Ross Prairie Trailhead and Campground

The Ross Prairie Trailhead and Campground is located along the southern boundary of the Cross Florida Greenway along the east side of State Road 200 and adjacent to the entrance to Ross Prairie State Forest.

Having the sandhill and wetland prairie systems adjacent to each other helps provide habitat to a wide range of species. The habitat changes with the seasons and water volume of the prairie; when wet, dozens of waterfowl, wading birds and more wildlife can be spotted.

The day-use trailhead facilities include an equestrian staging area plus bike and hike trailheads for the natural surface mountain bike and Florida Trail hiking trails. There are restrooms with potable water and a picnic pavilion as well. The Ross Prairie Campground has 14 public-use campsites with water and 30/50 amp hookups available. An on-site campground host is available 365 days a year.

The trails in this area meander through beautiful oak hammocks and islands interspersed around the edge of Ross Prairie. Abundant wildlife includes whitetail deer, wild turkey, bobcat, alligators in the prairie, gopher tortoises in the sandhills and numerous other species. This part of the greenway is also conveniently located within two miles of major shopping and dining opportunities just north of the County Road 484 and State Road 200 intersection.

The Florida National Scenic Trail has a 1-mile-long shared blue blaze multi-use connector that connects to the Ross Prairie Trailhead and out to the main orange blazed through trail that runs east and west across the greenway between Dunnellon (west) and Santos (east).

Fourteen miles of equestrian trails are located in this segment of the greenway between State Road 200 and County Road 484. The trails meander through upland sandhill communities as well as the 1930s Depression era historic sea-level Cross Florida Ship Canal diggings to the east of Ross Prairie. There is a day use equine trailhead with a horse wash-down facility.