Messages

We like riding the trails down by lake delancey west camp ground. You have the yellow (main trail) blue,red, brown and purple trails ( lake delancey loops ). You can stay at the camp ground and hit the trails right from there. If your at the camp ground the first part of the week when it's quite, you may get lucky and see a bear. On the week end there is to much noise and they shy away. ( on the most part) Last two trips we have had bear come right thru the camp ground. Got some good pictures.
  We have our annual camping trip coming up soon. We go and camp for a week and have a great time. Get a lot of riding in.

  We will be glad when the forestry dept quits raiding the funds that were meant for new trails, so that we can get phase III and other items completed which should have been done by now. Been two or more years now, since we have seen any additions to the trails. Where have the funds gone??  not on making new trails. Someone needs to come on line and explain what the hold up is. I as well as many are watching and waiting.

Thanks I forwarded this information to the Senator. Hope he and his people can help.

If you can help me find the posted and who wrote it. I have a state senator that has
agreed to check this out and I would like to give him as much information as I can
Thanks

Started june 2007 and still no Phase II in  2010    three years.  Where has all the money gone?
Why haven't the trails been started? We need answers to these questions.

I have found a State Senator that may help us atv riders. I've been told he would put his people on researching
the Eurika borrow pit and the phase II OHV trails in Ocala Florida. He said he would get back to me when he had an answer.
Let you know more at a later date

Not as many whoops on the trails now. The yellow trail which is the longest and widest of the trails, the volunters
have leveled the whoops down pretty good. They use a tractor with disk and have attached tires and chains to
the back of the disk to level out the whoops. The other trails they can't get the disk down , so they drag tires behind atv's
to level them out. The yellow trail is the main trail and they will use this trail to get emergency vehicles down if they are ever needed.
  I enjoy the trails and it will be even better when Phase II is completed. They are to start this winter.

Thank you, good move

Don't forget to sign up for your future Ocala OHV newsletters.
Just send your E-mail address to Rosie Burlock at:
Rburlock@fs.fed.us


I also think that this web site should be posted at all trailsheads and campgrounds to let people know there is
an OHV newsletter. Get the word out.

Listen, I rode the Ocala forest in the old days, when you could ride anywhere and ride at night. Camp anywhere. I've done it all.
But those days are gone. Now they have a good trail system which they are trying to improve all the time with the limited man power they have. They are about to add additional trails starting this winter which will go by gas stations and places to get food
along the way. I for one enjoy the Ocala forest for atv riding and the improvements they have made and continue to make.
It is better than no place at all to ride and you can basically do what you want as long as you stay  on the trails. I will continue to ride the Ocala trails and support them. Maybe one day I'll see you there.  I'm going to have fun.

I was very disappointed in the turn out for the Ocala OHV jamboree. You atv riders grip about wanting more trails and better trails, and then you don't show interest when the forest dept has a jamboree. When there is no interest they take the money they have and put it somewhere the people show interest. You have to show up and show interest.
  How many of you have E-mailed your Email address in to sign up for the newsletter they now have. They are useing this letter to see how much interest there is in the Ocala trails. We need everyone to E-mail thier E-mail address in and sign up  for the new OHV newsletter. 

  Now that I've said that, I was also very disappointed in the the forestry dept. They did not have much to offer for a jamboree. I at least expected a ranger in a dunk tank. Maybe a band. maybe barrel races with atv's. they had a trail ride. they had hotdogs but they were gone by the time the trail ride got back and they didn't get any.
I drove 5 hrs total and spent $80.00 dollars in fuel for this jamboree. I think think that the forest dept didn't work to hard at this Jamboree and could have done better.

I agree, but night riding should be done as a group. Trails can look completely different at night, therefore leading to people getting lost. I agree that the trails should be opened up for night riding, but in groups. People panic when they are alone
which leads to more trouble. The trails are a lot of fun at night. Open the trails trails up for night riding.

