florida Elks Children's Hospital in Umatilla is being reborn as a luxury drug-rehab center...

Bill would protect water-authority lands from artifact looters

2013-05-18 11:14:00

Treasure hunters have long pilfered arrowheads, pottery and other archaeological artifacts on state lands, risking jail time if caught. But a loophole in state law meant that looters didn't face consequences for their thievery on Lake County Water...

Black bear once captured in Orlando, captured again in Tampa

2013-05-17 17:44:54

He's a year older but none the wiser. The Orlando black bear who traipsed up a tree in Orlando's Parramore neighborhood causing a mini-panic last year has once again been captured, only this time in a Tampa subdivision. The estimated 300-pound male...

Hiking at Lake Eaton Sinkhole, Ocala National Forest

2013-05-07 21:36:00

So Florida hiking is flat and dull? Then you haven't hiked Lake Eaton Sinkhole Trail in Ocala National Forest . The sinkhole, 450 feet wide and 80 feet deep, is dry at the bottom, but the vegetation changes from sandy scrub to lush with trees that like...

Umatilla man arrested in deadly weekend shooting

2013-05-07 21:05:00

A 36-year-old Umatilla man suspected of shooting and killing another man Saturday afternoon was arrested Monday in St. Petersburg. Witnesses told investigators that the suspect, Lamar Lee Maddox, had been arguing with the victim, 25-year-old Brandon...

Volusia County woman killed in morning crash

2013-05-12 14:07:00

A 46-year-old Volusia County woman was killed after she left the roadway early Sunday and barreled head-on into a tree near the edge of the Ocala National Forest, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. Jackie Baiga, of DeLand, was pronounced dead at...

Trail would let cyclists ride coast-to-coast across Florida

2013-05-04 09:54:00

Cycling enthusiasts have long dreamed of having a paved trail through the center of Florida that would give riders a continuous path from the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico. Now that vision may become reality. The budget the Legislature passed...

Umatilla man wanted in deadly afternoon shooting

2013-05-04 18:19:00

Marion County deputies are searching for a 36-year-old Umatilla man suspected of shooting and killing another man Saturday afternoon. Witnesses told investigators that the suspect, 36-year-old Lamar Lee Maddox, had been arguing with the victim, 25-year-...

Umatilla's Old Crow Real Pit Bar-B-Q makes a good pit stop

2013-03-16 00:00:00

Occasionally, alert readers can catch a glimpse of the inner workings of the Postcards from Florida column, pull away the curtain to look behind the scenes at the creative process. Often, there's some culinary motivation involved. At other times, the...

State Sen. Alan Hays' extreme bill to limit conservation land buying should be defeated

2013-02-24 00:00:00

This is the time of year when state Sen. Alan Hays usually tries to turn one of his extreme opinions into law by filing a bill that the Legislature has to consider with a straight face. Session 2013: The Umatilla Republican does not disappoint. Hays...

Approximate travel time: 1 hour, 22 minutes Hours of operation: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m; hours vary based on season. Admission fees: $5.50 per person Additional parking/other fees: Other notes: Silver Glen Springs is part of the Ocala National Forest. Snorkeling is permitted, but scuba diving is not.

2013-04-19 09:18:44

The Florida Black Bear Scenic Byway passes through unbroken miles of sand pine and xeric oak forest, some of the rarest natural habitat in North America. The photograph was taken from atop the historic Central Fire Tower, and gives a birds eye view of the highway and forest.

2013-04-11 09:54:00

A black bear falls from a tree after being tranquilized in downtown Orlando on Friday, June 8, 2012. The bear was found in a tree in the urban corridor near an expressway. It will be moved to the Ocala National Forest.

2012-12-13 06:11:47