The Ocala National Forest holds some of the most scenic views in the state of Florida. It is the southernmost national forest in the U.S. From backpacking, camping, to swimming in the crystal clear water of the Springs, the forest is chock-full of outdoor recreation opportunities.
One of the more popular things to do in the forest is to hike the Yearling Trail. This well-known hiking trail offers historic sites of former homesteads, a movie set location for the award winning film, The Yearling, a gigantic sinkhole rarely found in Florida, and an old family cemetery.
History of The Yearling Trail
The Yearling Trail is named after a pulitzer-prize winning novel called The Yearling. Author Marjorie Kinnen Rawlings visited the residents here in 1933 and wrote the book after the stories she heard about life in the Big Scrub.
Her award-winning novel was later adapted into a Hollywood movie by the same name released in 1947. Much of the movie was filmed on location in the forest.
The trailhead leads to an elevated area called ‘Pat’s Island’. It was named after its first settler and postmaster Patrick Smith. Pat, his wife and 3 children, built a home in the area in the mid 1840’s. But really, they were squatters because Pat did not claim homestead on his land until many years later. Other than knowing Pat was the first settler and the area’s first and postmaster, there is not much history recorded about his life.
Pat's Island
Following the Indian War, there was much vacant farm land available south of Gainesville. During that time, a single man, or man of a household could claim up to 160 acres of land.
And so other families migrated south from the states like the Carolinas and found homesteads here on Pat’s Island. Around the turn of the 20th century, human population peaked when about a dozen families sought out living on this 1400-acre island.
While it’s not surrounded by water, the area has been called an ‘island’ because of its ecosystem. The higher ground is surrounded by a sea of sand pine scrub.
The people who lived here supported themselves through raising cattle and hogs, and farming corn, peas and other crops. They hunted, fished, made moonshine whisky and traded with boat travel in the nearby St.John’s river. The community here had its own church, school, post office and self-appointed lay ministers.
The complete trail includes two loops. Explore the outer loop on 5.5 mile hike, which connects to a portion of the Florida National Scenic Trail, or enjoy the inner loop and shorten your trek to about 3.5 miles. Hikers that journey the trail will pass by historical sites and natural wonders.
Highlights On The Yearling Trail
Cattle Dip from the 1920s
One of the first trail markers is an old cattle vat or ‘cattle dip’. Between year 1915 and 1960, these vats were built as part of a government initiative to eradicate Cattle Tick Fever, an infectious disease that was often fatal in livestock.
The disease caused anemia in cows, rapid breathing, weight loss, decreased milk production, and sometimes death. And so to eradicate these fever ticks, herds of cattle underwent periodic ‘dipping’ in vats filled with harsh chemical solutions containing poisons like arsenic, DDT or other pesticides at levels high enough to destroy the ticks but not hurt the cattle. Records indicate that over 3,200 cattle vats were used across the state of Florida during this time.
Gigantic Sinkhole
The trail passes a gigantic sinkhole! This is one of the more fascinating sights on the hike. Now completely dried out, it was once a source of freshwater. With no well, the seep spring at the bottom of this sinkhole was the only fresh water for miles.
The sinkhole was also the location in the novel The Yearling where the fictional character named Jody finds a young fawn that he raises to an adult. Several sinkholes can be found throughout the Ocala National Forest and are the basis of many nearby lakes. They drain readily and many only contain standing water for very short periods following heavy rains.
Hikers can choose to climb down into the sinkhole – carefully! This is not an easy task and it’s important to pay close attention to your footing.
But the view from the bottom, is well worth it for anyone brave enough to tackle the climb! For years now there has been a rope swing in the middle to take a swing over this deep sink hole.
Tread carefully! Make sure the rope is sturdy if you choose to attempt the swing.
Florida National Scenic Trail
Following the Orange blazes, a small section of the Florida National Scenic Trail connects to the Yearling Trail. It was blazed in the early 1960s and is 1 of only 11 National Scenic Trails in the US.
For the overnight backpacker, the full trail spans approximately 1,400 miles, across the state of Florida.
It starts in the Panhandle and ends in the Big Cypress National Preserve, south of Lake Okeechobee.
The full Florida Trail offers a continuous, non-motorized trail for hiking, backpacking and camping. Over its length, it showcases the incredible biodiversity, unique landscapes, history, and rich culture of Florida.
The Long Family Homesite
Marker 8 identifies the homesite of Reuben and Sarah Long, one of the families who migrated south from the Carolinas. Not much remains of the homesites along the trail.
The only physical piece of the Long home left is an old cistern. This cement sphere in the ground was used to collect rainwater for plumbing and flushing.
The Long Family Cemetery
The last notable marker on the trail is at the Long Family Cemetery where 10 people were laid to rest between 1885 and 1918.
The headstones have clearly been preserved over the years and display updated silver plates detailing the names and stories of the family.
Hikers kneel at the grave sites and read the tragic stories. They are a testament to the challenges settlers faced living here on Pat’s island.
Two of the stories portray the tragic deaths of Ella Rogers and Harvey Rogers. They were mere children horrifically burned in a nearby forest fire.
Life was hard in the forest after back to back freezes, two winters in a row. Temperatures reached 11 degrees above 0 in 1894 and again in1895. It destroyed crops and made life here challenging. Most of the settlers left the area before it was declared a National Forest in 1908. By 1935 – Pat’s island was completely abandoned after less than 100 years of human occupation.
For more information of The Yearling Trail’s history and a self-guided hiking tour visit Tour Florida: Hike the Yearling Trail.
After the Hike, Take a Dip in Silver Glen Springs
Across the street from the Yearling trailhead and parking area is the Silver Glen Springs Recreation area. There is a nominal park maintenance fee to enter, but it’s absolutely worth it especially following a Florida hike. Dive into the crystal clear 73 degree water!
Silver Glen Springs connects to Lake George, one of the largest of the St.John’s river chain of lakes. It was once the site of an Indian camp and later where the Longs lived while building their home on Pat’s Island.
During the spring and summer months, the spring is a highly popular location, often having a wait of cars lined up waiting to get in. The recreational area includes hiking trails, canoe rentals, picnic areas, and a beautiful snorkeling opportunity in the limestone pool amongst the swarm of freshwater fish.
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