Best Walking Trails and Hikes in Gainesville, FL
Gainesville, Florida is well-known as the college town that’s home to the University of Florida and the Florida Gators. A lesser known fact about Gainesville is that it has some gorgeous outdoor spaces for walking and hiking (and biking, for that matter, but I’ll get to that in another post).
Well, to be honest, hiking might be a bit of an overstatement for the difficulty level of the terrain along Gainesville’s trails. But unlike much of Florida, Gainesville actually does have a bit of elevation change.
Whether you want to call them walking trails or hiking trails, Gainesville’s pathways through nature are beautiful.
Here’s a list of my top favorite walking trails and hikes in Gainesville, Florida.
1. Sweetwater Wetlands Park
Sweetwater Wetlands Park has my favorite walking trails in Gainesville, Florida. The ~3.5 miles of raised trail and boardwalk wind between stunning wetland areas.
Sweetwater Wetlands is gorgeous, but that’s not even my favorite thing about it; the park was created to better the water quality in the region. Now, Sweetwater is home to all sorts of wildlife typical to Paynes Prairie, including snakes, birds, and—of course—alligators.
One thing to be aware of if you’re planning a walk at Sweetwater Wetlands is that the trail almost entirely lacks shade. There are a few small covered areas with seats along the trail, but most of the trail is in direct sunlight on sunny days. Trees stand in the middle of the wetlands and on the edges of the park, but the trails wind through areas with few trees. This makes for spectacular views, but be sure to bring your sunscreen!
If you’re looking for more information as to what to expect on the trail, read this post by Florida Hikes! They provide a great description of the walking trails from start to finish.
2. Devil’s Millhopper Geological State Park
Devils’s Millhopper Geological State Park shows Florida’s karst topography at its finest. The park includes trails through pine forests and stairs down into a huge sinkhole. At Devil’s Millhopper, you can hike through lush green vegetation living in and around the sinkhole.
The trail itself isn’t very long—it’s only about half a mile through the forests around the sinkhole—but visitors will want to save their energy to hike down into and up out of the sinkhole. Florida State Parks reports there to be 232 steps in the stairs to the sinkhole. And I can tell you from personal experience, hiking down and up all of those stairs can be exhausting. Still, it’s definitely worth the challenge!
For more information, check out this trail description by All Trails.
3. San Felasco Hammock Preserve State Park
If you’re looking for a nature trail with a bit more elevation change, San Felasco Hammock Preserve State Park is the place for you! Since the park is located in North Central Florida, the elevation changes are still limited, but there are definitely more ups and downs than on most other trails in Gainesville. (Because of these elevation changes, San Felasco is known for mountain biking as well as hiking.)
The park offers several trails of different lengths. So most hikers can spend several days exploring these trails without repeating their routes. In 2021, Florida State Parks released this map of the hiking trails at San Felasco. But remember, trails can change over time. So before you start hiking, be sure to research the most updated trail maps in the area.
4. Morningside Nature Center
A list of the best walking trails in Gainesville wouldn’t be complete without Morningside Nature Center. The park protects beautiful pine forests and wetland areas.
Morningside Nature Center is home to several interconnected trails. Using these trails, visitors can walk through protected natural areas for up to six miles.
For more information, check out this article by Florida Hikes!
5. La Chua Trail
And of course, I have to mention the La Chua Trail, where visitors can walk through Paynes Prairie on boardwalks and trails.
The La Chua trail used to extend out farther and take visitors to an observation tower, but since a couple of hurricanes came through Gainesville, that part of the trail has been flooded and closed to visitors. But don’t worry, you can still get great views of the prairie through the first part of the trail and along the boardwalk.
And if you’re not quite satisfied with your walk, you can walk to your heart’s content along the Hawthorne Trail, a 16-mile paved trail that intersects with the start of the La Chua trail. In fact, if you’re looking to add a bit more to your walk, I highly recommend you take the Hawthorne Trail down to Sweetwater Overlook, where you’ll see stunning views of the prairie below.
Now take a hike! ;)
