Florida Hikes

Hike Bike Paddle Camp Florida with authors Sandra Friend and John Keatley as your guides

Fakahatchee ferns

Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park

Alligators Everywhere

In spring, alligators become more active as the days warm up. It's also mating season, so alligators are on the move. Expect to see them anywhere and everywhere along Florida's trails.

Along Lake Wauberg

A wander along Lake Wauberg to the symphony of Archie Carr's favorite frogs brought memories flooding back of gentler times.

Bolens Bluff Trail

Micanopy   2.7 miles

Walk along a bluff where early explorers and native peoples once looked out over vastness of Paynes Prairie to discover a panorama that invites you to immerse in it.

Chacala Trail

Micanopy   6.2 miles

For the longest loop hike in Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, tackle the Chacala Trail for a 6.2-mile circuit that brings you to a view of Chacala Pond.

Cones Dike Trail

Micanopy   8.0 miles

To fully immerse in the vastness of Paynes Prairie, follow the Cones Dike Trail, the longest of the footpaths that leads out into the prairie.

Gator growl at La Chua

In the heart of Gator Country, a deep sinkhole swallows the waters of Paynes Prairie at its northeastern rim in Gainesville: La Chua Sink. A brand new boardwalk now provides a closer look.

La Chua Trail

Gainesville   1.1 miles

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.

Paynes Prairie Lake Trail

Micanopy   0.7 miles

Along the Lake Trail at Paynes Prairie Preserve, Lake Wauberg and the wildlife that lives in it is the star attraction.

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.