ATV Florida Forum

I am receiving an email from a ranger in Ocala stating that you do not have to pay the $75.00 fee for riding while riding @ Big Scrub.  Who knows if this is really true?

Here is the email:

Geno,
 
Per our phone call this afternoon.....Big Scrub campground is opened for
camping. After talking to one of the other girls here, we believe the
person you talked to got the closed campground "Big Bass" confused with Big
Scrub. Big Bass is closed to due water problems. Also, to ride OHV's in the
Big Scrub area you do not need to purchase the OHV pass. The OVH is for the
Ocala North Trails and the Wandering Wire Grass Trail in Paisley. If you
have any more questions, call me. I'm here Monday-Friday 7:30-4:00. Have a
great, safe weekend at the Big Scrub area.
 
Karen Lovett
Ocala National Forest
Seminole Ranger District
352-669-3153

I called and spoke to a woman ranger the first week of October, have a friend that lives in ocala and was planning on going and riding in the forest, wanted to get additional information.  She stated you do not need to pay the fee to ride big scrub, it was for the marked trails and big scrub was free.  I was very sceptical, as you are, having read some of the other post of people saying they were checked a big scrub, I asked my friend what he knew he is under the impression if you ride on onf land you must have the permit.  We didn't want to take the chance, we both went to croom, for the day.  I am trying to go up next week to onf to ride with him again, I plan on buying the permit just don't need the trouble.

you need to print that email and have it with you along with the rest of the filing cabinet worth of stuff they want you to carry.

Id@

ut oh, you mean they can read now... were screwed now

some even know how to write,,,,like tickets and stuff.

Id@

[/quote]
Thus the reason for the email.  I will have it printed for all of my quads while we are out there.  Then hopefully if she is wrong I will only get  a warning.  I posted this in the ocala section and grizzlybear replied back also stating that this is true.

Are you talking about the green sticker?

You need the green sticker, too. But he is referring to these additional fees:

YEARLY PASS - $75 PER OPERATOR

    * Available at the Lake George (352-625-2520) or Seminole Ranger Districts (352-669-3153)
      Monday – Friday, 7:30am-4:00pm
    * Will also be available at the following visitor centers:
          o Ocklawaha Visitor: Open 7 days, Mon-Sun, 9am-5pm
          o Salt Springs: Open Wed-Sun, 9am-5pm
          o Pittman:Open Sat-Sun, 9am-5pm.

7-DAY PASS - $25 PER OPERATOR

    * Available at the Lake George (352-625-2520) or Seminole Ranger Districts (352-669-3153)
      Monday – Friday, 7:30am-4:00pm
    * Will also be available at the following visitor centers:
          o Ocklawaha Visitor: Open 7 days, Mon-Sun, 9am-5pm
          o Salt Springs: Open Wed-Sun, 9am-5pm
          o Pittman:Open Sat-Sun, 9am-5pm.

1-3 DAY PASS - $10 PER OPERATOR

    * Children 15 years and under are half price (50% off) for this pass only.
    * Will be available at each OHV Trailhead.
    * Checks or exact change only.

More info found here: http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/florida/recreation/ocala_ohv.shtml (http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/florida/recreation/ocala_ohv.shtml)

If I ever go back to ONF, I will definitely need an experienced person with all these changes. It is getting to be such a p.i.t.a. that I may nver go again.  More money to ride whooped out trails. Gotta love it......not really!!!! >:(