Climbing Near Crystal River, Florida

PLEASE DON'T CLIMB IF THE ROCK IS WET OR IF IT RAINED. Limestone is ridiculously brittle under those conditions. Climbing real rock in Florida is non-existent, the cave stays very humid most of the year and will be need to be brushed every time you go. Cold fronts are almost a must for this to be climbable. It is constantly cooler than the surrounding area providing a nice shelter in warmer conditions. Be cautious that the holds might break at anytime.There is the potential for more routes to be established around the arete in the overhung section. Recreation and conservation oppose each other, you cannot have a recreational area without in some way having an environmental impact. We do not want this to become a "Dames Cave" scenario where there is trash and graffiti everywhere. All I ask is do not leave a trace and do not block the hikers who would want to enter to explore jeep cave.  This is a shared space and while there is potential to develop easier routes on the left side I believe that the development of V0 boulders are not worth the impact it would produce for those routes. Besides, they stay wet and mossy most of the time due to its exposure. Use google maps and download the offline map of the area. You might lose signal once you get there. The dirt road does require some clearance and caution to get through.The shortest direction is going through S Lecanto Hwy, off the highway into the dirt road "Trail 17" then take a right on "Trail 10" google maps will give you a parking lot off of trail 10. When you take a right, there will be a mini-ravine that will carved out of the dirt and clay, this would be the most difficult part so drive slow. Past that is a straight drive to the parking that will appear around the tree to a large open space. You can park there. There is another parking spot on the intersection of trail 10 and trail 13, near the beginning of the Florida hiking trail.

Citrus Wildlife Management Area has a collection of limestone caves that have potential for boulder problems. This is one of the only areas available for climbing in Florida. Unfortunately, there is heavy graffiti and litter in the area, so please pick up trash if you have extra space in your pack and be careful not to climb when it is wet because the limestone breaks easily. Citrus Tract Cave Area - Withlacoochee State Forest  1.5 to 2 hours west of OrlandoGoogle Maps link to Parking 

The crag is in the base of a sinkhole and remains at a constant ~65 degrees. The climbing surfaces are Florida limestone and are subject to crumbling but felt sturdy. The walls are roughly 20 feet tall, and there are tons of routes! This cave is next to two other cave entrances and is also known as Vandal's Cave; it is located in the citrus wildlife management area. Website on all caves in area: https://floridanaturecoast.org/County/Citrus/CitrusCaveArea/CitrusCaveArea.aspx The approach is roughly 1/2 mile down an easy dirt trail. The sinkhole is marked by steel cables blocking hikers from falling. From the main trail, the access cave is to the right, climb down and enjoy!