Loud Booms in the Ocala National Forest: The Pinecastle Range
What the Navy's bombing range in the forest is, this week's posted schedule, and how to report the noise.
Why do I hear booms in the Ocala National Forest?
The booms come from U.S. Navy aircraft training at the Pinecastle Range Complex, a bombing range inside the Ocala National Forest in Marion County. Pilots drop inert practice bombs and live munitions there; the Navy calls it the only Navy live-fire range on the East Coast. Naval Air Station Jacksonville posts each week's bombing times online.
Naval Air Station Jacksonville's area of responsibility includes three bombing ranges, Pinecastle, Rodman and Lake George, "including the only Navy live-fire range on the East Coast," according to the NAS Jacksonville website. Pinecastle is the one in Marion County. Most training there is one to four aircraft dropping non-explosive practice bombs, but the range is also cleared for high-explosive munitions, strafing and laser targeting, according to the Navy's 2020 environmental assessment.
- -The booms come from Navy bombing practice at the Pinecastle Range Complex, 5,698 acres inside the Ocala National Forest in Marion County.
- -Posted schedule: Oct. 5-8, 2026, two sessions a day (morning and afternoon or early evening), per NAS Jacksonville.
- -Report noise to nasjax.noisecomplaints@us.navy.mil. The range is closed to the public.
When is the Navy bombing in the Ocala National Forest?
Naval Air Station Jacksonville has posted bombing at the Pinecastle Range Complex for Monday through Thursday, Oct. 5-8, 2026, with two sessions each day. The notice does not say whether these sessions use inert or live munitions.
Posted Pinecastle schedule
| Date | Bombing times (ET) |
|---|---|
| Monday, Oct. 5, 2026 | 10:00-11:30 a.m. and 5:00-6:30 p.m. |
| Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026 | 9:15-11:00 a.m. and 2:00-3:30 p.m. |
| Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026 | 9:15-11:00 a.m. and 4:30-6:00 p.m. |
| Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026 | 9:15-11:00 a.m. and 2:00-3:30 p.m. |
Source: NAS Jacksonville, "Pinecastle Range Complex Training Schedule," posted Oct. 3, 2026. Schedules change; check the Navy page for the latest week.
With the schedule, the Navy warns that "during bombing periods, wildlife may be temporarily displaced." It asks drivers to use extra caution in and around the forest, asks residents to secure anything around their homes that could attract animals, and points to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's BearWise guidance for black bears.
How often does it happen?
Training comes in bursts. The Navy's posted schedules for 2026 show clusters of one to six bombing days a few times a month, such as Jan. 12-15, Feb. 9-14, March 9-11, April 7-9, June 8-11 and Sept. 24-Oct. 1, with stretches of several weeks marked "no bombs" in between. Some sessions run after dark, as late as 10 p.m. The 2020 environmental assessment says four to six major exercises a year are planned at Pinecastle, each lasting one to four weeks, mostly by carrier strike groups preparing to deploy.
What is the Pinecastle Range Complex?
The Pinecastle Range Complex is a group of three Navy air-to-ground training ranges, Pinecastle, Rodman and Lake George, run by Naval Air Station Jacksonville. Pinecastle Range itself lies entirely inside the Ocala National Forest in Marion County, about 75 miles from NAS Jacksonville, and has been in continuous Navy use since August 1951.
Pinecastle Range
5,698 acres in the Ocala National Forest, Marion County. About 400 acres are cleared targets; the rest is sand pine and scrub oak buffer.
Rodman Range
About 2,634 acres, mostly in Putnam County. Practice bombs and rockets only; no high explosives or gunnery.
Lake George Range
A 9,346-acre water range on the east side of Lake George in Volusia County, in use since 1952.
The Navy's 2020 environmental assessment describes Pinecastle's layout: two high-explosive target areas, eight non-explosive target areas, a strafing pit and a laser target, surrounded by forest buffer. The range is reached from the north and south by State Road 19 and from the east and west by State Road 40. A separate 44-acre control center sits about 3 miles northeast. Daily scheduling is handled by the Navy's Fleet Area Control and Surveillance Facility Jacksonville.
The same document puts Pinecastle's average use at about 1,557 sorties a year, flown mostly by F/A-18 Hornets (38%) and A-10s (24%). Training includes air-to-ground bombing with both non-explosive and high-explosive munitions, laser targeting, helicopter and fixed-wing strafing, and small-arms fire.
