Grassy Pond is a former recreation area between Salt Springs and Lake Delancy along the Florida trail. It’s a large grassy field above a freshwater pond. Grassy Pond is considered important even to hikers who aren’t interested in camping because its one of the few water sources along the trail. Camping is free at Grassy Pond, and no permits are needed. But the area is closed for camping during the general gun season during the fall.
The entire Florida Trail winds through nearly 90 miles of the Ocala National Forest wilderness area. Grassy Pond is accessible via a blue blazed side trail north of County Road 316 south of Lake Delancy where parking is available. Once known as the Ocala Trail, the first blazes were painted by volunteers of the Florida Trail Association back in the 1960s. A 17.5-mile patch of the trail between Lake Delancy and Salt Springs takes hikers within 200 feet of Grassy Pond.
Don’t expect the sorts of amenities you might be offered at a developed campground. There are no picnic tables, grills, fire rings or even any designated spaces at Grassy Pond. This is a dispersed camping area. Dispersed camping means that a campsite can be set up anywhere around the pond at the camper’s discretion. Small campfires are allowed unless fire warnings have been listed. Water, which is only available from the pond, must be filtered or boiled. In order to protect campers as well as the Florida black bear, all bear attractants such as food, toiletries and waste must be either kept in a bear-proof container or hung at least 10 feet off the ground and 4 feet from a vertical support.
While backpacking into the wilderness can be an adventure, there are a few things you’ll need to know to prepare you for what you might encounter on the trail. Summer temperatures in central Florida are mostly in the 90s -- Fahrenheit -- with humidity as high as 90 percent, which can make a hike debilitating without plenty of water. Extremely violent afternoon thunderstorms that include heavy rain, frequent lightning strikes and high winds are common from May to October. If caught in the open during nearby lightning strikes, crouch as low to the ground as possible keeping at least 15 feet away from trees and other campers. Also, insects, including blood sucking ticks, deer flies and mosquitoes, stinging bees, wasps, hornets and fire ants are common in Florida and can be a nuisance. So repellents rich in DEET are essential.
