Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park Campground

Open — Open year-round. Park hours are 8 a.m. to sundown, 365 days a year. Park entrance gate locks at sunset, with gate combinations provided to registered campers.

About

Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park Campground sits within Florida's first state preserve, a biologically and historically unique 22,000-acre savannah south of Gainesville. The heavily shaded campground near Lake Wauburg offers back-in RV sites and walk-in tent sites, each with a limerock surface, lantern post, fire ring with grill, and picnic table. The campground provides access to over 30 miles of trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding through diverse habitats including pine flatwoods, hardwood hammocks, baygalls, and open prairies. The preserve is renowned for its wildlife, hosting wild-roaming bison and horses, nearly 300 bird species including snail kites and bald eagles, American alligators, deer, bobcat, and otters. A 50-foot observation tower provides panoramic views of the prairie. Popular activities include wildlife viewing on the La Chua Trail, fishing and canoeing on 300-acre Lake Wauburg, and exploring the 16-mile paved Gainesville-Hawthorne State Trail. From November through February, campers can enjoy ranger-led campfire programs on Saturday evenings. The park entrance gate locks at sunset, with gate combinations provided to registered campers.

Directions

Located at 100 Savannah Blvd., Micanopy, FL 32667. The campground entrance is accessed off U.S. Highway 441 south of Gainesville near the town of Micanopy.

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