Dirt bikes and archery (Ocala, Oldsmar: camp, legal, design)

[Matt518]

Having since moved here in April of last year, I've been neglecting myself and I need to get back to partaking in some outdoor hobbies. I'm looking for a places where I can ride an enduro off road, and/or do some archery stumping. What are the closest areas where either (or both) can be done? If I can camp while doing both, even better.

[MortonR]

Fishhawk Sporting Clays has an archery course. Not sure of the rate, but you can call or email them for more details:

https://www.fishhawksportingclays.com

Great facility, excellent people. I highly recommend them.

RM

[KPB]

This is the closest "legal" place to ride. Its in a section of the Withlacoochee State Forest and has its own campground. Good trails but a lot are very wooped out and hard to get into 5th gear on most trails because of it. I think they'd rather have the trails like that instead of flat (woops are like speed bumps).
https://youtu.be/3cXVJy4yM6E

Or, since your bike is tagged you will be able to ride on ANY of the trails in Ocala National Forest because your bike is not considered an off road vehicle which are limited to the designated "trail system" only. You can ride anywhere in the forest w/ your bike. You WILL get lost up there and cell phone coverage is spotty so be sure to have a little hand held GPS.

[Matt518]

Originally Posted by MortonR

Fishhawk Sporting Clays has an archery course. Not sure of the rate, but you can call or email them for more details:

https://www.fishhawksportingclays.com

Great facility, excellent people. I highly recommend them.

RM

Thanks, I'll look into it.

[Matt518]

Originally Posted by KPB

This is the closest "legal" place to ride. Its in a section of the Withlacoochee State Forest and has its own campground. Good trails but a lot are very wooped out and hard to get into 5th gear on most trails because of it. I think they'd rather have the trails like that instead of flat (woops are like speed bumps).
https://youtu.be/3cXVJy4yM6E

Or, since your bike is tagged you will be able to ride on ANY of the trails in Ocala National Forest because your bike is not considered an off road vehicle which are limited to the designated "trail system" only. You can ride anywhere in the forest w/ your bike. You WILL get lost up there and cell phone coverage is spotty so be sure to have a little hand held GPS.

I'm kinda familiar with Croom. I haven't been there but it's on my list to check out. I've watched plenty of vids of riding there - it looks like you can go for days out there. I wouldn't mind exploring some forest roads, etc so I'll look into Ocala National Forest.

[ghostrider7811]

Croom is a good place to ride. If you can ride there, you can ride almost anywhere due to the thick sugar sand that covers most of the trails.
ONF has some OHV trails but seems to be used more by ATVs than bikes, therefore whooped out in most places.
Several private tracks like hardrock and others are a few hours away.
If your dirtbike is technically street legal, that opens up the entire ONF and other forests, but that tag is required.
Best thing about FL riding is that it is year around and the rain just makes the sand better.

[ghostrider7811]

I forgot to add, our OP is about 45 years late.
Pinellas Cty had many great riding areas back many years ago.
Seminole area , Washingham Resevivor, Gandy Toy Town area, Countryside, Oldsmar Booker Creek Preserve; all of these areas we rode in the 1970s to mid 1980s.
In those days if you were not dumping or shooting, you could ride on without hassle from the cops.

[Matt518]

Originally Posted by ghostrider7811

Croom is a good place to ride. If you can ride there, you can ride almost anywhere due to the thick sugar sand that covers most of the trails.
ONF has some OHV trails but seems to be used more by ATVs than bikes, therefore whooped out in most places.
Several private tracks like hardrock and others are a few hours away.
If your dirtbike is technically street legal, that opens up the entire ONF and other forests, but that tag is required.
Best thing about FL riding is that it is year around and the rain just makes the sand better.

I am street legal, so I'm hoping that will open up more areas to ride.

[KPB]

Ocala N.F. would be the best legal place IMO. There are hundreds of jeep trails that hardly get ridden so they are flat and hard, not whooped and sandy. (The designated trail system for ATVs/dirt bikes that is there is though, because those few trails are all there is to ride for off highway vehicles.)