Want to go to Ocala but you guys have me nervous

[randyz]

Just how bad is it at Ocala now?  Seems like all everyone talks about is getting tickets when they go.
Is there a place to go to get a printout of all the rules so we don't accidentally break them?  Like what side of the powerlines to stay on, where to park, etc?  I normally go to Big Scrub and enter from Hwy 19 and park where the pavement ends as I don't like to drive down the dirt road for 8 miles to get to the campground.  Is there a ranger there to take money and give you a pass or do you have to go all the way to the campground?  Its just my 12 year old and me, where the least whooped out area?

[novadave]

Ok ill try to help. You dont have to pay to ride at big scrub yet. You need to ride with the powerlines between you and the road. You have to have the registration sticker on your bike and carry a copy of your title and drivers license on you . No doing donuts or speeding in parking areas.( first gear) Dont go near the pits and stay away from mud and you will be fine. If your going down a trail and it ends at a numbered road but there isnt a trail on the other side dont go down the numbered road just turn around and go back down the trail you were on. As for the whoops the farther you get from the parking areas the better the trails get.

[randyz]

That sounds reasonable.   What about the trails that are on the other side of the road (the side without the powerlines) can you still go to those?

[novadave]

yes

[psd]

I haven't had anything but a good time there.Never been hassled at all by the rangers, But I always follow Most of the Rules

[stkman]

I also have not had any problems.  I park at the same place that you are talking about and make sure I follow the rules.  I have never been stoped.  I have talked with a few rangers and they have been nice.  Just park where you have before and follow the rules and you will have no problems.

[TRXASAURUS]

DO NOT RIDE ON THE ROAD AT ALL.

3 of us got $175 tickets each!!  thats within the first hour there, during the week.  Plus harrassed 2 more times in the 2 days there.

it was the first and last time i will ever go there!

[psd]

just Follow the rules and you will be fine!

[Tecatematt]

DO NOT RIDE ON THE ROAD AT ALL.

3 of us got $175 tickets each!!  thats within the first hour there, during the week.  Plus harrassed 2 more times in the 2 days there.

it was the first and last time i will ever go there!

And you were on the road why??

You know if you follow the rules it's fine.. now the problem is the amount of ignorant people that do stupid crap and think it's fun.... HELLO now we all moan and complain about it so thanks!

[randyz]

We went out and had a good time.   Riding the power lines it seemed to be a little less whooped up than in the past.  While we were unloading two rangers stopped by just to say hi and gave us a map and some info on the ATV class for my 12 yoa son.  We rode about 3 hours, never got stopped or any problems.  Only bad thing for us is the rule board says no one under 16yoa on anything larger than a 150cc.  My son rides a 250cc.

[psd]

I ride there approx 2 weekends monthly, and have never had a negative experience with the rangers,I think it is all about attitude. I Have been riding there for about 10  years, I still love that place,but I miss the old days. I ride a 660 grizzly, I normally ride with with small children.  I ride off 573 and Rodman,Delancey all the normal areas.The Rangers always approach us, especially at 573 and tell us about the new rules always ( which I hate), but I treat them with respect, so they will leave me alone and I can get on with my riding....

[psd]

Gald you had a good Time. I think they are going to be enforcing the rules regarding the kids sometime in July according to the last Ranger that gave me the lecture.

[TRXASAURUS]

DO NOT RIDE ON THE ROAD AT ALL.

3 of us got $175 tickets each!!  thats within the first hour there, during the week.  Plus harrassed 2 more times in the 2 days there.

it was the first and last time i will ever go there!

And you were on the road why??

You know if you follow the rules it's fine.. now the problem is the amount of ignorant people that do stupid crap and think it's fun.... HELLO now we all moan and complain about it so thanks!

your right you should know the rules.  And ignorance of rules is no excuse.  BUT, i think a warning for someone who had never been there for first timers is fair.  (we cut from the yellow? trail right by camp delancey thinking it was the cut through to the camp since the road is not marked like all the other marked do not ride trails.)  simple mistake.  the guy was writing tickets before we knew what was happening in our campsite and he had attitude from the start.  and my opinion strengthened as i was almost run down by a forest truck on a trail, when i stopped he interrogated me for awhile on parking illegally when i was parked in my campsite.  im a 38yr old family man not a smart ass punk with attitude either.  sorry to be negative just relaying my experience and opinion in a public forum.   

[rancher1]

I have been riding in the forest for quite some time i don't agree with the fee but it still is a fun place to ride besides all whoops and blind curves but thats trail riding i guess no problems with rangers yet just follow the map and if you aren't sure turn around and go back the other way.

[runfox]

TRXASAURUS. I can understand how you feel , but don't let that stop you from riding in Ocala, just read up on all the rules, you can call the ranger offices and ask questions, I did. We just rode from Camp Dleancy west this past weekend, we had a great time and I never saw a ranger, my son said he did. The only thing I feel is the rangers could be a little more tolerant of first timers like I was.

Even knowing the rules, it's a little confusing at first, where to park and ride, wheres the trails and all.The only real problem we had was finding the purple trails from camp. If you go on the trail behind the campsite from Dlancey it heads out on the yellow trail , we went both directions and couldn't figure out how to go north to catch the purple trail. It wasn't until sat. morning when we saw people riding on the road from camp that we found the yellow trail north  to the purple.So you have to ride on the dirt road to get to that trail , which I knwo you are not supposed to do but I guess that's what you have to do to get there.

You know I hear so many people fuss about the rules and fees , but the reality is more and more people are buying ATV's, want a place to ride, and if there were no rules in Ocala, or rangers enforcing them, and everyone could just ride where they wanted and do what they wanted, it would be an heck of a mess, the woods would all be tore up, no place left for wildlife ,it would be total chaos!! So some control and rules are  just a necessity, given the number of people riding these days. All in all Ocala still is a great place to ride, it's a good location in central fla and has so many miles of trails, I don't see how you could ever get board riding there.

[novadave]

If you come out the entrance of the camp grounds go across the road into the yellow trail and follow it . You don't have to go down the road to get to the purple trail .