Hopkins Prairie: Overlanding Ocala National Forest

Location: Hopkins Prairie, Ocala National Forest, Florida

The wide open grassland of Hopkins Prairie under a blue sky in Ocala National Forest, Florida

Every time I go to Ocala National Forest I see something new, something that’s beautiful and only exists in this forest. In February 2019 I joined an Overland Bound Rally Point meetup there. Rally Point is where Overland Bound members post group trips, and this one turned into a whole convoy of Jeeps, Toyotas and my Tundra spending the day on the sand roads around Hopkins Prairie.

Threading the needle

The day started on tight sand trails through the pines. I was in the Tundra, which is not a small truck, and some of these trails are barely wider than the mirrors. “I can thread this truck like a needle,” I said, out loud, on camera. So it had better be true.

It mostly was. Ocala’s narrower trails will leave some pinstriping down the sides of a full-size truck, and I’ve made my peace with that. It’s part of the game out here.

Looking through the Tundra's windshield down a tight sand trail between the pines in Ocala National Forest

Hopkins Prairie

Then the trees opened up and we rolled out along Hopkins Prairie. If you’ve only seen Florida from the interstate, this place will surprise you. It’s a huge, winding grassland with tall longleaf pines standing along the edges, and it doesn’t look like anything else in the state.

It’s not just trees and it’s not just lakes. Parts of it are marsh, parts of it are prairie, and there were a couple of spots where we could have played in the water if we’d wanted to. I liked it so much that I came back in 2024 to camp at Hopkins Prairie and test a SylvanSport GO trailer.

A white sand road running along the golden grass of Hopkins Prairie

The convoy

The best part of a Rally Point is the lineup. Jeep Wranglers, Toyotas and my Tundra, all stretched out down the sand roads with the dust hanging in the late afternoon light.

A black Jeep Wrangler with a roof rack on the sand road beside Hopkins Prairie

A Toyota 4Runner rolling past at the Rally Point meetup in Ocala

The overland convoy heading down a sand road through the pine flatwoods of Ocala National Forest

If you’ve never done a group run, a meetup like this is the easiest way to start. Somebody else plans the route, you learn from people who have been doing it longer, and if you get stuck there are a dozen recovery straps within shouting distance.

If You Go

Planning Your Own Hopkins Prairie Trip

Camping: Hopkins Prairie Campground has 21 tent and RV sites for $15 a night (half off with a Senior Pass). It’s open year-round, and sites book on Recreation.gov. Check-in is 3 p.m. and checkout is 11 a.m.
Water and facilities: Vault toilets and parking, but no drinking water. Bring all of it with you.
Best time to go: The Forest Service says October through March is the busy season, and that’s also when the heat and bugs back off. We went in February and it was perfect.
Rig notes: Most of the roads here are sand. A two-wheel-drive truck can handle the main roads, but soft spots and narrow side trails are where 4×4 and good clearance earn their keep. Low branches over the campground road can limit tall rigs.
Which roads are open: The Forest Service’s Motor Vehicle Use Map for Ocala National Forest shows which roads are open to vehicles. Download the current one before you go.
Group runs: Overland Bound members post meetups like this one on Rally Point. It’s a great way to learn the forest with people who already know it.

Details checked October 2026. Fees and rules change, so confirm with the Forest Service before you go.

CONCLUSION

Ocala National Forest keeps surprising me, and Hopkins Prairie is the best example. Open grassland, tall pines and miles of sand road, all a few hours from most of Florida. Find a group run, air down, bring your own water and let somebody else lead the first time. Then watch the convoy in the video above and start planning yours.

The full roll