As part of the Central Highlands, the county has a relatively high elevation of about 50 feet to 190 feet above sea level. Lake County is one of only a few destinations in Florida with rolling hills to climb, offering challenging golf, hiking and bicycling on Sugarloaf and Buck Hill. Lake County has its southernmost tip just miles from Walt Disney World, Disney-MGM Studios and Epcot, and 16 miles from Sea World and Universal Studios. Its northwest tip borders the Ocala National Forest. Located on the countryside of Orlando, Lake County's small towns are made up primarily of generation upon generation of native-born Floridians.
Locals work hard to preserve the county's natural resources and beauty.
Small and friendly Lake County is home to only 171,168 residents. The average annual rainfall is 50 inches, occurring primarily in the summer months. Many of the county s lakes, with connecting canals, are part of the Ocklawaha Chain of Lakes. In the 1800s, this waterway from Jacksonville carried steamboats, which were vital to the area before the arrival of the railroad. Boaters can retrace the route of the famous steamers from Lake Eustis through Haines Creek, and from Lake Griffin to the St. Johns River, and on to the Atlantic Ocean.