Prairie Creek Boardwalk

Prairie Creek Boardwalk is the least known of the trails at Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, but it’s a very scenic destination.

We’ve biked to it from two different directions along the Gainesville-Hawthorne Trail, using it as a rest stop and our turnaround point.

Scenic Prairie Creek

To hike here, however, you’ll want to start somewhere closer than the bike path trailheads at Rochelle and La Chua Trail.

The nearest access point to the Prairie Creek Boardwalk along the Gainesville-Hawthorne Trail is Kate’s Fish Camp, along the creek at SR 20.

Prairie Creek is wide enough to paddle

It’s a great place to rent canoes and kayaks, or grab bait for fishing on Newnan’s Lake, but not somewhere to casually park unless you’re a patron.

From a small unpaved parking area at SE 30th St, a walk along the bike path out to the end of the boardwalk and back is 1.4 miles.

Along the boardwalk

Resources

Resources for exploring the area

North Florida Panhandle Explorers Guide book cover

Five Star Trails Gainesville Ocala book cover

Hikers Guide to the Sunshine State book cover

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Overview

Location: Gainesville
Length: 1.4 mile round-trip
Trailhead: 29.612284, -82.253994
Fees: Free
Restroom: None
Land manager: Florida State Parks
Phone: 352-466-3397

Open 8 AM to sunset. Leashed dogs welcome.

Although it is along the Gainesville-Hawthorne Trail, the boardwalk is not open to bicycles. Park your bike in the provided bike rack.

Directions

From the park’s main entrance on US 441 north of Micanopy, drive south to the light in Micanopy. Turn left onto SR 234. Continue 7 miles north to the T intersection in Rochelle, right past the trail crossing of the Gainesville-Hawthorne Trail. Make a left onto CR 2082. The trailhead here can be used as an alternative access point, but it’s a much longer walk out and back to Prairie Creek (a 3.4-mile round-trip). Where CR 2082 emerges at SR 20, turn left. Keep in the left lane. Soon after you cross the bridge over Prairie Creek and see the sign on the right for Kates Fish Camp, keep alert for the left onto SE 30th Street. Turn left across the eastbound lanes of SR 20 and look for the tiny dirt parking area on the right just before the bike path crossing.

Hike

On foot, you’ll spend more time walking to and from the boardwalk than actually on the boardwalk.

This portion of the Gainesville-Hawthorne Trail is flat and nicely canopied by the forest surrounding it.

Prairie Creek downstream from the bike path bridge

Crossing Prairie Creek on the bike path bridge after a half mile, you can see it flowing out under SR 20 from Newnans Lake.

The cypress-lined lake to the north is where ancient dugout canoes were found buried in the lake mud.

Prairie Creek flowing under SR 20

Undoubtedly those early peoples followed this clear, swiftly flowing stream towards what is now called Paynes Prairie, a massive grassy savanna where hunting would have been superb.

Reach the bike rack and sign for the Prairie Creek Boardwalk. It’s not well known other than to locals and to the cyclists who whiz by it.

Interpretive marker along the bike path

It’s not a long boardwalk but it weaves along the sand-bottomed creek, providing a variety of views from different angles.

Look down as well as up. On our first visit, we saw a banded water snake below and a barred owl above.

Banded water snake on deadfall

The boardwalk ends at an observation deck with a locked gate for park ranger access to the creek.

Prairie Creek flows along the edge of neighboring Prairie Creek Preserve before reaching Paynes Prairie.

Downstream flow

Turn around and retrace your walk up the boardwalk to the bike path, reaching it at 1.1 miles.

Head west along the bike path to return to the trailhead to complete a 1.4-mile round-trip.

Return route

Trail Map

Explore More!

Learn more about Paynes Prairie State Park and the Gainesville-Hawthorne Trail

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.

Gainesville-Hawthorne Trail One of North Florida’s oldest bike paths, the 15.3 mile linear Gainesville-Hawthorne Trail provides a mostly shaded rural ride.

Slideshow

See our photos from this hike

Nearby Adventures

Prairie Creek Preserve In the deep shade of the floodplain of Prairie Creek near Gainesville, Prairie Creek Preserve is a beauty spot provided to the public by the Alachua Conservation Trust.

Body of water with boardwalk edged by large live oaks

La Chua Trail Where Paynes Prairie drains into the Floridan Aquifer, alligators gather. Watch them from above along the La Chua Trail in the home of the Gators, Gainesville.

Boulware Springs Park Gainesville's original city water source, Boulware Springs is home to a historic waterworks where turtles sun and a trailhead providing access to preserves along Paynes Prairie.