Best Dirt Bike Trails in Florida: Public Riding Areas and MX
Last updated on October 26th, 2026 at 08:14 pm
The best public places to ride a dirt bike in Florida are the Ocala National Forest trails, with 125 miles in the Ocala North system alone, and the 2,600-acre Croom Motorcycle Area near Brooksville. The Panhandle has Clear Creek and Tate’s Hell, and Dade City MX covers motocross. National forest passes are per person, state forest passes are per machine.
Every fee and rule below was read on an official page or brochure in October 2026. Where an agency page and an older guide disagree, the agency page wins, and anything we could not confirm was left out.
Florida dirt bike riding areas at a glance
| Area | Region | Pass and cost | Limits that matter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ocala National Forest (Ocala North system, Centennial Trail) | North-central | Per person: $10 for 3 days, $25 for 7 days, $75 annual (Recreation.gov) | Dawn to dusk; 14-mile motorcycle-only loop; under-16 online course |
| Apalachicola National Forest | Panhandle | Same per-person pass as Ocala | Springhill Motorcycle Trailhead serves the off-road motorcycle trails |
| Croom Motorcycle Area (Withlacoochee State Forest) | West-central | Per machine: $15 a day, $80 annual (ReserveAmerica) | Open daily 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; 55 in wide and 1,500 lb dry weight maximum |
| Clear Creek OHV Riding Area (Blackwater River State Forest) | Panhandle | Per machine: $15 a day, $80 annual | Friday to Sunday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; one-way trails |
| Tate’s Hell OHV Trail System | Panhandle | Per machine: $15 for 3 days, $80 annual | 150-plus miles on forest roads; primitive campground |
| Dade City MX | West-central | $15 gate fee plus $20 practice fee on practice nights | Private motocross track; Thursday and Saturday night practice |
The pass type is the first thing that catches people out. A national forest pass follows the rider, so two people on one machine would each need one. A state forest pass is stuck to the machine.
Fees and hours change, and forests close trails after storms. Confirm on the agency page the week you go.
Which pass and rules apply on public land?
Both public systems share a few rules. The Florida OHV guidebook says every OHV on public land must be titled, and it must carry a USFS-approved spark arrester, a brake and a muffler. Exhaust noise is capped at 96 dB(A) for bikes built after 1986, per the guidebook text of Section 261.20.
Riding double is illegal unless the machine was built for two riders. Night riding is banned in the national forest and at Croom, and the Forest Service bars cutting your own trails or riding cross-country. Out-of-state riders without a Florida title carry proof of ownership.
Rules for riders under 16
- An adult must supervise at all times. Croom and Clear Creek say that includes the campground.
- Carry a certificate showing you finished an approved OHV safety course. The Forest Service points riders to the free ATV Safety Institute online course. Non-resident visitors in Florida up to 30 days are exempt under state law.
- Wear a DOT-approved or Snell helmet, eye protection and over-the-ankle boots. Under Section 261.20 a violation is a noncriminal infraction with a fine of at least $100.
Everyone, any age, wears a DOT-approved helmet at Croom and Clear Creek. Gear basics are in our riding gear checklist.
Ocala National Forest
The Ocala North OHV Trail System is the biggest public trail network in the state for bikes. It has 125 miles of trail, split into motorcycle-only, bike-and-ATV and mixed-use miles, according to the Forest Service.
Trails are two-way, run dawn to dusk and are marked as primitive. The Forest Service says trails are designed for slow speeds and not for mud bogging or donuts.
| Trail | Miles | Open to |
|---|---|---|
| Delancy Loops | 16 | Motorcycles and ATVs only |
| Pipeline Trail | 19 | Motorcycles and ATVs only |
| Motorcycle Loop | 14 | Motorcycles only |
| Hog Valley Trail | 13 | Motorcycles, ATVs and UTVs |
| Longleaf Trail | 25 | Motorcycles, ATVs and UTVs |
| Tobacco Patch Trail | 18 | Motorcycles, ATVs and UTVs |
| Other trails | 20 | Motorcycles, ATVs and UTVs |
The Pipeline trailhead on SR 316 is one of the easiest to reach in the forest, though the north end has some sharply banked curves through the scrub.
The Motorcycle Loop is the hard one: twisting, narrow trail through longleaf pine and scrub, motorcycles only. The 47-mile Ocala Centennial Trail is a separate loop system with its own trailhead.
Watch the 76 mixed-use miles. Those trails are shared with licensed vehicles, so expect licensed vehicles around blind corners.
The Delancy Loops page notes a closure east of NFR 21 from December 5 to January 5, with the west loops still reachable from the Lake Delancy West or Rodman trailheads. Check the Forest Service alerts page for this year’s closures.
Big Scrub Campground has 47 sites and a trailhead. Lake Delancy West has OHV corrals and camping along the lake.
Croom Motorcycle Area
Croom has been dedicated to motorcycle and ATV riders since 1973, and it covers 2,600 acres of hardwood hammock, tight scrub and old mining pits, per the Florida Forest Service brochure. It is open seven days a week, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and day riders must be out the gate by 5.
