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Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park

Photo: Geoff Gallice / CC BY 2.0 · source

🌺 Gardens & wildlife

Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park

Micanopy, FL · North Central Florida

About

Paynes Prairie is a 22,000-acre basin of wet prairie and marsh south of Gainesville, the only place in Florida where wild bison and free-roaming horses share the same horizon. Climb the 50-foot observation tower for a sweep across the savanna, or walk the trails among alligators and nearly 300 bird species. Florida's first state preserve and a National Natural Landmark, it is most alive in the cooler, drier winter months.

Highlights

Wild-roaming bison and horses, unique among Florida parks50-foot observation tower with panoramic views over the prairieNearly 300 bird species plus alligators and deerFlorida's first state preserve and a National Natural LandmarkMore than 30 miles of hiking, biking, and equestrian trails

Getting there

100 Savannah Boulevard, Micanopy, FL 32667

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Part of these collections

Curated guides that feature Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park.

Best Florida Wildlife14 places

Best Florida Wildlife

Where to see Florida's wildlife up close: manatees, alligators, roseate spoonbills, the Florida panther and the tiny Key deer, across springs, swamps and refuges from the Panhandle to the Keys.

Florida State Parks26 places

Florida State Parks

Florida's park service runs about 175 state parks, and these are the ones worth planning a trip around. Wild barrier islands and sugar-sand beaches, deep springs and dark caverns, 19th-century forts and prairies where bison still roam, from the Panhandle's emerald coast to the coral reefs of the Keys. The definitive short list, not the whole directory.