2 places in Ocklawaha · Central Florida
Ocklawaha is one of the quieter corners — here's what's here, surfaced well, plus what's worth crossing town for.
Over 750 acres of sandhill islands, wetlands, and lakeside beaches on Lake Weir. Four miles of hiking trails, boat ramps, swimming, and picnic pavilions — plus regular sightings of deer, turkeys, and bald eagles. Entry is $7 per vehicle.
The Ma Barker House is a 1930 Florida cracker-style home and the site of the longest gun battle in FBI history — the January 1935 shootout between the FBI and the Barker-Karpis gang that killed matriarch Kate "Ma" Barker and her son Fred. The house was floated across Lake Weir in 2016 to its current preservation site at Carney Island Recreation & Conservation Area, where Marion County maintains it as a historic attraction. Tours are available by appointment through mabarkerhouse.org.
