Florida State Parks in Alachua County

Alachua County, Florida is home to six state parks. Two of them are also National Natural Landmark

National Natural Landmark

The National Natural Landmark program recognizes and encourages the conservation of outstanding examples of the natural history of the United States. It is the only natural areas program of national scope that identifies and recognizes the best examples of biological and geological features in...

s, one is a historic district

Historic district (United States)

In the United States, a historic district is a group of buildings, properties, or sites that have been designated by one of several entities on different levels as historically or architecturally significant. Buildings, structures, objects and sites within a historic district are normally divided...

, one is a National Historic Landmark

National Historic Landmark

A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...

, and one is a rail trail

Rail trail

A rail trail is the conversion of a disused railway easement into a multi-use path, typically for walking, cycling and sometimes horse riding. The characteristics of former tracks—flat, long, frequently running through historical areas—are appealing for various development. The term sometimes also...

. Unless otherwise noted, all of the parks adhere to the Florida State Parks

Florida State Parks

The Florida State Parks encompass the majority of the lands that fall under the authority of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. There are 160 such entities, including nature reserves, recreation areas, and historic sites, which can be found in every corner of the state...

schedule;

Devil's Millhopper Geological State Park

Gainesville-Hawthorne State Trail

Gainesville-Hawthorne Trail State Park

Gainesville-Hawthorne State Trail is a rail trail in Florida.It is protected as a long Florida State Park and runs from the City of Gainesville's Boulware Springs Water Works to the town of Hawthorne...

is a rail trail

Rail trail

in Florida.

It is protected as a 16 miles (25.7 km) long Florida State Park

Florida State Parks

and runs from the City of Gainesville's

Gainesville, Florida

Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...

Boulware Springs Water Works

The Boulware Springs Water Works is a historic site in Gainesville, Florida, United States. It is located at 3400 Southeast 15th Street. On June 20, 1985, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places...

to the town of Hawthorne

Hawthorne, Florida

Hawthorne is a city in Alachua County, Florida, United States. The population was 1,417 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Hawthorne is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of...

. It passes through the Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park

Paynes Prairie

Paynes Prairie is a Florida State Park, encompassing a savanna south of Gainesville, Florida, in Micanopy. It is also a U.S. National Natural Landmark. It is crossed by both I-75 and U.S. 441 .- History :...

and the Lochloosa Wildlife Management Area along a former Seaboard Coast Line rail line.

Recreational activities

Activities include hiking, running, cycling, rollerblading, and horseback riding

Equestrianism

Equestrianism more often known as riding, horseback riding or horse riding refers to the skill of riding, driving, or vaulting with horses...

. A grassy equestrian pathway is available except east of the Lochloosa trailhead.

Hours

The Boulware Springs trailhead is open from 8 am to 6 pm November through April and from 8 am to 8 pm May through October. The Paynes Prairie portion of the trail is open from 8 am until sunset, 365 days a year.

Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park

Paynes Prairie

is a Florida State Park

Florida State Parks

, encompassing a 21000 acres (85 km²) savanna

Savanna

A savanna, or savannah, is a grassland ecosystem characterized by the trees being sufficiently small or widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to support an unbroken herbaceous layer consisting primarily of C4 grasses.Some...

south of Gainesville

Gainesville, Florida

, Florida, in Micanopy

Micanopy, Florida

Micanopy is a town in Alachua County, Florida, United States. It is south of Gainesville. The population in the 2000 census was 653. As of 2004, the population according to the U.S. Census Bureau was 652...

. It is also a US National Natural Landmark

National Natural Landmark

. It is crossed by both I-75

Interstate 75

Interstate 75 is a major north–south Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes and Southeastern regions of the United States. It travels from State Road 826 and State Road 924 in Hialeah, Florida to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, at the Ontario, Canada, border...

and U.S. 441

U.S. Route 441 in Florida

U.S. Route 441 in Florida is a north–south United States Highway. It runs from Miami in South Florida northwest to the Georgia border north of the Lake City area....

(which has a scenic outlook ramp).

History

The prairie became the stronghold of the Alachua band of the Seminole

Seminole

The Seminole are a Native American people originally of Florida, who now reside primarily in that state and Oklahoma. The Seminole nation emerged in a process of ethnogenesis out of groups of Native Americans, most significantly Creeks from what is now Georgia and Alabama, who settled in Florida in...

tribe under chief Ahaya the Cowkeeper

Cowkeeper

Cowkeeper, also known as Ahaya in Mikasuki , was the first recorded chief of the Alachua band of the Seminole tribe. This was the name which the English used, as he held a very large herd of cattle.-Early life and education:...

in the 18th century. It is named for the Cowkeeper's eldest surviving son, Payne

King Payne

King Payne was a son of the Seminole high chief Cowkeeper and succeeded him as leading chief of the Seminoles upon his death in 1783. He led his people against the Spanish and Americans from Georgia and established a number of towns and villages, including Paynes Town in Paynes Prairie, both of...

.

There have been times when the prairie's drainage become so blocked that it flooded, causing the formation of a lake. The most recent such occurrence was in 1871, and lasted until 1886. During this period, steamboat

Steamboat

A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...

s were a frequent sight on what was called Alachua Lake.

Fauna

Over 270 species of birds can be seen in the park as well as American Alligator

American Alligator

The American alligator , sometimes referred to colloquially as a gator, is a reptile endemic only to the Southeastern United States. It is one of the two living species of alligator, in the genus Alligator, within the family Alligatoridae...

s and Plains Bison

Plains Bison

The Plains Bison or Common bison is one of two subspecies/ecotypes of the American Bison, the other being the Wood Bison . Furthermore, it has been suggested that the Plains Bison consists of a northern and a southern subspecies, bringing the total to three...

