The route covers approximately 80 miles through eastern Marion County, crossing one of the most isolated and heavily forested regions of north central Florida. The ride connects small rural communities such as Moss Bluff, Salt Springs, Fort McCoy, Lynne and Electra, along with numerous ghost towns scattered throughout the vast pine forests of the Ocala National Forest. Along the route appear protected areas including the Indian Lake State Forest and the Ocklawaha Prairie Restoration Area, as well as large landscapes connected to the Ocklawaha River and Lake George.
The journey begins in Moss Bluff beside the Ocklawaha River, a site inhabited for thousands of years where important archaeological remains have been discovered. During the sixteenth century the region was occupied by the Acuera, one of the Timucua groups encountered by Hernando de Soto’s expedition. Spanish Franciscan missionaries later established several missions throughout the area. During the nineteenth century Moss Bluff developed through logging operations and the Ocklawaha Valley Railroad, though today it remains a quiet rural settlement surrounded by restored natural landscapes.
The route continues through the Ocklawaha Prairie Restoration Area before entering the immense Ocala National Forest, one of Florida’s largest protected forest regions. For many miles the landscape is dominated by pine woods, lakes and isolated roads. Farther ahead the ride reaches State Road 19 and begins following the western shoreline of Lake George, one of the largest lakes in Florida and a major part of the Saint Johns River system.
This region was once home to Indigenous Agua Dulce communities, another Timucua group associated with the earliest French and Spanish explorations of northeast Florida. The area also preserves traces of vanished settlements such as Spring Grove and Wyoma. Nearby lies Yellow Bluff, a small lakeside community that still survives today.
Farther ahead appears Salt Springs, a recreational community famous for its mineral springs and underwater cave systems flowing into Lake George. During the nineteenth century steamboats regularly stopped here while the area began attracting visitors and fishermen. The route later continues toward Kerr City, one of the best preserved historic ghost towns in inland Florida. Founded during the 1880s agricultural and railroad boom, the town rapidly declined after the devastating freezes of 1894 and 1895. Today many of its historic homes and structures have been restored and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The ride then returns westward, once again crossing the Ocklawaha River and several protected natural areas before reaching Fort McCoy. During the Seminole Wars a small military fort existed here, and the community later expanded through railroad activity and logging operations. Today Fort McCoy remains one of the principal rural settlements in eastern Marion County.
The final section crosses the Indian Lake State Forest and historic rural communities such as Lynne and Electra. Electra was founded during the nineteenth century and still preserves its historic cemetery and much of the region’s traditional rural atmosphere. Eventually the route returns toward Moss Bluff through forests, lakes and secondary roads surrounded by some of the most extensive and least urbanized natural landscapes remaining in Central Florida.
