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If you’ve been here for a while, you’ll know I’ve spent quite a bit of time in the Gainesville, Florida area over the last few winters.
While the city itself can be pretty busy, there are plenty of places in or near it to get outside and do some hiking. These are some of the best trails in Gainesville to get you out into that fresh air.
Want to get out and do something on a rainy day? Don’t worry, there are plenty other great things to do in Gainesville to keep you busy.
I’ve separated this into two parts, one is hikes in Gainesville and the other is state parks near Gainesville, so those will be a little farther out of town, mostly north towards High Springs and Alachua.
I’ve also included a handy little map so you can see where everything is. And if you need somewhere to stay, don’t worry. There are tons of hotels in Gainesville to choose from.
Best trails In Gainesville
Now for the best trails in Gainesville. I love that you can easily get away from all the hustle and bustle of the city with a short drive. Some of these still feel like they’re in the city but just far enough away, too.
La Chua Trail
La Chua Trail is one of my favorite Gainesville trails. It’s one of the first hikes I did there and it was the first place I got to see alligators!
The first part of the trail is a boardwalk over the wetlands where you can usually spot gators, maybe snakes, and birds of all kinds.
The second part of the trail is currently closed due to flooding, though. The boardwalk ends and the rest is flat ground.
Even though that part is closed, it’s still worth visiting and spending some time here. You’ll only need an hour or so for this and even though it’s short, bring water because it gets hot. The entrance fee is $6.
Sweetwater Wetlands Trail
The Sweetwater Wetlands trail is the perfect addition to La Chua Trail for an afternoon outside in Gainesville. This is close to Paynes Prairie State Park, but not technically in it. There are three loops, called Wetland cells, made up of part boardwalk, part dirt trail.
You can either do all three or just one, whatever you have time for. You could easily spend 2-3 hours here walking and admiring wildlife. Y
our chances of seeing gators are pretty high, along with lizards, snakes, and birds. There are benches and a few covered areas for shade along the loops but most of it is open. The entrance fee is $5.
Bolen Bluff
The Bolen Bluff trail is also part of Paynes Prairie, but in a different area than the previous two hikes. Paynes Prairie is huge. This trail is three miles round-trip, but part of it may be flooded as well.
This is a great trail if you’re looking for something a little shady. It takes you through a hardwood forest and palm hammock before going out onto Paynes Prairie. The prairie is the flooded part though, so that part may not be accessible.
Devil’s Millhopper
The Devil’s Millhopper is a sinkhole just outside of town and it’s attracted visitors since the 1880’s. There is a short (0.5-mile) nature trail around the top of the sinkhole and stairs that take you down into the sinkhole. This is one of the more unique trails in Gainesville.
While this isn’t a long hike, it’s a great way to spend an hour or so of spare time if you want to get outside in Gainesville.
Hiking it is shady, which is nice, so you won’t be cooking in the sun the whole time. The stairs are currently open but can close if there is hurricane damage. The entrance fee is $4.
Newnans Lake
This 2.6-mile loop takes you to the shores of Newnans Lake (also known as Lake Pithlachoco) at the halfway point. It’s a nice, easy walk and perfect if you’re looking for something a little longer than La Chua trail or Devil’s Millhopper.
The trail is easy to follow and crosses the path of a mountain biking trail along the way. This is also a good choice if you’d like to bring your furry friends, as long as you keep them on a leash. If you go in the summer, ticks and mosquitos may be a problem, so be prepared for that.
San Felasco
There are just over ten miles of hiking trails in San Felasco so there is plenty to keep you busy. And if you want something different, there are also lots of biking and equestrian trails in the park!
Keep an eye out for bobcats, foxes, and deer in the park. The southern 2/3 of the park are dedicated to hiking, so you’ll have plenty of solitude for your day out on the trail. The entrance fee is $4.
Best Springs and State Parks near Gainesville
There are so many amazing state parks near Gainesville, you could easily spend weeks, if not more, exploring all of them.
And along with the state parks, there are tons of springs here, which are perfect for swimming, paddling, snorkeling, and diving. It really is an outdoor lovers paradise.
O’Leno State Park
O’Leno is one of the many awesome state parks close to Gainesville. It has three popular hiking trails, Paraners Branch being the longest at 3.69 miles round-trip.
You can occasionally see turtles, armadillos, and even alligators. Nearby is River Rise State Park with 35 more miles of hiking trails.
This is also a great place to do some biking, fishing, paddling, Geocaching, swimming, and birding. It’s a nice, quiet state park and great for a short break from the city for a day. The entrance fee is $5
Ichetucknee Springs State Park
Ichetucknee Springs State Park is a must-visit whether you like hiking or water activities, you’ll be able to spend all day here, for sure.
The most popular activity here is tubing or kayaking on the Ichetucknee River. This can be done year-round on your own tubes or rented tubes.
Swimming, snorkeling, and Scuba diving are all allowed in specific areas. You can find all the specifics here. If you’re diving, you must be cave or cavern certified.
