Ocala National Forest - Centennial TH Grand Opening

[kdclere]

USDA Forest Service invites you to celebrate the opening of the new Centennial Off-Highway Vehicle Trailhead.

Saturday, April 12th, 2014 - Ribbon-cutting ceremony will begin at 11:00am

Following the ceremony, trail rider user groups and local power sport retailers will be on hand providing tips and techniques about trail riding for the public.  Forest Service personnel will be answering questions about the trail system and recretion areas on the Ocala National Forest.

Hope you can come out, should be a great time!  You can even camp at nearby Big Scrub Campground and gain entry onto the Centennial Trail System from there for a $10 per operator fee payable by cash, check, or money order at the OHV Fee Kiosk in the campground!  Same OHV Fee Kiosk is located at the new trailhead!

For more information contact the Lake George District Ranger Office at 352-625-2520.  You can also get more information by emailing kdclere@fs.fed.us

There is a FLYER attached below!

[kdclere]

Just reminding everyone of the Grand Opening Event this Saturday at the Centennial OHV Trailhead on the Ocala National Forest.  It's on FL HWY 40, west of HWY 19.  There are banners out on the road.  Turn south on Forest Road 13 and the TH is down about 400 yards on the left!  Should be a great time.  I hope to be busy with it the whole day with riders and education and answering questions and brainstorming to make the trails better!  Please come out if you don't have plans already.  Come stay at Big SCrub Campground the night before and/or after to have fun the whole weekend!
-Kris

[sugarsand007]

Would love to come out and ride but the Centennial trail is a suicide run with all the blinds turns...

[Starbuc71]

I was going to come this Saturday and was all excited until I found out this is my weekend to work. Is this the old/new trailhead off 40 at the top of the centennial trail that is all paved?  If so, hadn't this been open/new for almost a year and a 1/2?  I'm waiting for a new trailhead that is simillar on the south side of the trail since I am from Tampa and that would cut 30-40 minutes off my drive to the north TH. Hope you gave a good turn out.

[kdclere]

Starbuc,

This is the one up off of HWY 40, it has taken awhile to get the items in place to do this Grand Opening.  It's good regardless, because a lot of individuals still have no clue it is there.  There is no plan to build a TH on the south end of the trail, because they use the parking area outside of Big Scrub Campground as the other free to park/unload TH.  I definitley can understand the extra time to drive though.  I'll try and brainstorm any fixes to that, but I can't promise anything!  Be safe at work.

Sugarsand007,

I'm sorry you feel this way.  I can assure you that Centennial, in regards to its width of treadway and the vegetation is trimmed far better than the similar trails on the North end of the forest.  This is because of trimming out those blind corners and that the start of this practice began two years ago.  The Scrub Jay loop is completely trimmed and is still being worked on as we speak to keep those corners visible to see through.  We can't trim for outlandish speed from some of the riders, but at reasonable speeds, you can now see thru these corners.  Work has begun this year on the rest of the Centennial (or the Northern loop of it).  There is always the risk of other riders, but the risk is much greater due to that riders ability and speed.  When riden at safer speeds (not necessarily really slow) the trail is much easier to navigate, however we will continue to trim out the blind turns.

[psd]

Cant wait to try out the new trail

[little blue 300]

My wife and I will be there. Larry

[Metroid]

I'll be there at around 10:00am if all goes smoothly. 

[Starbuc71]

That's a bummer that there's no plans for a south TH. Big scrub is fine, I guess it's just the ride down the FR's to get to it.  Last summer FR14(I believe) was so rough it actually loosened up screws on my dash. If I had a junk vehicle I wouldn't mind but that's why I'll drive the extra way to unload at the new TH.  Hope you guys had a great time today. Looking forward to the curves cleared back

[little blue 300]

June and I had a great time at the Grand Opening yesterday !  Just a little strange having a Grand Opening when the TH has been opened for over a year.

It was nice meeting and talking to you Kris. The trails on the lower end really do look a lot better. We do appreciate all of the hard work you and the volunteers did.

Now if we could just get one or two cross trails at the upper end, then the Centennial Trail would be perfect.

June and I were the first into the parking lot yesterday at 7:50 AM and the last to leave at 7:40 PM. When we say that we enjoy the trails--We mean it !!!

Larry & June