Along with the guys, I’m doing a day trip to Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park near Gainesville, Florida. With almost 23,000 acres, Paynes Prairie is the only place in Florida today where bison and wild horses roam free. The vast preserve also contains Alachua Sink, a great spot to see Florida alligators. Bison and horses and gators, oh my!
Planning a day trip to Paynes Prairie
Even since I heard there are bison at Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, I’ve been wanting to go. The park is located south of Gainesville, closest to the small town of Micanopy. It’s less than 2 hours away, which makes it perfect for a day trip. And finally with a weekend free, I call up the guys. Last year at this time, I did a guys trip to Shenandoah Valley with Matt, Kelly, and Uncle Mike. So, it was about time to get together again. And with the chance of seeing bison, wild horses and gators, it was a no-brainer.
With all the guys on board, my plan is to start at the Paynes Prairie Visitor Center first. I’ve heard the Bolen Bluff Trail is the best place to spot bison, so I’ll confirm with someone there. And they also have a short trail to an observation tower overlooking the prairie. Afterwards, we’ll drive to the Bolen Bluff Trailhead about 10-15 minutes away. And if we’re up for it, I also want to do the La Chua Trail which goes through the wetlands. It’s another 15 minutes away and the best place to see alligators and other wildlife.
It’s going to be 80 degrees on this February day in Florida. Which means shorts and comfortable clothing, but also sunscreen. We also pack bug spray just in case. Additionally we bring some snacks and water, but I’ve scoped out a couple places in Micanopy for lunch. And at the end of the day, I want to go to the popular Swamp Head Brewery in Gainesville. With a full day planned, we plan to leave early morning and return when we want.
Paynes Prairie Visitor Center
Leaving around 8:45AM, it takes us almost 2 hours to get to the entrance station. There’s a $6 entry fee per vehicle. And once past the gate, the drive goes directly into the Florida wilderness. Lined with palmettos and mossy oaks, it takes another 10 minutes until we reach a parking lot. And at the end of the lot, we see a sign that shows the way to walk to the visitor center. The paved path passes some restrooms, but we continue on reaching it 5 minutes before 11:00AM.
From the outside, the visitor center’s sleek design blends in with the surroundings. We take the stairs down and head straight for the restrooms. Don’t stop at the restrooms on the way, these are much nicer. And once out, we are ready to explore. We see a board with wildlife sightings today and talk to the volunteer behind the desk.
The volunteer hasn’t heard of any bison sightings today. But apparently wild horses have been spotted from the Cone’s Dike trail behind the visitor center. And at the back of the center you can get your 1st glimpse of the prairie.
A path meanders past the moss-covered oaks into the prairie beyond. This path is the start of the Cone’s Dike Trail that goes about 4 miles into the prairie. The volunteer tells us we can walk out as far as we want and walk back the same way. But, we confirm the Bolen Bluff Trail may still be the best place to spot a bison. Though before we leave, we want to walk to the observation tower here.
Paynes Prairie Wacahoota Trail and Observation Tower
Just out the back door of the visitor center, is a paved walkway to the observation tower. It’s just a short 2 minute walk. And though we pass some people on the way, as we approach the 3-story tower there is no one else here.
There’s 2 levels to view the vast prairie. And at the top there’s a bench where you can sit and enjoy the view. Though there is fog on the prairie today, we can still see quite a ways.
Once we walk back down and exit the tower, we see the sign for the Wacahoota Trail. This short 0.25 mile loop trail goes off the pavement through an old Florida hammock. It’s very similar to our drive into the park with tons of palmettos and shady oaks. And it’s an easy 15 minute walk to finish the trail and get back to the visitor center. Overall, this 1st stop took us about 45 minutes. But we have to get back in the car to drive to our next location.
Paynes Prairie Campground and Picnic Area
Before we leave the main area of the park, we turn towards the campground and picnic area. Kelly had camped here many times when he went to college at the University of Florida nearby in Gainesville. So I drive to the end of the road to check out the picnic area. We find a spot near the boat ramp and park.
