Places to Shoot: Local - Within 25 Miles

Sharon Rose Wiechens Preserve (The Villages)

Sharon Rose Wiechens Preserve is on Moyer Loop in The Villages. A wooden boardwalk has been built, extending far out over a wetland area in a loop; and a sizable two-level observation deck is also available for viewing wildlife and the wetlands.
Location

Venetian Gardens (Leesburg)

Venetian Gardens in Leesburg has water birds- egrets, herons, etc. and beautiful scenery.
YouTube Video
Directions

Butterfly Garden (Lady Lake)

The butterfly garden is on over a half acre of the Lady Lake Seventh-Day Adventist Church’s property.
Website
Directions

Gypsy Gold (Ocala)

Home of several Gypsy Vanner Horses located on 40 acres in Ocala, Florida. Gypsy Gold’s facility features a 14 stall show barn, and a 12 stall bedding-free barn, surrounded by 19 lush paddocks dotted with ancient granddaddy oaks draped in Spanish moss.
Website
Directions

Silver Springs State Park (Ocala)

Almost 5,000 acres of varying habitats provide a wonderful home for many different species of mammals, reptiles, fish and birds. Hike or paddle the park! Frequent sightings in the uplands include armadillo, deer, turkey, fox, Sherman fox squirrel and gopher tortoise. Less frequently seen are coyote, bobcat and Florida black bear. The river is home to alligators, turtles, manatees and many species of fish. Bird life is plentiful! Silver Springs is the home to a significant population of limpkin, and many other aquatic and woodland birds. Glass-bottom boats provide opportunities to photograph fish, turtles and underwater environment.
Website
Directions

Emeralda Drive (Leesburg)

Emeralda Marsh features a 4.3-mile driving trail that is unique as it allows birders to be in the middle of a wetland habitat. The natural communities and agricultural lands support a large and diverse wildlife population, particularly migrating and wintering birds. A large number of the eastern greater sandhill crane population winter in the area. Thousands of ring-necked ducks and lesser numbers of wood ducks, Florida ducks, and hooded mergansers and large flocks of white pelicans and other waterfowl species can be seen in the area. Listed species include bald eagle, wood stork, limpkin and snowy egret.
Website
Directions
Wildlife Drive Map

Pear Park (Leesburg)

This “passive” recreation area has several miles of trails to explore, a “Wildlife Watchpost” with a green roof overlooking an ephemeral wetland, both a xeric with pavilion and a butterfly demonstration garden, an observation pavilion, a nature center with a geology lab, Bluebird Box Trail, 50 acres of Scrub Jay restoration, and five acres of meadow restoration.
Website
Directions

Flat Island Preserve

3.7 miles of hiking trails through a variety of forests.
Website
Directions

Bourlay Historic Nature Park (Leesburg)

The park is 88 acres and has hiking trails, a “shot-gun” style Cracker House (no longer open for viewing),  and a beautiful dock on Lake Griffin.
No Website but a Google search will bring up several sites
Directions