Orange Lake Overlook Addition
SUMMARY
Size: 86 acres
Location: McIntosh, FL - Along Orange Lake
ABOUT MARJORIE A. HOY MEMORIAL PARK
Standing atop the hill on U.S. 441 in Marion County, a living museum of ‘Old Florida’ unfolds before your eyes. Here, a land’s rich history is whispered over the wind, rolling over sloping hills and skating over Orange Lake. With the creak of an old house and the soft scent of citrus in the air, remnants of the land’s past quietly reveal themselves. It’s a timeless glimpse into the cultural and historic properties of North Central Florida, and a source of magic and inspiration for many local artists. This is Orange Lake Overlook.
McIntosh’s Orange Lake Overlook, or “OLO,” is one of Florida’s finest vistas. Before the area’s agricultural boom in the 19th and 20th centuries, the site was used as a wintering village by the Timucua. In the 1950s, it became the heart of O.D. “Buddy” Huff Jr.'s citrus groves, where the Ollie Huff Citrus Shop would draw in countless travelers, all looking for a taste of Florida’s famous orange juice. But after a series of devastating freezes in the 1980s, the shop closed, and the scent of citrus faded into memory.
Despite the peeling paint and fading framework, the old structures are brought back to life by the surrounding landscape and creatures that inhabit it. Sandhill cranes use the land’s hill as a runway every winter, eagle nests populate the palm trees, and the hum of wildlife quietly declares the start of another chapter in OLO’s story, starting now.
Today, the landscape is protected as conservation land by ACT, who purchased the original 71-acre property in late 2019.The property is now open to the public as the Marjorie A. Hoy Memorial Park at Orange Lake Overlook and features 1.3 miles of hiking trails, provides habitat for a diversity of wildlife, and preserves the iconic view of Orange Lake forever.
Jim Hoy with ACT’s Tom Kay. Photo by Kim Davidson.
HELP SUPPORT OLO
In 2023 with donations and bridge loans, ACT purchased 86 acres to the north of OLO from the Sawallis Family. This land has more than doubled the size of the preserve to 155 acres and will expand public recreation in the area once opened.
ACT is currently fundraising to pay back the bridge loans on this addition. Once all of the loans are paid back, ACT will be able to begin work to expand trails and recreational access from the existing public preserve.
OLO is one of North Central Florida’s crown jewels. Many rallied to save the original 71 acres from development and we now have the opportunity to save even more of this iconic view. Will you help us by making a donation in support of Orange Lake Overlook?
Banner image by Kim Davidson.