We walk down to the water’s edge of Lake Wauberg. This is a popular recreational lake that many college students enjoy just minutes away from campus. Looking out we can see some kayakers and notice the fog has cleared. The picnic area is just on the other side and offers many covered pavilions which are all open today. After the quick stop, we drive through the campground to get back to the road. This looks like a great place to camp or picnic if you have the time.
Start of Bolen Bluff Trail at Paynes Prairie
The Bolen Bluff Trailhead is only 12 minutes from the visitor center. After exiting the main entrance, you turn right up US-441 for 3.5 miles until you see a small dirt parking lot. Since the fog has burned off, the Sun is starting to shine. So I apply some sunscreen and grab some waters. The Bolen Bluff Trail is 2.5 miles round trip that starts in the woods before heading out into the prairie.
It’s only a few minutes into the hike where the trail forks. You can take either path as they both meet back together at the prairie. So we decide to go right, and take the other path on the way back. This trail is much wider and well-traveled than the Wacahoota Trail. And we pass some horse dung assuming this can also be used as a horse trail.
We see a turkey vulture land in a tree on the way, but that’s the only wildlife sighting we see. But after about 15 minutes, we make it to a clearing where we see something else.
Bolen Bluff Trail into the open prairie
From the clearing, we can see the path continues to the end of the woods, and out to the prairie. And from here we are surprised to already see wild horses! They seem so far away, so we hope that by the time we get to them they are still there.
This portion of the trail has no shade, and continues into the vast prairie until there’s nothing else around. The horses are about half way down, and are grazing just on the side of the trail.
We pass more horse dung, and as we get closer I count 10 total horses. These are said to be descendants of horses brought here by the Spanish in the 16th century. It’s amazing to think they have been roaming free here for that long.
One of the horses is just off the trail, so I keep a safe distance. These horses may be wild, but they seem unaffected by all the people walking on the trail. They just eat grass and ignore us as we walk past.
Past the horses we continue to an observation tower at the end of the trail. This tower is much smaller, and more crowded. But we’re able to get some views of the surrounding prairie. Unfortunately, we are not able to spot any bison, but we know they could be anywhere.
On the way back, some more horses are closer to the trail. And I can even see 2 young horses playing together while the others continue grazing. When we make it back to the clearing, we take the other path back. And the whole trail takes about 1.5 hours.
Pearl Country Store & Barbecue
After the hike, we are all hungry and decide to grab lunch. So we head back down US-441 to Pearl Country Store & Barbecue in Micanopy. When we pull in, we notice the restaurant is in a gas station. And the parking lot is full, but luckily a car is leaving and we take their spot. We also notice some people are eating outside at some picnic tables under red umbrellas.
Walking in past the checkout counter, we can see another counter with the menu for the barbeque restaurant. There is also plenty of seating inside with a lot of people are enjoying their food.
They have a large menu of barbeque, burgers and even breakfast. We all order their regular size barbecue sandwiches with a side, except Matt who orders a regular dinner with 2. And once we order, they tell us we can grab drinks from the store and pay for it all together. While in line, Kelly tells me someone outside has a gator in a trailer. So I have to go out and look.
Outside I see the trailer, and a few people are looking into it. The guy pulling the trailer is an alligator trapper for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission. He tells me that him and some others pulled the 10 feet long gator out of a farm pond. Only in Florida!
After the excitement, I head back in and we grab a table. And a few minutes later our food is ready. Their portions are large and my pulled pork sandwich with coleslaw is perfect. Everyone enjoys their food, though I don’t think anyone ate it all. We finish around 2:30PM and re-energized to do more hiking.
La Chua Trail at Paynes Prairie
The visitor center is on the south end of the prairie, and the Bolen Bluff Trail is on the west. But the La Chua Trail is on the north closer to Gainesville. And from the restaurant, it takes less than 20 minutes to get there. This trail is listed as a 3.0 mile round trip hike, starting on a paved walkway to a boardwalk. Then it heads through the prairie to an observation platform. Though the 1st part of this trail is unusual.
