The word Ocala is thought to be a derivative of a Timucuan term meaning "fair land" or "big hammock".

Between the river boundaries of this Forest lie central highlands, coastal lowlands, swamps, springs, and hundreds of lakes and ponds.

The forest’s porous sands, and largely undeveloped lands, provide an important recharge for the Floridan Aquifer.

The Rodman Reservoir system forms most of the northern and northwestern border as part of the Ocklawaha River Basin.

All air-to-ground exercises using conventional ordnance up to and including 500 pounds (230 kg) MK 82 bombs and five-inch (127 mm) Zuni rockets are authorized.

[a][4] Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings lived much of her adult life just a few miles north of the Big Scrub in Cross Creek, Florida.

Rawlings based some of her writings (including South Moon Under and The Yearling) on the lives of the settlers around the Big Scrub after staying with families there.

"[7] Patrick D. Smith, in writing about Rawlings, stated about the Big Scrub, "In all of America there is not a more wild and hostile land.

[9] A fire started by a lightning strike in the Big Scrub in 1935 became the fastest spreading wildfire in the history of the United States Forest Service.

The Forest Service now conducts periodic burns in the Big Scrub after sand pines have been harvested from an area.

The Florida black bear population has its highest concentration here, and West Indian manatees frequent the inland waterways.

An introduced population of Asian Rhesus macaques, originally a tourist attraction at Silver Springs State Park, have also ranged into the region and are occasionally seen.

The mild winters are fine for family camping while a summer canoe trip down a palm-lined stream is a cool way to spend an August day.

Activities range from canoeing, boating, fishing, skiing, snorkeling, scuba diving, swimming, and the use of personal watercraft.

Forest riding trails are old roads 6 to 8 feet (1.8 to 2.4 m) wide, marked at intervals with painted spots – called blazes – on the trees.

12-position 100-yard rifle/handgun shooting range One single-station, self-throw shotgun pad Cost: Free Open daily from sunrise to sunset, except on Wednesday when closed until noon for maintenance.

This unsupervised facility in the Ocala National Forest offers a rifle and handgun range, and a single-station, self-throw shotgun pad.

It was built with the cooperation of the U.S. Forest Service with funding provided by the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program (WSFR).