Pasture Preserve And Bay Lake

Another close in treat for when you don't have all day for a ride from the Clermont area....

Find your way out to Bay Lake.  When you take Lake Erie Rd, you will pass by the county park called Pasture Preserve.  Really pretty road, and a short tree tunnel in the bargain!  Love those.

Going west out of Clermont on 50, go south on CR561.  You can stay on CR561 into SR33, OR take a couple of cross-over options, Pine Island Rd, or Florida Boys Ranch Rd.  Ride it a few times and try all the CR 561, CR 565A, CR565B variants out that way, they are all good.   Once you dump into SR33, just a short way south you'll pick up Lake Erie Rd going west.  You'll know that you are there when you see Smokey Bear warning you of the day's fire danger and the fire observation tower.  Lake Erie Rd goes into the Green Swamp community if Bay Lake, and you can turn north to get back to SR50 from there.

Have fun, watch out for Sandhill Cranes!

Ferndale, Still Good, Change Is Coming

With the new turnpike connector, growth coming into the Ferndale - Monteverde area can't be far behind.

They put up that new traffic circle on 561 a while back.  A new Publix just opened where 561 dead ends into 19 in the west edge of Tavares.

They are building a hotel on the west shore of Lake Apopka (near The Gourd), on that old Scott's Fertilizer property that turned into an upscale mansion community in Monteverde.

But, the riding is still good.  The Green Mountain Scenic Overlook was a huge win for the area, always beautiful.

Green Swamp Sugarloaf Mountain Loop

Need a quick ride, don't have all day to do it?

Here's an 80 mile ride through some of the best geography that central Florida has to offer:  the Green Swamp and Sugarloaf Mountain.

This area is rich with variations, lots of different roads go through and around these areas, this is one loop that works well for me.  This ride offers excellent swamp vistas, cool shady tree-tunnel runs, and finishes out with the always nice highland view of central Florida from the top of Sugarloaf....see it before the growth kills it..... 

Perfect for a quiet morning, before the sun heats the day too hot to ride!

Fort King

Very near the Silver Springs state park, is another outstanding bit of Florida history! 

Fort King National Historic Monument, is located just a few minutes from the state park.

Another great spot to ride to if you enjoy interesting side trips into our Florida History.  The Fort is to be reconstructed in the next two years, with a modern visitor center and expanded parking.  Currently, the grounds are well marked, walking trails around the site, and the visitor center is in the form of a previously occupied suburban style home.  The volunteers at the center are very friendly and helpful.

Here's the link to their official page:   https://fkha.org/

Ride information, I went up US 27 to the turnpike from Clermont, then got off in Wildwood, taking 301 north to Belleview and US 27 again.  The turnpike through there is not too crowded and getting off before it runs into the absolute madness of  I-75 is always my preference.     US 27 to SR 40, go east to the edge of the Silver Springs property, is route 35.  Turn right and slide down alongside the western boundary, go past the entrance to the Silver River museum, and find Fort King Street, turn west (right) and go a mile or two to the fort property.  Can't miss it on Fort King Street.  Then back out to 35, slight backtrack north to 314 and east into the Ocala National Forest.  Different roads you can take, depending on your type of motorcycle, I went east until I hit 314A dropping south along the Ocklawaha River.  Eventually draining down to Eustis and various ways to get back to my home base in West Orange County from there.  Eustis is always a fun spot to ride through.

Just east of 35 on 314, is this historical marker.  Apparently there was a major plantation supporting the Confederacy, and there were some Union actions to reduce that support, great marker. I love historical markers, good job.

Ocala National Forest

 

A riding gem for central Floridians, anytime you get a chance to ride in the Ocala National Forest, always good.

This loop starts in Eustis and is an 87 mile run through some beautiful scenery.  Start out on US19 in Eustis, break northwest on CR452, just north of downtime Eustis proper.  The road has a dedicated turn lane and CR452 is marked for the Lake County Fairgrounds that way.  Pass the fairgrounds and stay on the road.  It will open up to some wonderful highland vistas before long.  Once it dead ends into CR42, go west and watch for the next intersection.  SE182nd Ave Rd has an old convenience store at the intersection, go right.

Eventually, you'll come out to 314A (SE95th), go left again.  This intersection has a single gas pump, unleaded only, it'll do in a pinch, or wait a few miles to one more fuel chance if you need it.  Other than these two spots...  

Once on 314A, watch for 464C on the left, go left and immediately cross the wild Oclawaha River at Moss Bluff.  There is a lock here and a wonderful family diner operation, Duck's Dam Diner.  Always a great breakfast or lunch, highly recommended.

After you have had a great breakfast at Duck's Dam Diner, go back over the river to 314A and go left.  Stay on this and the second spot for fuel is very close.  Later, crossing SR40, there is more gas at a Kangaroo gas station.  Stay on 314A all the way up to 314.  This stretch of 314A between Moss Bluff and SR40 is really pretty, nicely paved, fast sweepers, changes in elevation, its great.

314A ends at 314, go east towards Salt Springs, coming into US19 and back south to Eustis down the main route of the forest.  The Veterans Memorial at the VFW center in Salt Springs is pretty cool.  US19 is designated the Florida Black Bear Scenic Highway.  The ranger station south of SR40, on US19 sometimes is open, and has some of the history of area.  Good stop when it's open.  Love the photograpgh of the old guy hunting via sidecar, classic.

There was an article published in Rider Magazine a few years back, about other riding routes and places in the Ocala National Forest, see attached link.
 http://ridermagazine.com/2011/07/19/florida-black-bear-scenic-byway-motorcycle-ride/

Here's a link to a previous post about Moss Bluff and Duck's Dam Diner:
http://www.roadtipsfromtrusttheroad.blogspot.com/2014/07/dining-at-moss-bluff.html

The Fort Gates Ferry operates in the forest also, very cool.
http://roadtipsfromtrusttheroad.blogspot.com/2010/07/take-river-ride-fort-gates-ferry.html

Minneloa Interchange > Goodbye Ferndale And Sugarloaf

Saw the new road construction today up near Ferndale.  Just a few hundreds yards west of the Ferndale Limits sign, the new turnpike connector intersection is coming in. 

The turnpike interchange at Minneola stretches all the way up to CR561A, and will serve to open up the typical Florida development scenario.

The good citizens of Ferndale and the surrounding Sugarloaf Mountain homesites have been battling to preserve the rural astectic of the area.  But the road, she's-a-comin', and once there, all the trappings of suburban Florida can't be far behind.

Ride it while you can.