Explore the real-world places that appear in Survivalist Series (Going Home) by A. American. Each location on the map shows what happens there in the novel, the real history of the place, and what's there today. Featured locations include Ocala National Forest, Altoona, Florida, Silver Springs, Lake County, Florida, Umatilla, Florida and 7 more.
North Central Florida — Primary wilderness setting for Morgan's journey
The Ocala National Forest is the vast wilderness through which protagonist Morgan Carter must travel on foot after an EMP destroys the power grid and his truck dies on the highway. Morgan navigates dense scrub, pine flatwoods, and swampy terrain for hundreds of miles to reach his family. The forest presents constant dangers including wildlife, desperate survivors, and threats from roving gangs.
Established in 1908, Ocala National Forest is the southernmost national forest in the continental United States and covers over 600 square miles. It contains three major spring systems — Alexander, Juniper, and Silver Glen — and has been inhabited by humans for over 10,000 years. It served as a refuge during the Second Seminole War.
Ocala National Forest remains fully open to the public with extensive hiking, camping, swimming, and off-roading opportunities. The Florida National Scenic Trail runs through it. Visitors can swim at crystal-clear springs and explore the scrub habitat that shelters the Florida scrub-jay.
Visit: Ocala National Forest (park)
Lake County — Small community near Morgan's route
Altoona and surrounding Lake County communities appear as small rural towns that Morgan passes through or skirts on his southward trek home. These isolated communities represent the fragmented social fabric of post-EMP Florida, where small towns either band together or descend into chaos. Residents Morgan encounters range from suspicious and hostile to cautiously helpful.
Altoona is a small unincorporated community in Lake County with roots in the late 19th century Florida land boom. Like many small Central Florida towns, it developed around citrus farming and turpentine production. The area remained sparsely populated and rural through most of the 20th century.
Altoona remains a small rural community of a few hundred residents on the edge of the Ocala National Forest in Lake County. It retains its quiet, off-the-grid character with scattered homes and small farms that make it feel much like the setting A. American describes.
Silver Springs Blvd, Ocala — Major freshwater spring landmark
Florida's famous spring systems are critically important in the Survivalist Series as sources of clean drinking water for Morgan and other survivors. The crystal-clear springs represent one of the few reliable freshwater sources in a grid-down world where municipal water systems have failed. Morgan and later his community rely on spring-fed water sources for survival.
Silver Springs is one of the largest artesian spring formations in the world, pumping over 500 million gallons of 72-degree water daily. It was Florida's first tourist attraction in the 1870s and was the filming location for several Tarzan movies. The glass-bottom boats introduced there in the 1870s became iconic.
Silver Springs State Park opened in 2013 after the state acquired the site from private operators. Visitors can take glass-bottom boat tours, kayak, swim, and observe wildlife including wild rhesus monkeys that have lived along the river since the 1930s.
Visit: Silver Springs State Park (park)
US-27 Corridor — Route through citrus and lake country
Lake County's rolling hills dotted with hundreds of lakes form part of the landscape Morgan traverses during his long walk home. The county's rural back roads and citrus groves provide cover and occasional foraging opportunities. The numerous lakes present both obstacles and resources — fresh water and fish — for Morgan and other survivors making their way through Central Florida.
Lake County, incorporated in 1887, contains over 1,400 lakes and was historically Florida's premier citrus-producing region. The county was devastated by a series of freezes in the 1980s and 1990s that decimated the citrus industry, after which much farmland was converted to residential development or left fallow.
Lake County has become increasingly suburban as Orlando's sprawl reaches northward, but significant rural and agricultural land remains, especially in the county's northern sections near the Ocala National Forest. Mount Dora and Tavares serve as the region's main cultural and tourism centers.
Lake County — Small town on Morgan's route south
Small towns like Umatilla feature in the Survivalist Series as examples of communities grappling with the collapse of modern infrastructure. Morgan encounters both the best and worst of human nature in such towns — neighbors forming militia-style defense groups, hoarders refusing to share resources, and occasional acts of generosity from strangers. These towns are microcosms of the larger societal breakdown.
Umatilla was incorporated in 1910 and served as a regional center for the citrus industry in northern Lake County. The town sits at the gateway to the Ocala National Forest and for decades served forest workers, hunters, and anglers. Its small downtown retains a classic Old Florida character.
Umatilla remains a quiet small town of about 3,000 residents serving as a waypoint between Ocala and the greater Orlando area. It retains much of its original small-town character with independent businesses and a slower pace of life.
Ocala National Forest — Natural spring and campground
Juniper Springs and the surrounding creek corridor serve as a landmark and resource within the Ocala National Forest during Morgan's journey. The clear, cold spring water offers a critical resupply point. The recreation area's remote campground and canoe run through lush jungle-like vegetation represent both refuge and ambush risk in a post-collapse world where desperate people prey on travelers.
Juniper Springs was developed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s and is one of the oldest recreation areas in the national forest system. The historic mill house, built from native coquina rock, still stands. The spring feeds Juniper Creek, which runs 7 miles through a dense subtropical corridor.
Juniper Springs Recreation Area remains one of the most popular destinations in Ocala National Forest. Visitors can swim in the spring, rent canoes for the famous Juniper Creek run, and camp at the developed campground. The CCC-built structures are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Visit: Juniper Springs Recreation Area (park)
Marion/Lake County border — Rural communities south of Ocala
The rural communities along the Marion and Lake County border represent the kind of small agricultural settlements central to the series' survival themes. Morgan and his group work to establish mutual aid networks with neighboring homesteads in communities like this. These areas provide access to farmland, livestock, and local knowledge essential for long-term survival in a grid-down scenario.
