Wild bison and horses roam free on this Florida prairie 10 miles from Gainesville

It’s Florida’s first state preserve

Most people don’t picture open savanna when they think of Florida.

But 10 miles south of Gainesville, more than 21,000 acres of grassland, marsh, and wetland spread out between the towns of Micanopy and Gainesville in north-central Florida.

Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park is the only place in the state where you can see wild bison and horses roaming free. Alligators, bobcats, otters, wild turkeys, deer, and nearly 300 bird species live here too.

Naturalist William Bartram walked this ground in 1774 and called it the “great Alachua Savannah.” What he saw then, you can still see now, and the story of how it all got here goes back centuries.

Spanish ranches and a Seminole chief gave it its name

Native Americans lived on this prairie for thousands of years.

The Seminole people built a village along its rim, and the land carries the name of King Payne, a Seminole chief.

By the 1600s, the Spanish had set up Hacienda de La Chua, the largest cattle ranch in Spanish Florida at the time. The state bought the land in 1970 and designated it Florida’s first official preserve in 1971.

It earned National Natural Landmark status in December 1974 and became a State Geological Site in April 2024.

A bison herd brought from Oklahoma now roams free

In 1975, ten bison arrived from the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma. The idea was to bring the prairie closer to what it looked like before colonial settlement.

That small group has grown into a herd of roughly 30 to 70 animals, depending on the year. The American bison is the nation’s official mammal, and this herd restores a small piece of its original wild range.

You might spot them from the observation tower or along the Bolen Bluff and Cone’s Dike trails, though sightings are never guaranteed.

Feral horses here trace back to Ponce de Leon in 1521

The wild horses grazing on the prairie are Florida Cracker Horses. Their bloodline runs back to Spanish breeds that Ponce de Leon brought to Florida in 1521.

When Spanish settlers left, the horses stayed and went feral.

Over hundreds of years, they adapted to the heat, humidity, and insects, becoming small, sturdy, and quick. Florida named the Cracker Horse its official heritage horse in 2008.

You’ll often spot them near the La Chua Trail boardwalk or from the observation tower, heads down in the grass.

Sandhill cranes winter here by the thousands

The park sits along the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail, and birders rank it among the best spots in the state. Nearly 300 species have been recorded here, with about 85 nesting inside the preserve.

Large flocks of sandhill cranes arrive around November and stay through March.

You may also see bald eagles, great blue herons, limpkins, hawks, ospreys, and purple gallinules depending on the season. Winter is peak time, when thousands of migrating waterfowl fill the wetlands, and the sky gets loud.

Watch for horses from the visitor center’s back porch

The visitor center near Micanopy has interactive exhibits covering the park’s wildlife, plants, and history.

Floor-to-ceiling windows look straight out over the prairie, and wild horses sometimes wander close enough to see from the back porch. A short film about the prairie’s story plays in the theater room.

From the center, you can walk the Wacahoota Trail to the 50-foot observation tower. At the top, the open prairie stretches flat to the horizon in every direction with nothing blocking the view.

Alligators line the boardwalk at La Chua Trail

La Chua Trail runs a little over half a mile round-trip from the north rim of the prairie to the cove. It starts as an elevated boardwalk that winds around Alachua Sink, a large sinkhole that drains the prairie.

Alligators sun themselves on the banks right next to the boardwalk, so you’ll see them up close. The views open out over wet prairie and the sink, where birds and other wildlife gather.

Leave your pets at home on this one, because the park does not allow them here for safety reasons.

Hike through Spanish moss to the open bluff

Bolen Bluff Trail covers about three miles round-trip from the park’s south side. You start in a shady hardwood forest where live oaks drip with Spanish moss, and the canopy blocks most of the sun.

Midway through, the trail breaks open onto Bolen Bluff with wide views across the grassland. When conditions are dry enough, a spur trail leads out along an old dike into the open prairie.

This is a popular spot for bison sightings, and the whole trail rates easy for most hikers.

Over 30 miles of trails cut through the preserve

Eight named hiking trails cross the park, covering more than 30 miles total.

The Gainesville-Hawthorne State Trail is a 16-mile paved path along the northern edge that draws cyclists and runners.

Chacala Trail loops about 6.5 miles through pine flatwoods, swamps, and hardwood forest, passing the park’s primitive campsite along the way.

Cone’s Dike Trail runs roughly eight miles round-trip and takes you deep into the open prairie. Horseback riding is allowed on designated trails, but riders need to carry proof of a negative Coggins test.

Paddle or fish on a motor-free lake

Lake Wauburg sits on the south side of the park near the campground.

You can bring your own canoe, kayak, or small boat, but gas-powered motors are not allowed on the water. The lake holds bass, bream, and speckled perch, and you may need a Florida freshwater fishing license.

Picnic tables, barbecue grills, and covered pavilions line the shore.

A boardwalk and gazebo along the bank give you quiet spots to sit and watch for wading birds and turtles sliding off logs.

Steamboats once crossed this prairie when it flooded

The prairie basin formed over millions of years as underground limestone dissolved and the ground sank, a process called karst geology.

Alachua Sink in the northern part of the park channels water into the Floridan aquifer at up to six million gallons per day. When the sink clogs, the whole prairie floods into a shallow lake.

That happened from the 1870s to the 1890s, when steamboats actually traveled across Alachua Lake. The park holds more than 20 distinct biological communities, from cypress swamps to freshwater marsh.

An ecopassage built in 2000 along US Highway 441 uses underground tunnels and concrete walls to help wildlife cross safely beneath the road.

Camp under the oaks next to the lake

The main campground sits in a shaded grove near Lake Wauburg with both RV and tent-only sites. Each spot has a limestone surface, a fire ring with a grill, a picnic table, and a lantern post.

Restrooms with hot showers are close by.

If you want something more remote, a primitive group camping area along the Chacala Trail is reachable on foot, by horse, or by bicycle. The park stays open from 8 a.m. to sunset every day of the year, and the visitor center runs daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Visit Paynes Prairie Preserve in Florida

You can reach the main entrance at 100 Savannah Boulevard in Micanopy, about 10 miles south of Gainesville off US 441. That entrance leads to the visitor center, observation tower, campground, and Lake Wauburg.

For La Chua Trail, head to 4270 SE 15th Street in Gainesville, or use the alternate access at Boulware Springs, 3500 SE 15th Street. The Bolen Bluff Trail entrance is also off US 441 on the park’s south side.

Check the official website for current fees and seasonal trail closures before you go.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

Read more from this brand:

• The locals in Key West skip Duval Street and go here instead
• Central Florida’s wildest morning costs nothing and starts in Lakeland
• Why the eastern tip of Panama City Beach keeps beating every other Florida beach