One of my favorites for many years, the Johnson Pond Trail near Dunnellon is Hike #1 in 50 Hikes in Central Florida.

Although it combines elements of hikes I'm not fond of - shared use in a couple places, plus blazed forest roads used by vehicles - its beauty spots are such that it's still worth visiting again and again. Hiking the loop clockwise, following the orange blazes and signs, you'll experience the view of Johnson Pond early on in the hike. An overlook enables you to get a great view of the lily-covered pond, and is the perfect place to spot birds early in the morning.

While most of the hike is through sandhills, oak hammocks, and spots disturbed for development that thankfully didn't happen, there are several special places along the trail that make this hike magical for me: rosemary scrub. It's not common to see Florida rosemary growing as tall as these shrubs do, but they do, and surrounding them is a vibrant snowy carpet of deer moss and reindeer lichen. You'll find one such wonderland about halfway through the hike, and another two patches about 3/4 of the way along the trail. Take the time to savor this unique habitat.

Guidebooks
50 Hikes in Central Florida
Hiker's Guide to the Sunshine State
Orlando & Central Florida: An Explorer's Guide