Additional Information for Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park
Museum
A great place to start your explorations of Paynes Prairie is at the visitor center located close to the historic town of Micanopy, ten miles south of Gainesville on Hwy 441. Exhibits, stunning photography, and an audio-visual program explain the area’s natural and cultural history – the prairie has been a center for human activity for over 12,000 years! A 50-foot-high observation tower near the visitor center provides a panoramic view of the prairie. You can then take your pick of over 30 miles of hiking, biking, and equestrian trails; enjoy a picnic in one of the many picnic areas; participate in a Ranger-led activity; or bring your canoe/kayak and paddle Lake Wauberg.
Plant Life
13,735 acres lie within the shallow basin of Paynes Prairie. The basin is a mosaic of wet prairie, marsh, and open water. The surrounding uplands include hardwood hammock, pine flatwoods, swamps, old fields, scrub, and ponds. This substantial variety of habitats supports 710 species of vascular flora which is one fifth of the total in Florida.
Wildlife
A rich bio-diversity is reflected in the large numbers of waterfowl, hawks, wading birds, alligators, snakes, turtles, rodents, deer and other vertebrates that flourish in this vast natural area. Most of the animal life that Bartram described in his travels still abounds on the prairie today, including sandhill cranes, bald eagles, alligators, and otters. The variety of natural communities present in Paynes Prairie accounts for the great number of animal species present.
Resources
Paynes Prairie boasts a wide array of both cultural and natural resources. The 21,000 acre preserve consists of a variety of habitats supporting a large group of plants and animals. 14,000 acres of the land is a freshwater marsh/wet prairie ecosystem with the remaining 7,000 acres comprising some of the surrounding upland habitat.
Pets
Well behaved dogs are welcome at Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park. They must be kept on a hand held 6-foot leash at all times and cannot be left unattended for more than a half-hour. Pets are not permitted in playgrounds, bathing areas, or park buildings. Due to potential conflict with alligators, snakes, and bison, pets are not allowed on the Bolen Bluff Trail, Cone’s Dike Trail, and La Chua Trail. For more information, check out the Official Pet Policy.
Please see our General Parks Pet Policy for more information.
Links
Florida Division of Recreation and Parks neither endorses links nor approves of links to external sources. External links are made available to assist the Internet user in his or her search. The Florida Division of Recreation and Parks takes no responsibility a link's operation or content. The links that are shown are not an exclusive listing of organizations available within the State.
