Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park History

Park Overview

Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park is a National Natural Landmark located in Alachua County between Gainesville and Micanopy, Florida. Designated as Florida’s first preserve in 1971, the park contains nearly 23,000 acres of preserved Florida uplands and freshwater wetlands. 30 miles of multi-use trails meander through 25 natural habitats. The trails range from a 0.3-mile loop to an 8+ mile round trip, traversing mostly flat terrain through pine and scrub flatwoods, swamp marsh, and the prairie basin.

Paynes Prairie Preserve’s Visitor Center — Paynes Prairie Preserve Visitor Center & Exhibits

Learn more about the park’s natural habitats, history, and cultural significance at the award-winning Visitor Center, a beautiful indoor haven of exhibits. Hike, bike, saddle, paddle, or camp in this historic landscape. Enjoy a 50-foot-high hike up the Observation Tower for a panoramic view of the open prairie marsh where wild horses and bison roam free. Check out a view from the Observation Tower here:

Observation Tower at Paynes Prairie

Engraving of the Timucua - circa 1591 (Florida Memory)

Park History

Once Spanish explorers conquered the land from the native Timucua people in the 1600s, Paynes Prairie became home to the largest cattle ranch in Florida, Hacienda de la Chua, which flourished for over 60 years. “Chua” is Native American for “jug” or sinkhole, for which the La Chua Trail was named after.

William Bartram Sketches — William Bartram sketches of Alachua Savanna and Florida alligators, circa 1774 (Florida Memory)

In 1774, William Bartram visited and deemed the prairie the “Great Alachua Savanna” in his book, Travels. Bartram’s writings, maps, and illustrations provide one of the earliest descriptions of this Florida State Park.

Park ranger inspecting bison at Paynes Prairie, circa 1971 (Florida Memory)

In the 1870s, the prairie basin flooded, forming Alachua Lake, and the water levels remained high for 20 years. For 100 years, ranchers continued to seek profit from the prairie until the land was sold to the State of Florida in 1970.

Paynes Prairie Preserve Trail System

South End:
Wacahoota Trail – 0.3-mile loop (access Observation Tower)
Lake Trail – 0.8 miles (access Lake Wauberg)
Jackson’s Gap Trail – 1.2 miles
Chacala Trail – 6.5-mile loop
Cones Dike Trail – 8.25-miles round trip (no pets)

North End:
La Chua Trail – 3 miles round trip (no pets)
Bolen Bluff Trail – 2.6 miles round trip (no pets)
*Cycling is permitted along the park drive, Chacala, Bolen Bluff, Jackson's Gap, and Cones Dike Trails.
*Jackson’s Gap and Chacala Trails are also for equestrian use.
Gainesville-Hawthorne State Trail (16 miles, multi-use)