There is a training area and a young-rider area. The areas for inexperienced riders are for children 12 and under with adult supervision, and experienced riders, youth or adult, may not ride in them.
| Croom rule | What the Forest Service says |
|---|---|
| Pass | Per machine, bought on ReserveAmerica: $15 day pass, $80 annual (valid July 1 to June 30) |
| Size limit | 55 inches wide or less, 1,500 lb dry weight or less |
| Side-by-sides | Currently not permitted |
| Camping | Buttgenbach Mine Campground: 50 sites with water and 30/50 amp electric; riders camping need an annual permit for each unit |
| Technical Riding Area | Extra day pass, Friday to Sunday, weather permitting, 9 to 12 and 1 to 4 |
| No-go items | No alcohol, no pets, no double riding on motorcycles, no riding after dark |
Riders under 16 need direct adult supervision, eye protection and over-the-ankle boots. Groups need a special-use permit two weeks ahead.
Panhandle: Clear Creek, Tate’s Hell and Apalachicola
Clear Creek opened in 2015 with more than 50 miles of one-way trail inside 615 acres, near Milton. It is open Friday to Sunday only, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the gate closes promptly at 5. Entry is at 8348 Redbird Trail.
Size limits differ by side: ATVs 50 inches or less on the east side of Redbird Trail, side-by-sides 65 inches or less on the west side. Sound is capped at 96 decibels. Details are in the brochure (Rev. 8-2023).
Tate’s Hell has more than 150 miles of designated trails on existing forest roads, built in 2005 as the first system under the T. Mark Schmidt OHV Safety and Recreation Act. A three-day pass is $15 per vehicle. See the Florida Forest Service page.
In the Apalachicola National Forest, the Springhill Motorcycle Trailhead serves the off-road motorcycle system, and the Ocala pass prices apply. We did not find an official mileage figure, so none is listed.
Dade City MX
Dade City MX is a motocross track at the Pasco County Fairgrounds. Its own site lists Saturday night racing, Thursday night practice and some Sunday day practice on a calendar.
| Session | When | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday racing | Gates 2 p.m., racing 5 p.m. | $15 gate fee, $30 race fee per class |
| Saturday night practice (no race) | 5 to 9 p.m. | $15 gate, $20 practice |
| Thursday night practice | 50cc 4 to 6 p.m., other classes 6 to 10 p.m. | $15 gate, $20 practice |
| Sunday practice (see calendar) | Extended track, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. | $15 gate, $30 practice |
| Motocross school | Saturday 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. | $40, no gate fee |
Other private tracks exist, but their schedules and fees change often and we could only verify this one from its own site. Call before you drive.
Which Florida area fits your bike? A pass cost picker
Pick the vehicle, age, region and how many days you will ride. The picker lists the areas that allow it and the pass cost for one rider on one machine.
Based on the pass prices, size limits and rules in the tables above. It does not include camping, fuel or the Technical Riding Area pass, and prices can change.
When does an annual pass beat day passes?
At Croom and Clear Creek the day pass is $15 and the annual pass is $80, so five day passes cost $75 and the sixth tips it over. If you plan six or more riding days in a July-to-June permit year and buy before January, the annual pass is cheaper.
Annual permits are prorated to $40 from January 1 to June 30, according to the Clear Creek brochure. In that window the annual pass wins from the third day.
For Ocala the pass is per person, so a family of three pays three times. The Forest Service sells a 7-day pass for $25, which beats an annual pass for a single week-long trip.
Riding sand safely
The Florida Forest Service tells riders to stay in a group of two or more, give someone a ride plan with when and where you ride and when you return, and not to ride a machine that is too big for you. Be ready to walk out if the bike will not start.
Tire pressure is a trade-off in deep sand. Our tire pressure guide and the free off-road calculators cover the numbers for cars and trucks. For bikes, follow your owner’s manual and ask the local club.
FAQs
On public riding areas, yes. The Forest Service requires an OHV pass in the Ocala and Apalachicola National Forests, and the Florida Forest Service requires a permit for each machine at Croom, Clear Creek and Tate’s Hell.
The Florida Forest Service lists a $15 day pass and an $80 annual pass for the Croom Motorcycle Area, bought on ReserveAmerica.
Yes, in the areas for inexperienced riders with an adult present. Any rider under 16 also needs a safety course certificate, eye protection, over-the-ankle boots and a helmet.
No. The Forest Service lists ROVs as not currently permitted at Croom. Clear Creek allows side-by-sides 65 inches or less wide on its west side.
Florida requires OHVs to be titled for public land. Out-of-state riders without a Florida title carry proof of ownership.
Related guides
- Off-Road Trail Etiquette and Rules Every Beginner Should Know
- Best ATV Trails in North Carolina: Public OHV Areas and ATV Parks
- Pennsylvania Dirt Bike Trails: Trail Parks, OHV Areas and MX
- Best ATV Trails in Texas: Public OHV Areas and Top Riding Parks
I'm Suryashankar Dasgupta, the founder of Off-Road Handbook. I've been off-roading for years in the USA, including California and Texas, and have ridden mountain and desert terrain abroad. I've also driven a Jeep Compass for more than seven years, so I know the day-to-day side of Jeep ownership first-hand, from the Uconnect screen to the warning lights. Every guide here is researched from manufacturer owner's manuals, NHTSA recall and service-bulletin records and other trusted sources, checked against them before it is published, and corrected when we find a mistake. You can read how we work in our editorial policy: https://offroadhandbook.com/editorial-policy/
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