Grove Park Wildlife Management Area

Part of the greater Lochloosa Wildlife Conservation Area, Grove Park Wildlife Management Area covers about 19,637 acres of land owned by Plum Creek Lumber Company with a conservation easement on it held by the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission. The property is managed jointly by Florida Fish & Wildlife, the St. Johns River Water Management District and Plum Creek Lumber.

The land sits just to the north and west of Lochloosa Wildlife Management Area and wraps around the north end of Orange Lake. It is composed mostly of pine plantations with hardwood swamps and live oak ridges.

The public is allowed to access the property only on two designated multi-use trails for the purposes of hiking, biking, horseback riding and wildlife watching. The rest of the property is accessible only to those folks who possess a valid recreational use permit (like a hunting license). Horseback riders are required by Florida law to carry proof of current negative Coggins Test results for their horses on their person when on this property. Camping is prohibited.

The Gainesville-Hawthorne State Trail runs along a long section of the northern edge of Grove Park Wildlife Management Area.