A bombing range since the 1940s
In the early 1940s the War Department took over 40,587 acres of the Ocala National Forest for the Army Air Forces' Lake Bryant Bombing and Gunnery Range. The land went back to the U.S. Department of Agriculture in May 1947. The Navy later reacquired the central part, renamed it Pinecastle Range, and has used it continuously since August 1951 under a Forest Service special use permit, according to the environmental assessment.
How do I report bombing noise?
Email the Navy at nasjax.noisecomplaints@us.navy.mil. That is the address NAS Jacksonville lists on its Pinecastle schedule notice. For questions about the forest itself, the Navy points to the National Forests in Florida Facebook page.
Navy noise complaints
nasjax.noisecomplaints@us.navy.mil
Forest questions: National Forests in Florida
Stay off the range
The Navy controls access with road guards, gates and posted signs. The Forest Service helps keep the public away from the range during some training events.
How far the sound travels depends on the munition and the weather. The environmental assessment's noise study lists the nearest homes as Summit Ponds, about 3 miles southeast of the range, and Big Steep Pond, about 5 miles west, and rates Summit Ponds as a low risk for noise complaints.
Visiting the Ocala National Forest during training
The range is a closed area, but the rest of the forest stays open. The area around Pinecastle includes some of the forest's busiest off-highway-vehicle trails, so riders should follow posted closures. For planning a trip, see our Ocala National Forest guide, the forest map, springs in the forest, camping and hiking, plus Salt Springs and Juniper Springs.
Pinecastle Range FAQ
Why do I hear booms in the Ocala National Forest?
The booms come from U.S. Navy training at the Pinecastle Range Complex, a bombing range inside the Ocala National Forest in Marion County. Aircraft practice dropping both inert (non-explosive) and live munitions there, and the Navy calls it the only Navy live-fire range on the East Coast. Naval Air Station Jacksonville posts the training schedule on its website.
When is the Navy bombing in the Ocala National Forest this week?
Naval Air Station Jacksonville posted bombing at the Pinecastle Range Complex for Oct. 5-8, 2026: Oct. 5, 10-11:30 a.m. and 5-6:30 p.m.; Oct. 6, 9:15-11 a.m. and 2-3:30 p.m.; Oct. 7, 9:15-11 a.m. and 4:30-6 p.m.; and Oct. 8, 9:15-11 a.m. and 2-3:30 p.m. The Navy updates the schedule on the NAS Jacksonville homepage.
How do I report bombing noise from Pinecastle Range?
The Navy asks residents to email noise complaints to nasjax.noisecomplaints@us.navy.mil. Questions about the Ocala National Forest itself go to the National Forests in Florida Facebook page, according to the NAS Jacksonville notice.
Where is the Pinecastle bombing range?
Pinecastle Range lies entirely within the Ocala National Forest in Marion County, about 75 miles from NAS Jacksonville. It is reached from the north and south by State Road 19 and from the east and west by State Road 40, according to the Navy’s 2020 environmental assessment. The target and buffer area covers 5,698 acres.
Can the public go onto the Pinecastle range?
No. The Navy controls public access to Pinecastle Range with road guards, gates and posted signs, both for security and because of the hazards of military training. The Forest Service helps control public access near the range during some training events.
How often does the Navy bomb in the Ocala National Forest?
It varies. In 2026 the Navy’s posted schedules show clusters of one to six training days a few times a month, separated by stretches of weeks with no bombing, and some sessions run into the evening as late as 10 p.m. The Navy’s 2020 environmental assessment says four to six major exercises a year are planned, each lasting one to four weeks.
How long has the Navy used the Ocala National Forest as a bombing range?
The Navy has operated Pinecastle Range continuously since August 1951, under a Forest Service special use permit. Before that, the Army Air Forces used a larger part of the forest as the Lake Bryant Bombing and Gunnery Range in the 1940s.
Sources
- Naval Air Station Jacksonville homepage: Pinecastle Range Complex Training Schedule, wildlife advisory, noise complaint contact (posted Oct. 3, 2026)
- U.S. Fleet Forces Command, Final Environmental Assessment for Training Operations at Pinecastle Range Complex (November 2020)
- Earlier 2026 schedules: archived captures of the NAS Jacksonville homepage (Internet Archive)
How we verified this page
The schedule and contact details come from the Navy's own NAS Jacksonville page; the range facts come from the Navy's 2020 environmental assessment. We update the schedule when the Navy posts a new training week. Read our editorial guidelines.