3.5 Mile Loop through Marshall Swamp
Details
Date: Saturday, November 7, 2026
Time: 9:00 AM, Arrive by 8:45 to sign in
Location: Marshall Swamp Trailhead, 8400 SE Hwy 314, Ocala
Leader: Marsha Jordan
Beautiful Trail - All Shade - Lot of Mosquitos
NOTE ON DOGS: While leashed pets are welcome, this is one of the more likely places on the Cross Florida Greenway to encounter alligators. You may want to leave your dog safely at home.
Description: Join the Sandhill Chapter of the Florida Trail Association for a 3.5 mile hike, rated easy in difficulty. The loop trail is a scenic hike that loops around a small pond and has a dock with platform for nature observation.
This is a place to savor the forest, an ancient landscape where cypress trees once dominated. As you walk the Florida Trail through Marshall Swamp, clues to those giants – and their ultimate fate – are everywhere. Throughout this portion of the trail, the trees tower well overhead, forming a high canopy. Where the forest floor isn’t damp – and even in some places where it is – it’s a riot of ferns and lichens swarming over rotting logs.
The Marshall Swamp Trailhead is part of the Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway. The Marshall Swamp trail can be accessed from the Marshall Swamp trailhead, which is adjacent to the Cross Florida Greenway’s Sharpe’s Ferry Office. This unpaved trail provides access to a segment of the Florida National Scenic Trail as it runs nearly 3 miles through Marshall Swamp, a jungle-like, hydric hammock floodplain of the Ocklawaha and Silver rivers.
Fees: None
General Information: Bring a hat, water, sunscreen, proper footwear, and snack if you like. Bug spray is always a good idea. Also have an emergency medical card (info) in your pack.
Bathrooms: Yes
Dogs allowed: While leashed pets are welcome, this is one of the more likely places on the Cross Florida Greenway to encounter alligators. You may want to leave your dog safely at home.
RSVP via Meet-Up
Florida Trail Association (FTA) Inc. is a volunteer membership organization with the primary purpose of developing, maintaining, promoting, and protecting the Florida Trail. Join FTA, just $40 per year - https://florida-trail-association.givecloud.co/join