We were quite busy during our stay at Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park so I’ve divided our posts into parts one and two.
We left the Cypress Glen Campground outside of Brooksville on Friday, January 26, 2024 at the very last minute – check out is 1 pm – for a short 84 mile drive to Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park in Micanopy (mic-uh-no-pee), Florida. We did that so we didn’t arrive too early for the 3 pm check-in time at Paynes Prairie for our 12-night stay.
Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park
Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park is 21,000 acres in size – though 16,000 acres of that is marshland under water – lying between Micanopy and Gainesville, Florida. The state of Florida acquired the land in 1970 and has been working to restore the environment to a more natural one ever since. It was established in 1971 and designated as a State Park in 1974. Interstate 75 and U.S. Highway 441 both cross the park, so it easy to enjoy the scenic view as you drive past. There is also a scenic overlook boardwalk on Highway 441 near the 2-mile Eco-pass, a system of tunnels under the highway which allows wildlife to travel back and forth safely beneath speeding vehicles. The prairie’s primary source of drainage is the Alachua Sink, which funnels surface water through filtering limestone into the underground Florida Aquifer.
The prairie itself is a freshwater marsh and contains different tree types based on the depth of the water. Wet, forested areas have an abundance of Bald Cypress and Swamp Tupelo while drier sections are filled with Southern Live Oak and Longleaf Pine. There are more than 270 species of birds inhabiting the prairie, including large numbers of migratory Sandhill Cranes that “winter” here from November to March (we saw them in Fairbanks Alaska in June of 2022), Whooping Cranes, Limpkin, Purple Gallinule, King Rail and rarities such as Yellow Rail, Tundra Swan, White-faced Ibis, Golden Eagle, Groove-billed Ani, Vermilion Flycatcher, and Harris’s Sparrow. Recent additions include Snail Kites, which have followed the emergence of invasive Apple Snails. We saw both those AND the snails during our walk on the La Chua Trail. (More on that in Part Two)
By the way, I’m NOT an aviary expert; I just pulled most of those names above from a list we saw when hiking.
There are many, many alligators, deer, turtles and other wildlife. There is a small herd of Florida Cracker Horses (we never got to see them) that were first herded by the Florida Seminole when they built villages along the prairie. The horses were reintroduced in 1985, and other than watching them for medical emergencies they are not interfered with by the State. Even more amazing are the Plains Bison that were reintroduced in the park from the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge in 1975. This was part of the park service goal of restoring the state’s natural resources to pre-European settler status when Bison roamed this area until late in the 18th century. Unfortunately, we never got to see them either. I think we’ll have to return next year when we’re back in The Sunshine State.
Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park Campground
There is one campground loop near the shore of Lake Wauburg with plenty of sites for RV’s – all back in – and tents. All RV sites have water and most RV sites have at least 30 amps while some have 50 amp. We got one with 30 so we were glad the weather was cool and we didn’t need to run our A/C with our other appliances. The sites are mostly a limestone surface, so not smooth at all. You need to constantly watch your step in order not to trip on some of the uneven and rockier parts and, of course, it was very difficult to get the trailer level when setting up. Our site was especially difficult to get into due mostly to a 30-foot tall dead tree trunk that was on the opposite side of the road. This made swinging into the site a very slow and careful process to avoid the tree. I was not slow and careful enough at one point and, while watching the trailer as I backed in, I bumped into the dead tree trunk, putting a small dent in my truck bumper. First time I’ve ever done that and hopefully the last.
Otherwise our site was fine, though a bit too crowded to put up Cindy’s screen room and the surface being limestone it would have been impossible to tap the tie-downs into it. Though I think I could have tied it to nearby tree trunks if Cindy had really wanted it put up. The restrooms/showers are VERY nice. They look new and are kept clean day and night. Good water pressure and -let in full hot water. We made use of them because we’re here for 12 nights and we don’t want to overfill our various tanks, even though we’ve pretty much determined we can go 12 nights without dumping. We just preferred not to take the chance, especially since the facilities are so nice. In addition the water pressure at our site was not the best. (More on that in Part Two)
Rim Ramble Hike
Saturday morning we drove 13 miles up to the North Entrance, near Gainesville, to take part in the Rim Ramble Hike, a ranger-led adventure that explores a one and a half mile portion of the forested and sinkhole rich topography at the edge of the prairie.
While we were glad we went in the overall sense, we were still a bit disappointed. Part of it was our own fault and part of it the fault of a couple of our fellow hikers. First, we misread the description and thought we were hiking to see bison and wild horses. That was not what this hike was and that is on us. There were about 12 of us on this hike and the ranger, Shelby, was awesome. She was knowledgeable and interesting and answered questions with the quiet ease of experience.
Second, here’s the thing; if I go on hike, tour, etc. that is led by an expert then I want to hear THAT expert and what they have to say. First, we had some big, loudmouth goof from New York (no offense to my Empire State family and friends) whose booming voice aggravated everyone while he talked to his poor wife and mouthed stupid observations. “LOOK AT ALL THOSE BIRDS! ARE THOSE HUMMINGBIRDS?? WATCH OUT FOR THE ROOTS SARAH! WE’RE GOING TO HOMOSASSA SPRINGS, IS THAT A FUN PLACE TO GO?” And multiple other things, all while we’re trying to hear Shelby describe and share information as we’re traipsing up, down and through this natural beauty. He and his wife finally went back to their car when we hit the halfway point where there was a dirt road you could take back to the parking area. Thank you Jesus!
Then there was an old woman (and I mean our age, lol) from Miami who fancied herself more knowledgeable than Shelby, or anyone else in the group. Cindy stopped to take a photo of an attractive plant with red berries and this woman derisively said, “That’s an invasive species!” Ok, so what? We wanted a photo of it. But she wanted to show off. Another time we were all in awe of some ferns that were growing in an almost hollow area of the forest. Cindy mentioned that it looked otherworldly and another woman said it reminded her of Avatar. The old woman snorted “How about it’s just nature!” and deflated everyone’s experience. She spent most of the hike acting as if SHE was giving the tour and it was quite aggravating. Listen, if you’re the expert then YOU run your own tour, but don’t try to take over the park ranger’s and ruin it for everyone else.
Hiking, Visitor Center and Observation Tower
Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday we hiked different trails in the park, took a stroll along the observation boardwalk off of Highway 441, stopped into the Visitor Center and climbed the 50-foot observation tower at the south end of the park. Be aware that the tower DOES sway a bit in the wind. We were hoping again to see some of the bison or wild horses from the tower, but still no luck.
As I mentioned earlier, the weather was cool and this allowed us to enjoy some campfires. Cindy in the morning while she enjoys her breakfast tea and then both of us in the late afternoon/early evening. Being cold-natured anyway, I was almost always in my jacket while Cindy relished the cooler weather.
For evening entertainment we continued streaming “For All Mankind” and were up to the fourth – and current- season on Apple TV+. The writing has taken a turn for the worse as far as storylines go and right now, unless the quality picks up, neither of us feel the need to watch beyond this season when it ends.
OK, that was a lot and if you read this far then “Thanks” for hanging in there with us. We’ll cover the rest of our stay at Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park in Part Two.
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