At 2,883 acres, the Little Lake George Wilderness is the smallest of the wilderness areas on the Ocala National Forest, but it’s the only one that boasts a shoreline.  Located near the confluence of the St. Johns and Ocklawaha Rivers at the northeastern corner of the Ocala National Forest, this remote area is best explored on a paddling trip.

As a wilderness area, it remains roadless, untouchable by motorized vehicles or equipment. This special designation provides certain challenges in a flammable habitat such as the sand pine scrub, since firefighting options are limited. As a result, portions of the wilderness may seem denuded after a forest fire. But the scrub regenerates quickly, pushing up saw palmetto and young sand pines to provide shade and habitat for wildlife.

The wilderness contains a mosaic of habitats bound together by the flow of open prairies, many with ponds, across the landscape. By hiking, backpacking or paddling through the wilderness, visitors can enjoy the flora and fauna of pine flatwoods, hardwood swamps, shallow lakes, grassy prairies, sand pine scrub, oak scrub, sinkholes and sawgrass marsh.

Backpacking

• Backpacking is one of the more popular ways to see the wilderness.

Boating

• Canoeing is a great way to see the variety of ecosystems and abundance of wildlife. Launch your canoe at the Ocklawaha River put-in near Davenport Landing along SR 19 or at Fort Gates to reach the Little Lake George Wilderness, which is just upstream from the Fort Gates Ferry crossing and across from Welaka State Forest.

Camping -- Primitive/Dispersed

• When it's not general gun hunting season, visitors are welcome to pitch tents anywhere under the stars.