Weirsdale developed in the 1880s as a citrus farming community. Lady Lake grew substantially in the late 20th century as retirement communities expanded across Central Florida. The area sits between the large inland lakes and the rolling Marion County horse country to the north.
The Lady Lake area has grown dramatically due to proximity to The Villages, one of the largest retirement communities in the United States. The surrounding rural areas still contain horse farms, cattle operations, and old citrus groves amid the expanding residential development.
Marion County, FL — Horse farm territory and Morgan's home region
Marion County is Morgan Carter's home territory and the destination he is desperately trying to reach throughout Going Home. His family homestead is somewhere in the rural Marion County landscape of horse farms and pine forests. Once Morgan reaches home, Marion County becomes the base of operations for the survival community he and his neighbors build, with preparations for food production, defense perimeters, and resource management.
Marion County was established in 1844 and Ocala became its county seat. The region developed as a significant horse breeding center in the 20th century, rivaling Kentucky's bluegrass country. Marion County is home to more thoroughbred horses per square mile than anywhere outside of Kentucky.
Marion County remains Florida's equestrian capital with hundreds of horse farms, training facilities, and breeding operations. The county seat of Ocala has grown into a regional city of nearly 60,000 while the surrounding countryside retains its rural character with extensive pastures and pine flatwoods.
Northern Florida — Major geographic obstacle on long-range travel
The Suwannee River and similar major waterways in North Florida present significant obstacles and resources in the later books of the Survivalist Series as Morgan's group expands its operational range. River crossings become tactical challenges when bridges are controlled by hostile groups or have been destroyed. The river also provides fish, fresh water, and a natural defensive boundary for survivor communities.
The Suwannee River runs 246 miles from the Okefenokee Swamp in Georgia to the Gulf of Mexico. Immortalized in Stephen Foster's song 'Old Folks at Home,' the river has been central to North Florida's culture and economy for centuries. It served as a boundary and travel corridor for Native Americans, Spanish colonists, and American settlers alike.
The Suwannee River is protected along much of its length by state parks and conservation lands. The Florida Circumnavigational Saltwater Paddling Trail and the Suwannee River Wilderness Trail make it accessible to paddlers and hikers. The river remains one of Florida's most pristine blackwater rivers.
Visit: Suwannee River State Park (park)
Silver Springs Blvd & Pine Ave, Ocala — Regional hub city
Ocala serves as the nearest significant urban center to Morgan Carter's home and becomes a source of both resources and danger in the series. The city's stores, depots, and infrastructure become contested territory as government authority breaks down. Military and FEMA operations attempt to establish control in Ocala even as roving criminal groups exploit the chaos. Morgan's group must navigate the city carefully to avoid both desperate mobs and authoritarian checkpoints.
Ocala was incorporated in 1868 and served as a Confederate stronghold during the Civil War. The city grew as a center for the phosphate mining industry in the late 19th century before transitioning to its current role as a regional hub for Marion County's horse industry and retirement community growth.
Downtown Ocala has undergone significant revitalization with new restaurants, breweries, and arts venues. The historic Appleton Museum of Art anchors the city's cultural scene. Ocala serves as a regional center with a population of about 60,000 and is known as the 'Horse Capital of the World.'
Visit: Downtown Ocala Historic District (historic site)
I-75, North-Central Florida — Major highway, EMP stranding location
Interstate 75 is where Morgan Carter's truck dies at the novel's opening when an electromagnetic pulse destroys the electrical systems of every modern vehicle on the road. Stranded hundreds of miles from home, Morgan watches the highway transform from a modern thoroughfare to a scene of mass confusion and danger. Thousands of drivers are stranded simultaneously, and the social breakdown begins almost immediately as people realize help is not coming.
Interstate 75 runs 1,786 miles from Miami to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. The Florida section was completed in stages between 1957 and 1977. In North Florida, I-75 passes through rural territory far from services, making it an especially vulnerable corridor for stranded travelers.
I-75 remains one of Florida's primary north-south arteries, carrying heavy truck traffic and seasonal tourist migration. The stretch through North Central Florida passes through largely rural territory with infrequent exits and services, just as A. American describes.
Ocala National Forest — Second-magnitude spring and wilderness campground
Alexander Springs and similar isolated spring systems within the Ocala National Forest serve as critical resupply and rest points for Morgan during his journey. The springs provide reliable clean water in a world where municipal water systems have failed. The remote campground offers temporary shelter but also risk, as desperate survivors learn to congregate at the few reliable water sources remaining.
Alexander Springs is a second-magnitude spring in the southeastern section of Ocala National Forest, discharging about 76 million gallons per day. The spring has been used by humans for thousands of years — archaeological evidence suggests habitation dating back 10,000 years. It was a significant site during the Second Seminole War.
Alexander Springs Recreation Area offers swimming, camping, and a canoe trail through the spring run. The site is managed by the U.S. Forest Service and is particularly popular on weekends. The spring maintains a constant 72-degree temperature year-round.
Visit: Alexander Springs Recreation Area (park)
More by A. American: Conflicted Home locations map · All A. American books