Don’t want to be on the water? Don’t worry! There are three hiking trails to keep you busy. They aren’t super long, so you could probably do all of them easily in one day.
It’s also great for Geocaching. The park is also great for birding and paddling. The entrance fee is $4-6, but there may be other fees for rentals or shuttles.
Gilchrest Blue Springs State Park
Not to be confused with Blue Spring State Park (with the manatees) by Orlando, this little park is perfect for swimming and hiking!
Since it’s a spring, it will be nice and cool for swimming in the summer (72 degrees year-round) and like a warm bath in the winter.
You can do some paddling, snorkeling, and swimming at the spring head and rent canoes and kayaks at the park. If you’re standing and facing the spring, to your right will be some hiking trails.
I’m not sure how long the trail is, but it’s definitely a nice walk. It’s also a great place for Geocaching. The entrance fee is $4-6.
Ginnie Springs
If you are a water enthusiast, Ginnie Springs will be perfect for you. You can dive, snorkel, tube, paddle, kayak, canoe, and swim.
These crystal clear waters will blow your mind. Swimming and snorkeling can be done in any of the seven springs. Tubing, paddling, and kayaking can be done on the Santa Fe River.
Ginnie Springs Via Paul Clark FlickrThere are three dive sites at Ginnie Springs and there may be different requirements for each location (like certified cave diving).
If you’re not sure about diving, you can do a Discover Scuba lesson to see if you like it. If you are a diver, this area is perfect for a spring diving road trip. The entrance fee $14.02 per person, but any rentals will have another fee, as well as diving.
Rum Island Springs
Like the springs above, if you want to cool off on a hot summer day or just do some swimming in the winter, check out Rum Island Springs on the Santa Fe River. It’s perfect for canoeing, kayaking, fishing, swimming, and sunning.
Rum Island Springs Via Paul Clark Flickr
This is just a county park so it doesn’t have any camping or amenities, but there are bathrooms and water equipment can be rented at nearby Rum 138 or in High Springs or Gainesville. There is no entrance fee for the park.
Geocaching in Gainesville
Gainesville is a Geocachers dream. There are almost 2,400 caches just within 30 miles of Gainesville. 2400! Within 60 miles there are almost 10,000! That’s crazy.
Even if you don’t want to do any hikes in Gainesville, looking for some caches is a great way to get outside and maybe see something new. Whether you live there or are just visiting, there will be plenty near you to go look for.
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Have you done any of these? What is your favorite trail in Gainesville? What about springs or state parks?
I would LOVE to visit some of these springs in Florida, and the hiking trails seem awesome too, although I am less excited about hiking with snakes and gators. Your photos are beautiful too!
Yes! The springs are amazing and I would love to see more of them. There aren’t gators on too many of these trails, so I wouldn’t be too worried, but of course they are out there so you still have to at least be cautious. Just keep your distance if you do come across them and don’t bother them. And thank you!
Megan these all look gorgeous! The springs are all so clear, blue and pretty! It’s awesome that it’s okay to swim in them, although I imagine you have to be careful not to use sun-cream that could pollute the water!
So, about hiking near alligators, do you have to do anything in particular to be careful around them? Like do you have to be loud so as not to surprise them, or do you just keep your distance!? I would love to see them, but I am totally clueless about how we should behave around them…
Thank you! I haven’t heard anything about using specific sunscreen in them, but it’s definitely something I’ll look into! I would probably go with a reef-safe one just in case, especially if I was going to any beaches to swim (like in the Keys).
As for gators, you don’t need to make noise to avoid surprising them. I would just keep your distance and don’t bother/taunt them, you know? Some trails it’s hard to stay far away from them and you might only be 6 or 7 feet away on the opposite side of the trail to get past it. Some are much easier to spot than other depending on the trail (boardwalk or muddy/dirt road) and where they are. I was probably about 6 feet from one on the side of a trail last year before I saw it. I kind of squealed and jumped and it still just sat there. You’ll more than likely be fine as long as you don’t bother them and don’t get too close.
Woooah 6 feet is VERY close! This doesn’t sound anything like being near bears!!
It can get pretty close! Definitely not quite like bears!
As an avid hiker, I’d love the do so many of these! Such an awesome post!
There are so many great hikes in Florida!
I used to live very close to here but surprisingly have done very few of the things on this list. Guess I have a reason to go back now! 😉
That’s awesome! I love the area. Could be a worse reason to go back haha
These places look like a fairytale come true! Will definitely have to save this for later, would love to add this to a road trip itinerary through the USA!
Florida is so good for road trips!
Love this!!! I’m located in Florida so this is the perfect guide to Gainesville! 🙂
That’s awesome! I hope you get to see some of it!
I had no clue there were so many trails near Gainsville. I used to live in Miami, and I wish I would have known about all the nature and trails because I would have made more of an effort to explore around the Gainsville area. Guess I have reasons to go back now! haha 🙂
It’s such a great area for the outdoors! Could be a worse reason to go back haha