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A white Tacoma with a camper shell parked on a rise above a broad, empty basin under building cloud.

Forest Service group campground

Buck Lake Group Campground

Forest Service group campground in National Forests in Florida, Marion County, Florida. 11.8 miles from Umatilla.

Reserve on Recreation.gov
Managed by
Forest Service National Forests in Florida
Sites
1 1 group standard non-electric
Longest rig
40 ft The longest vehicle any site is listed for
Hookups
None listed
Reservations
Recreation.gov
County
Marion County

Overview

Buck Lake is a group camping facility in the heart of Ocala National Forest in Florida. Great for family reunions and social gatherings, the campground can host a group of up to 50 guests along the shores of Buck Lake.

Activities include fishing, boating, picnicking, hiking and simply relaxing and enjoying the breeze.

Recreation

The sandy swimming beach provides a great place to relax and picnic. Campers have access to Buck Lake to enjoy fishing for panfish, bass and crappie, as well as boating.

Hikers can access a segment of the 1,400-mile Florida Trail via a scenic trail that loops around the lake for 1.7 miles.

Facilities

This campground provides primitive camping for groups. Amenities include a vault toilet, a hand pump for drinking water, six picnic tables and a group campfire ring. Group get exclusive use of the facility during the reservation.

Natural Features

Located in north central Florida, the Ocala National Forest spans four counties and 383,000 acres. It is the southernmost and oldest national forest east of the Mississippi River and protects the world's largest contiguous sand pine scrub forest.

The forest is also rich in water resources with more than 600 lakes, rivers and springs, several of which are near Buck Lake.

Nearby Attractions

Buck Lake is near the beautiful, turquoise waters of Alexander Springs Recreation Area, where visitors can swim, dive and snorkel in a warm, spring-fed lake and canoe on a 7-mile run.

The description, directions and fees are the Forest Service’s own words, from its record on Recreation.gov.

What people do here

  • boating
  • camping
  • fishing
  • hiking

The land around Buck Lake Group Campground

The ringed pin is this group campground; the others are its nearest neighbours. Switch on forest roads or BLM routes to see the way in.

Map layers

Layers
Base map
Legend

Federal land, by managing agency

  • Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
  • US Forest Service (USFS)
  • National Park Service (NPS)
  • US Fish and Wildlife (USFW)
  • Bureau of Reclamation (USBR)
  • Department Of Defense (DOD)
  • Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
  • Other Federal
  • State
  • Local
  • Alaska Native Lands (Patented or Interim Conveyed)
  • Alaska Native Allotment

Federal campgrounds, by agency

  • Forest Service
  • Bureau of Land Management
  • National Park Service
  • Army Corps of Engineers
  • Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife and others

State and local land (USGS PAD-US)

  • State land
  • County and city land
  • Regional agency or district
  • Land trust or conservancy

Gaps with no tint inside public land are private parcels, often old mining claims and homesteads. They are not open to the public.

Dashed clay lines on the base map are unpaved tracks from OpenStreetMap. They show what exists on the ground, not what is legal to drive.

Select any point to see who manages the land.

Boundaries are approximate and land status changes. This map is a planning aid, not a survey or a statement of access. Confirm routes, closures and camping rules with the managing office.

Nearest campgrounds

Camping near

Source: Recreation Information Database (Recreation.gov), record updated February 25, 2026. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Seasons, fees, water and fire rules change; the managing office has the final word.

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