Mud park has gotten good reveiws.     www.redneckyachtclubfl.com
They are having a big halloween bash. live  band. lots of mud.

the first newsletter is under subject-October 2009 newsletter- trail jamboree, posted by grizzlybear
To get future newsletters you must E-mail your E-mail address to Rosie Burlock at  rburlock@fs.fed.us

I have no problem with the fees. The money goes back into the trails. It goes for volunters to trim the limbs back, remove fallen trees, smooth out the trails and fill holes. It also goes for fuel for the tractors that pull the disk that smooths out the whoop te do's. There is a lot that goes into upkeep of a trail system.
For my family and freinds to have a place to ride atv's and camp with no problems is great.
For the limited manpower the rangers and volunters have my hat is off to you for makeing my trip fun.
And I expect that the new trails going in over the next three years will make it even better. Can hardly wait.

This what I've found out so far about the Eurika Borrow pit. There was a study on the pit. (See Attachment). There were meetings called for people to voice thier opinons for or against the pit. The forestry dept was only required to anounce word of the meetings in a local Ocala paper. If you didn't live in Ocala, ATV enthusiast in the rest of the state never got the word of the meetings. This made the meetings very lopsided with local property owners who in turn voted it down. Since this is state and federal land, word of the meetings should have been sent out state wide. This was not done.
There is now a new newsletter for the Ocala OHV enthusiast. Everyone should send thier E-mail to sign up for this letter.
Grizzlybear put it on this website. This way all atv enthusiast get word of the meetings.
  I'm still researching and digging to see if there is a way to reopen these meetings. We can have one of the best riding areas if we just keep on fighting.

Big Scubb campground has two brand new bath houses with flushing torlets and shower stalls with dressing rooms. But there is no shade to be found in camp ground unless you bring your own.
Lake Delancey west has port a johns. There is no water. In lake delancey east, right next door there is hand pump for water. The camp ground has plenty of scubb oaks for shade. I was camping there Oct 4th thru 10th. While there bear came thru our camp twice. They kept thier distance. Made for good pictures

Grizz, a group of us are coming from clearwater fl. to the jamboree to show our support for improveing the trails and adding to them. See you there

Yes , we put in a lot of riding but had fun. We found a little pub just off the blue trail trailhead. when you come out to the paved road off the blue trail, look to your left. Get something cold to drink and pizza and hotdogs. Make sure you sign up For the new Newsletter from the Ocala forest. They are useing this to see how much interest there is in the trails. Grizzly bear already put the newsletter on the site. The trails at Lake delancey are better than the ones at big scrubb to me. We are going back for the jamboree Oct 24th for the day. Want to do my part to show interest.

All riders of ATV's need to get hold of the Florida Greenways and trails and insist that they open the pit and turn it over to the forestry dept so that they can use it for ATV's. This pit is great for aggressive atv riding and can be attached to the existing forestry atv trails. This pit will not cause any damage to the forest because it has has already been dug out when they built the dam and can not be restored. It has places for climbing and just being aggressive with your atv's thus helping save the forest. The forestry dept has already completed studies on the cost to open the pit for this purpose but the state closed it down.
It is great to go to Ocala to ride the trails, but riders need a place to ride aggressively and have fun without hurting the forest and this pit is just the right place. It is already there and all damage has been done.
The state needs to hear from all OHV riders.
This pit was already being used by OHV's when the state closed the gate. Even jeeps were using it for climbing. This is just what the forestry dept needs to go along with their trail system to help save the forest and give OHV'ers a place to play.     Let voice be heard about the Eurika Borrow pit. Any suggestions on how to get this reopened?

Camped at Lake Delancey west from Oct 3rd to Oct 10th in the Ocala forest. Had a great time. Had bear come thru camp twice. The Ohv trails were very dry and dusty but very well kept for the amount of volunteers that the rangers have. Rode the yellow,blue,brown,red and purple trails. looks like the volunteers are getting the trails ready for the jamboree Oct 24th. Stayed all week and never saw one ranger but all the volunteers have radios.
Also it was very hot during the day for this time of year.