Istachatta Floral City Sleepy Hollow

Dade Battleground, Istachatta Rd.,  Floral City, Sleepy Hollow, Leesburg, Ferndale.

One of my favorite rides.  Some of the best central Florida has to offer, and you'll be deep in the woods before you are through.....

Start out west on Route 50, go though Clermont, Groveland, Mascotte.  As you are leaving Mascotte, keep it slow going by the cemetary on your right....and take the right turn at the end of the cemetary property - Tuscanooga Rd.  This excellent road will drop you off on the way to Center Hill, go right at the dead-end stop...going left will take you back to 50..  Continue west on CR48 into Bushnell, cross over US301 and watch for the signs to see the Dade Battleground. 

Go left into the battleground park.  Spend some time learning about this horrific battle that started the Second Seminole War.  The Seminole Wars were the costliest for the US and this small museum right off the road does a great job for a modest $2.00 fee in educating the public about this massacre (over 100 soldiers killed) and the saga of the Seminole War.  The monuments are there right were the soldiers fell, similar to Gettysburg, you are right there on the battleground, imagining the soldiers pulling the logs together hastily to form a rudimentary defense as the attack commenced.....

From the park, keep heading west, through Nobbleton.  Watch for Lingle Rd (at a recreational/park area), and go right.  This troad turns into Istachatta Rd and will drop you off right behind Floral City.  Enjoy the twisties and be cautious of the bike trail running alongside the road, the road turns and crosses the old rails-to-trails bike path in a few spots.  Once you run out of this road, at the dead end, take a left and roll leisurely into Floral City.  This entrance into Floral City offers one of the best southern-style canopied stretches anywhere, go slow and enjoy the few blocks of old time southern elegance.

Now, go right on US 41 and head towards Inverness.  Just a little ways up, at a Circle K store on the right, is CR39, aka Gobbler Drive.  Turn right and run down this road to find a great spot to cool off, get something to eat, enjoy an ice cold beverage while the band plays....Sleepy Hollow Web Page

Once done at the hollow, come back out to US 41 and head on up to Inverness.  Pick up SR44 and shoot east to Leesburg, going south back to the Clermont area on US27.  My last loop is to watch for CR561 (just a few mile south of the Lake Ridge Winery), go left and just out from underneath the turnpike, take a hard right to get to Ferndale, home of Sugarloaf Mountain.  Once you hit the deadend by the church, turn Right to run through Monteverde and come back to old SR50 in Oakland, a block away from SR50 and the Kangaroo gas station....

Dade City, King Citrus, And The Joy-Lan

Another great run through the Green Swamp.

Route 50 in Clermont to CR 561 south, south on SR 33 Green Pond Rd.  Green Pond turns into Rock Ridge, which eventually gets into US 98.  Go north through Dade City, cut the corner through Lacooche and back onto SR 50 to complete the loop, about 90 miles.

Some of the best central Florida has to offer in beautiful vistas, little to no traffic, old structures tumbling down, wildlife management area, an obelisk in tribute of citrus, great old historic downtown in Dade City, and even an operating drive-in theater along the way!