. The bison were reintroduced to the park from Oklahoma

Oklahoma

Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...

in the mid 1970s. As a part of the park service goal of restoring Florida's natural resources to pre-European settler conditions, the bison were reintroduced because they once roamed this area until the early 19th century. It is rare to see them, but the best place to look for them is along the Cone's Dike trail.

Recreational activities

The park contains exhibits and an audio-visual program at the visitor center

Visitor center

A visitor center or centre , visitor information center, tourist information center, is a physical location that provides tourist information to the visitors who tour the place or area locally...

that explains the area's natural and cultural history. A 50 feet (15.2 m)-high observation tower

Observation tower

An observation tower is a structure used to view events from a long distance and to create a full 360 degree range of vision. They are usually at least tall and made from stone, iron, and wood. Many modern towers are also used as TV towers, restaurants, or churches...

near the visitor center provides a panoramic view of the preserve. Eight different trails provide opportunities for hiking, horseback riding, and bicycling. Ranger-led activities are offered on weekends, November through April. Fishing on Lake Wauburg is allowed and a boat ramp provides access for canoe

Canoe

A canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...

s and boats with electric motors. Full-facility campsites are available for overnight visitors.

The park is a 'gateway site' for the Great Florida Birding Trail

Great Florida Birding Trail

The 2000 mile long Great Florida Birding Trail is a collection of more than 400 locations in the U.S. state of Florida...

Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic State Park

Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic State Park is a Florida State Park and historic site located on the former homestead of Florida author Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings. It is located in Cross Creek, Florida, between Ocala and Gainesville at 18700 South County Road 325.The homestead is listed on the...

is a Florida State Park

Florida State Parks

and historic site located on the former homestead of Florida author Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings

Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings

Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings was an American author who lived in rural Florida and wrote novels with rural themes and settings. Her best known work, The Yearling, about a boy who adopts an orphaned fawn, won a Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1939 and was later made into a movie, also known as The...

. It is located in Cross Creek, Florida

Cross Creek, Florida

Cross Creek is an unincorporated community in Alachua County, Florida, United States. It is located on Cross Creek, a short stream connecting Orange Lake and Lochloosa Lake.-Geography:Cross Creek is located at .-History:...

, between Ocala

Ocala, Florida

Ocala is a city in Marion County, Florida. As of 2007, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 53,491. It is the county seat of Marion County, and the principal city of the Ocala, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated 2007 population of 324,857.-History:Ocala...

and Gainesville

Gainesville, Florida

. The address is 18700 South County Road 325.

The homestead is listed on the National Register of Historic Places

National Register of Historic Places

The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

, added on September 29, 1970. The house and farm yard were designated a National Historic Landmark

National Historic Landmark

A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...

on September 27, 2006.

Activities include hiking and hourly tours Thursday through Sunday, at 10 am 11 a.m. and from 1 pm to 4 pm, except in August and September. Amenities include two short hiking trails and park employees that bring 1930s rural Florida to life with period clothing and stories.

San Felasco Hammock Preserve State Park

San Felasco Hammock Preserve State Park is a Florida State Park in Alachua County, Florida. It is located northwest of Gainesville, Florida on CR 232 , just south of the town of Alachua.-Fauna:...

is a Florida State Park

Florida State Parks

in Alachua County, Florida

Alachua County, Florida

Alachua County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. The U.S. Census Bureau 2006 estimate for the county is 227,120. Its county seat is Gainesville, Florida. Alachua County is the home of the University of Florida and is also known for its diverse culture, local music, and artisans...

. It is located northwest of Gainesville, Florida

Gainesville, Florida

on Millhopper Road and off U.S. 441

U.S. Route 441 in Florida

U.S. Route 441 in Florida is a north–south United States Highway. It runs from Miami in South Florida northwest to the Georgia border north of the Lake City area....

, just south of the town of Alachua

Alachua, Florida

Alachua is a city in Alachua County, Florida, United States. According to 2006 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the city's population was 7,554. The city is part of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is home to 243,985 people....

Fauna

Among the wildlife of the park are Bobcat

Bobcat

The bobcat is a North American mammal of the cat family Felidae, appearing during the Irvingtonian stage of around 1.8 million years ago . With twelve recognized subspecies, it ranges from southern Canada to northern Mexico, including most of the continental United States...

s, White-tailed deer

White-tailed Deer

The white-tailed deer , also known as the Virginia deer or simply as the whitetail, is a medium-sized deer native to the United States , Canada, Mexico, Central America, and South America as far south as Peru...

, Gray fox

Gray Fox

The gray fox is a mammal of the order Carnivora ranging throughout most of the southern half of North America from southern Canada to the northern part of South America...

es, Wild Turkey

Wild Turkey

The Wild Turkey is native to North America and is the heaviest member of the Galliformes. It is the same species as the domestic turkey, which derives from the South Mexican subspecies of wild turkey .Adult wild turkeys have long reddish-yellow to grayish-green...

s, and many species of songbird

Songbird

A songbird is a bird belonging to the suborder Passeri of the perching birds . Another name that is sometimes seen as scientific or vernacular name is Oscines, from Latin oscen, "a songbird"...

Recreational activities

Activities include hiking, biking, horseback riding and nature viewing.

Amenities include 20 miles (32.2 km) of single-track bike trails, horse trails, and nature trails.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.

Devil's Millhopper Geological State Park

Recreational activities

Hours

Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park

History

Fauna

Recreational activities

Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic State Park

San Felasco Hammock Preserve State Park

Fauna

Recreational activities

Further reading

External links