When someone mentions Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, most people think of the boring, flat wetlands that they drive over on Interstate 75. However, this state park is a far cry from boring. 

“Paynes Prairie offers more than what meets the eye,” said Parks Services Specialist Amber Roux. 

Aside from the more commonly known activities such as hiking or alligator watching, the more than 22,000-acre park in Alachua County offers daily activities that the majority of the general public is unaware of. 

“Before I went to the park, I had no idea of all the activities that the park had,” said Caroline Stocks, a junior at the University of Florida. “All I ever knew was the nothingness that I saw from the interstate.”

One of the popular day-to-day activities at the park is Geocaching. This activity acts as a treasure hunt where geocachers use GPS-enabled devices to find the hidden geocaches. 

Paynes Prairie is part of a statewide geotour and the park alone holds over 100 geocaches, Roux said. The prairie also has campgrounds, which are great places for people looking to get away from technology. 

According to the park’s website at http://www.floridastateparks.org/paynesprairie, there is an RV-friendly full facility campground that is heavily shaded and has utility services.    

For those who want to rough it, the park also has a primitive campground that requires a 1.85-mile hike into the prairie with no water or electrical services. 

“I had no idea that there was primitive camping anywhere in Gainesville until I went on a trip with some of my friends there,” said Ebony Bass, a junior at the University of Florida. “It was really cool to get out and feel like I was in the wild.” 

This thriving state park is home to a plethora of wildlife and serves as an open door for nature enthusiasts to take advantage of. The park has wild horses, bison, more than 270 species of birds, bobcats and a variety of reptiles and amphibians that live in the wetlands, Roux said.

Aside from geocaching, camping and viewing wildlife, the Paynes Prairie also offers bike trails, equestrian trails, picnicking areas, canoeing and kayaking, campfire circles and fishing. 

This park provides an opportunity to enjoy some of what’s left of Florida’s natural beauty at a college-friendly, low cost. Although this park can easily be mistaken by passersby as a plain prairie, those who stop in to see it will find adventure awaiting them. 

“… The more I was there the more I saw. It really comes out kind of slowly, everything is really subtle, but there’s a lot of life,” said Roux.  “It has a lot more life than other parks that might seem really striking at first.”