Ocala offers easy access to the crystal clear springs that have brought visitors to this area since Don Juan Ponce de Leon. A Florida attraction since 1878, nearby Silver Springs has jeep and glass-bottom boat tours of the Florida aquifer's natural spring waters as well as wildlife from alligators to panthers to bears. Easily accessed from Ocala, the Ocala National Forest is home to the world's largest continuous sand pine scrub forest ecosystem, as well as several developed camprounds, two day-use areas and exceptional hiking trails. The Ocala area is also home to thoroughbred horse farms that are among the best in the country. Visitors delight in the opportunity to tour the horse ranches or take a scenic trail ride through the area's rolling countryside. Associated with the horse culture is the Austin Carriage Museum in Weirsdale, Florida.