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Paynes
Prairie Preserve State Park Trails
Paynes
Prairie Preserve State Park is a Florida treasure, rich
in human and natural history. During his Florida travels,
the noted 18th century artist and naturalist, William Bartram,
wrote of this area, calling it the "great Alachua Savannah."
Long before Bartram visited, the prairie was home to its
first known inhabitants, the Paleo-Indians who arrived here
around 10,000 B.C. Over the years, many groups have occupied
the land from Archaic and Timucuan Indians, to the Spanish
and English prior to Florida’s statehood. Within this
national natural landmark, twenty distinct biological communities
such as wet prairie, pine flatwoods, hammocks, and ponds
provide a rich array of habitats for animal life. The prairie
is a prime wildlife viewing area. This park offers opportunities
for hikers, bikers and equestrians to explore its natural
and historical wonders.
Click
here
for printer-friendly map
and description (PDF 401 kb).
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Trail
Length/Surface: paved park road, 2.6 miles; unpaved trails,
nearly 20 miles
Fee: Park Admission
County: Alachua
Nearby Towns: Gainesville, Micanopy
Notes:
The park’s paved entrance road (Savannah Boulevard) provides
a nice walk or bike ride under a canopy of trees. Cone’s
Dike Trail is suitable for hikers and bikers, while Chacala
Trail is suitable for equestrians, hikers and bikers. La Chua
Trail (not shown on map) is suitable for hikers and is accessible
from the
Gainesville-Hawthorne
Trail State Park
Access/Directions:
From
Interstate 75, take Exit 73 (new Exit 374) to CR 234. Head
east on CR 234 through Micanopy for 1.4 miles until you reach
US 441. Take a left and proceed .6 miles until you reach the
park entrance.
From
Gainesville, take US 441 south to the main park entrance.
Contact
Information:
Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park
100 Savannah Blvd.
Micanopy, 32667
(352) 466-3397
www.floridastateparks.org
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