Must stop at La Chula trail! 1000's of gators and it's only 2 dollars (and no one pays). Awesome dissapearing stream and sinkholes.

Forest. Wow. Prairie. Wow. This place used to be our gold standard camping venue, and I guess it still is. A great place to hike, a great place to run, a great place to see horses and the remaining bison. Just great.

As residents of Gainesville, we have visited here several times and never been disappointed. We have enjoyed climbing to the top of the observation tower, and as well as hiking on the various trails. We have seen all kinds of wildlife. We have camped there a couple of weekends and should camp out more often because we enjoy the feeling... More

We went camping this past weekend at the Paynes Prarie State Park. We went as 2 families with 4 children altogether. The campsites were kept perfectly and the facilities ie bathrooms were very clean. We went hiking, climbed the observation tower and visited the lake. We had a great time and the kids loved it as well. I highly recommend... More

We want to visit again but like so many things in our own backyard, we haven't made the effort. We have made a new commitment during the downturn in the economy to frequent our state parks so maybe for Easter this year we will make the effort. We know it will be just as good if not better than the... More

We stayed at this State Park last year when we went to the Friday qualifying for the NHRA Gatornationals. This year we repeated and are very happy with our choices. The time at the track with the Nitro cars is quite a thrill, but then to come back to the beauty and serenity of the campgrounds is great. It is... More

The park itsself is absolutly beautiful...if you can get past the ticks. Im not talking one or two...major ticks at the campsites. In ten minutes I had three on me. It was really bad. We packed up and left.

This park has nice camp sites and many nice hiking trails. while on one of the trails we came within 15 feet of two wild mustangs. In front of the visitor center we saw a wild mare and her foal. While on a third trail we heard wild boars, a heard of wild mustangs and a large number of large... More

Paynes Prairie is another gem of the Florida State Parks system. There are ranger led rim ramble hikes, overnight back packing trips, and my personal favorite, the Annual Star Party. The Star Party is put on by the Friends of Paynes Prairie, the Alachua County Astronomy Club, and the park. It offers hayrides through the prairie, hot cocoa, s'mores over... More