🌺 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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Curated guides that feature Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park.