From the parking lot, we take a paved path which goes through the woods before crossing the Gainesville-Hawthorne State Trail. This 16-mile trail was an old rail bed, now used for mostly bicycling. On the other side, we continue on the path past a portable restroom, go through an old tunnel and to a barn. Inside the barn, are horse stalls and signs explaining some of its history. On the other side, we see a trailer and table with information.
The Friends of Paynes Prairie have brought their information trailer and have a table setup with all kinds of stuff. We stop for a moment to check it out and talk to them. And just past them we see the start of the boardwalk to Alachua Sink.
La Chua Trail boardwalk at Alachua Sink
Alachua Sink is the deepest sinkhole in Paynes Prairie, where water enters the Florida aquifer. It’s been an important area for its inhabitants for over 12,000 years. And it’s just a few minutes walk to the 1st covered area with benches.
Here is a great place to spot different birds like egrets, herons or limpkins wading in the vegetation. We even see an anhinga sunning its wings on the shore. But it’s something in the water the draws our attention.
We see a very large alligator floating toward the boardwalk, so we walk toward him. We are well protected above him, but close enough to get a great view of him. And as we continue on the boardwalk, we pass some more vegetation where more gators lurk.
Some of the gators are hiding among the vegetation, while are others are sunning on the shore. We easily spot at least 10 more while walking along the boardwalk until it ends at a lake. Actually, this is Alachua Sink full of water.
At the end is another covered area with benches to look out at the lake. And just past it, the boardwalk starts heading down. And the trail continues alongside the water.
Continuing on the La Chua Trail
The trail continues to a grass than dirt path. We stay away from the shore, though the trail is higher than the water and offers adequate protection. We spot a Sandhill crane wading in the water and more gators sunning across on the shore. And it’s only a few minutes before we see a fence.
The fence has a sign saying no entry beyond this point. Another sign says the trail is closed beyond due to high water. I find out later a hurricane wiped out some of the dikes a few years ago, and the trail is flooded. And to the left of the fence is a concrete structure in the water, possibly the remains of one. The water is flowing fast here, and there are lots of birds on it.
We hang out for a while just watching the birds. Most are double-crested cormorants, a common bird found in Florida around fresh water. And they are great swimmers. We see one dive underwater, swim and come back up with a fish in its beak. He then proceeds to swallow the fish hole.
After the wildlife show, we head back the way we came. We spot more gators near the shore and in the vegetation. Though we only did part of the trail, we really enjoyed seeing the abundant wildlife. We spent about 1 hour and 20 minutes here, and it’s almost 4:30PM. But there’s one more place I want to go.
Swamp Head Brewery
Swamp Head is an award-winning brewery in Gainesville since 2008. I have always wanted to visit, and now it’s actually only 15 minutes away. So we head to their tap room called The Wetlands. You can read more about them here: Swamp Head Brewery Gainesville, FL.
Inside the tap room, they have 25 beers on tap, a cider, a ginger ale and a root beer. We sample a couple at the bar before ordering some beers and a flight to share. Matt doesn’t drink beer, but gets the root beer. We then find a table outside on the deck overlooking a small pond.
Their beers are very good and they have styles for everyone. Even Matt enjoys the root beer, and decides to get the ginger ale, too. Though the ginger is very strong.
Outside on the lawn there are picnic tables and a pavilion. And they even have a taco food truck here today. But we’re all so full from lunch, we can’t eat a thing. Though the beers are the perfect way to end our day.
Summary of our day trip to Paynes Prairie
Paynes Prairie did not disappoint. We all thought it was an amazing day. We had 5 main stops today starting with the visitor center which was great. And the observation tower was a nice way to see the prairie. Next stop was the Bolen Bluff Trail where we saw the wild horses. An easy trail right into the middle of the prairie. The 3rd stop was lunch at Pearl Country Store & Barbecue. We would definitely stop here again. After lunch, our 2nd hike was the abbreviated La Chua Trail packed with alligators and many birds. And though we didn’t see any bison, seeing horses and alligators in their environment up close is really special. And ending at a great brewery like Swamp Head is the icing on the cake. I have a feeling we’ll be back to look for bison real soon.
Check out more of our adventures in Real Florida!