La Chua Trail

This state park is a little gem. It gets some traffic, but is a nice walk. One of the coolest things about it is the variety of wildlife you’ll see while there. Sometimes it’s the wild horses hanging around, other times the wild bison are there. A few times I’ve seen piny rooter hogs. I always see Alligators and beautifully photogenic birds. I’ve come here many times and it never disappoints.

Amazing! This shows the beauty of the real Florida. I would not take young children as there are HUGE Gators right on the trail. I saw. more wildlife in 10 minutes than most people see in a lifetime.

Amazing. You can see tons of gators as close as you want (no fences in most of it). A wild horse came up and licked my hand (beat that Olive Garden!). Cool place. Hopefully Paines Prarie doesn’t get lost to real estate developers (there are rumors of such things).
Really cool how close you can get to nature there. Great place for photos, too. I’ve never seen the bison, but I think they’re are still some there (weird for FL, I know).

I was expecting something much more woodsy. Instead, the La Chua Trail is, in large part, a viewing platform, a bridge over the marsh from which you get to search for alligators. When you are on the prarie, you have closer access. I saw a guy chasing after a gator with his daughter. They were definitely within 5 – 10 feet of the gator and I was hoping to see a show. Sadly, the gator declined and simply scurried away. This is a fun place to be inappropriate with a girl as it’s pretty spread out with lots of twists and turns, thus relative privacy. Fun place to visit, I would return. Why not?!

For a short, 3 mile hike it is hard to get better than the La Chua trail. Exiting an oak hammock into the open vistas of Paynes Prarie you can see dozens of huge gators, wild bison, wild horses, and tons of water birds. If you come during dry periods where the sink holds the last water on the prarie you will see more alligators than you can count. Come early on a weekday. It can get crowded on weekends, especially if the bison are on the trail.

Best place to hike if you want to get «up close and personal» with wildlife (gators to be more specific). Just remember to keep a respectful distance. There is a wide variety of wildlife on the Prarie including wild cracker horses, bison, birds and reptiles (snakes included).

Ever changing, this ecosystem is a phenomenon I insist on viewing on every return to Gainesville. When it’s wet, I’ve seen 40 – 50 gators, my mom claims 200+. The boardwalk at the beginning of the trail is good for viewing the Sink, and the lake usually teeming with gators. Lots of great bird watching too, I’ve seen Bald Eagles, Ospreys, Hawks, Buzzards, and during certain times of year, the Sandhill Cranes migrate to Payne’s Prairie by the thousands. Personally, I’ve been just feet from hundreds of them as they dig through the prairie soil for worms and grubs, it is pretty amazing. Also, there are free range bison (check my pictures uploaded), horses, and wild boars.
As of right now, the water is very low, so I saw zero gators today, but given time, the water and gators will return. Do yourself a favor and check the history of Payne’s Prairie, it is actually a «dry» lake bed. In (the 1920s?) over a 2 day period, the whole lake drained into the Florida Aquifer, stranding boats, and residents running down to try to salvage the fish for food. Pretty amazing ecosystem. Go enjoy it!!!

La Chua Trail is just one of the many trails available along the Hawthorne Trail. It is clear to see once you approach the Northern rim of Paynes Prairie, there is signage as well as detailed information about the (3 mile round trip) hiking trail. There is a small donation box (optional) when you enter as well as some portable style restroom facilities. I also read somewhere that animals are not permitted on this trail.
The trail is mostly paved and winds through some historical stables. My favorite part of the trail is the long boardwalk that encircles the Alachua Sink and provides some of the best views of the prairie that I have seen so far. There are also shaded areas along the boardwalk for those who are interested in photography or birdwatching. I recommend visiting this comfy area early in the morning to draw or paint the scenery from more of an elevated view.
Take SE 15^th Street past Boulware Springs Park, and look to the right for parking. But, I prefer to park at Boulware Springs and walk over.