If you’re going to stop at the visitor center at Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, chances are you’ll at least walk a portion of the Wacahoota Trail.
It’s the way you get to the tallest observation point in the park, the five-story observation tower along the south rim. The lowest deck, which provides a nice view, is also wheelchair accessible.
Resources
Overview
Location: Micanopy
Length: 0.7 mile loop
Trailhead: 29.5484, -82.2914
Fees / Permits: $6 per vehicle
Restroom: At the visitor center and at the picnic area
Land Manager: Florida State Parks
Phone: 352-466-3397
Open 8 AM until sunset. Bikes are not permitted on this trail. This trail is wheelchair accessible right up to the tower, but a steep grade is involved to get down and back up the bluff. Assistance would be needed.
Directions
From Interstate 75, take the Micanopy exit and drive east to US 441. Turn left and watch for the park entrance on your right within a mile. After you enter the park and pay your fee, drive straight back along Savannah Blvd to where it ends in a circle around a parking area. Park here for trail access.
Hike
From the large Great Florida Birding Trail kiosk at the edge of the parking lot, follow the sidewalk into the woods. It curves past a picnic area with restrooms.
Down the straightaway, it emerges into an open area facing the visitor center. Pop in here for an overview of the park, including its natural habitats and human history.
You pass the top end of the loop – a footpath off to the left – while following the accessible path down the bluff. Slipping into the deep shade of a hardwood hammock, it leads you to the base of the tower.
If you’re not up for climbing the whole thing, no worries. The view is clear from the lowest deck. But we’ve always found it worth the scramble to the top.
From the highest perch, we’ve caught sight of both wild horses and bison on the prairie.
You can also see hikers off in the distance on the Cones Dike Trail.
Coming down to the bottom of the tower, turn right. Follow the footpath deeper into the woods, passing an outdoor classroom with a big kettle. You can see the prairie through a screen of trees.
Enormous live oaks shade a portion of the trail. Pass a jumble of limestone boulders as the trail ascends the bluff into a pine forest.
The trail curves left under a series of grapevine-laden live oaks and Southern magnolia. After crossing a bridge, it emerges back onto the sidewalk adjoining the visitor center.
Turn right to follow the paved path back to the parking area.
Explore More
Exploring Paynes Prairie
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
More trails in Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park
Bolens Bluff Trail
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
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
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
Ecopassage Observation Boardwalk
Providing the easiest-to-reach panorama of Paynes Prairie, the Ecopassage Observation Boardwalk encourages you to stop and take it all in
Gainesville-Hawthorne Trail
One of North Florida’s oldest bike paths, the Gainesville-Hawthorne Trail provides a mostly shaded rural ride
La Chua Trail
There are a handful of places that stand out as excellent locations for wildlife watching in Florida, but the best place to see alligators is in the home of the Gators, Gainesville
Lake Trail
Along the Lake Trail at Paynes Prairie Preserve, Lake Wauberg and the wildlife that lives in it is the star attraction
Prairie Creek Boardwalk
Under the dense canopy of a hardwood forest, the Prairie Creek Boardwalk provides a unique perspective on the creek that links Paynes Prairie and Newnans Lake.
Nearby Trails
Other trails worth exploring while you’re in this area.
Tuscawilla Preserve
Peek through thick curtains of Spanish moss beneath grandfather live oaks along the shores of an ancient lake
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.
Official Website