Protecting a 12,000 acre swath of conservation land west of Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, Barr Hammock Preserve is a popular destination for hikers, cyclists, equestrians, and a renowned spot for birding.
It is divided into two halves with separate trailheads. The north entrance offers a loop trail circling a vast prairie, while the south entrance explores a variety of habitats on an extensive network of interconnected trails.
Following yellow blazes through a hardwood hammock
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Overview
Location: Micanopy
Length: 4.2 miles
Trailhead: 29.492722, -82.318861
Address: 300 SE 175th Ave, Micanopy
Fees: Free
Restroom: None
Land Manager: Alachua County
Phone: 352-264-6868
Open 8-6 Nov-Apr, 8-8 May-Oct. Leashed dogs welcome. Trails shared with cyclists and sometimes equestrians.
Directions
From Interstate 75 exit 374, Micanopy, follow CR 234 west for 0.8 mile. Turn right on SE 175th Ave. In another 0.6 mile, turn right into the entrance of the preserve.
Hike
In the center of the parking area, a covered kiosk provides paper maps and information about the preserve. Look north for a walk-through stile in the middle of the fence.
Start your hike using the blue-blazed Bayhead Trail rather than the white-blazed equestrian Piney Woods Loop, which has its own entrance at the northeast corner of the lot.
Trailhead stile
Shared with cyclists, the blue-blazed path snakes across a community of mixed hardwood and pine trees under the shade of a closed canopy.
Skirting around the edge of a wooded swamp on a wide concrete boardwalk for a few hundred feet, the trail reaches higher ground at a trail junction in a half mile.
Turn to the left, following white blazes along a short section of the equestrian trail.
Swamp boardwalk
Stay left again at the next intersection. Yellow blazes lead west along a wide access road flanked by a swamp to the south and pine flatwoods to the north.
In springtime, shrubby tarflowers produce pinkish white blooms. Coral honeysuckle vines twist up into the bushes and sport vibrant red tubular flowers, a preferred source of nectar for hummingbirds.
Tarflower in bloom
Reaching the orange-blazed Hammock Loop at 1.7 miles, turn right to remain on the yellow route. Continue north to the next junction with the orange blazes.
An inviting bench sits under a stately live oak. From it, follow yellow blazes east along a forest road for a half mile.
The trail changes radically, becoming a narrow corridor while entering a densely wooded hardwood hammock.
Shaded bench
As the trail descends a gently sloping ravine, an ornate creek crossing comes into view.
Part sculpture and part bridge, twisted metal vines run across the span to large bronze tinted leaves at each end.
Still Creek bridge
Returning to the Bayhead Trail at 2.6 miles, continue straight to explore the eastern side of the loop.
A well-defined pathway winds across contoured terrain, passing a bench overlooking a low-lying forest to the northeast.
The trail climbs steadily through a maze of saw palmettos and gnarled trees before opening to clearing and joining the white blazed Piney Woods Loop.
Tangled trees
At 3.4 miles, follow blue blazes as they diverge to the south, crossing over a sandhill restoration project that is returning to a more natural state through frequent prescribed fires.
The trail weaves through soot coated pines as fresh growth emerges from the forest floor, thriving in abundant sunlight.
Pine flatwoods restoration
A convenient trail map stands at a crossroads while passing over the white trail at 3.5 miles, before finishing the loop portion of the hike in another 0.2 mile.
Follow blue or white blazes south from this junction to reach the trailhead parking area in about a half mile either way.
Trail map sign
Trail Map
Explore More!
Hike the Levy Prairie Loop at the north end of Barr Hammock Preserve
Barr Hammock Preserve Circling Levy Prairie at Barr Hammock Preserve provides a glimmer of understanding of the chain of prairies that William Bartram saw during his 1774 traverse of the region.Video
A hike through Barr Hammock South
Nearby Adventures
Micanopy Native American Heritage Preserve On the high ground above Lake Tuscawilla, an ancient village once stood. The Micanopy Native American Heritage Preserve is dedicated to its memory and preservation. 
Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park Protecting a massive natural basin of prairie between Micanopy and Gainesville, Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park combines panoramic views with wildlife watching along its trails.
Longleaf Flatwoods Reserve A worthwhile wander on water management lands, this loop hike at Longleaf Flatwoods Reserve hits the highlights of this colorful 2,850-acre preserve.
Tuscawilla Preserve Peek through thick curtains of Spanish moss beneath grandfather live oaks to watch sandhill cranes dance along the shores of an ancient lake in Micanopy.
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