Hit The Lake Pithlachocco Trail In Gainesville, Florida

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My goal in Florida was to do as many hikes as possible and the whole time I was there I was constantly adding new trails to my list, including the Lake Pithlachocco Trail.

I hadn’t really seen this trail online at all (it’s there, I just didn’t see it) and we found it by just driving past and stopping one day.

It was a cloudy day but the temperature was perfect for a nice hike. There wasn’t anyone else at the trailhead and we ended up not seeing anyone else the whole time!

The whole trail is through the woods, there are some short open areas but it’s mostly shaded.

Not too far from the trailhead you cross a bridge over a creek. It’s a really nice little spot and you come back this way on the way out, too.

Eventually you’ll come to a fork and at this point we went to the left. The trail is super easy to follow and while I do enjoy it and think it’s beautiful, it’s a pretty typical Florida hike.

There were some mushrooms along the trail and some cool ferns but not a ton of other stuff. Not much wildlife was out.

Once you reach the more open area near the lakeshore you’ll get to see a dugout canoe and little display which talks about the Lake Pithlachocco Canoe Site.

In the first half of 2000 there was a significant drought which lowered the water level in the lake, revealing more than 100 dugout canoes on the bottom of the lake.

Most were along the northeast shore and more were even found under the ones that were excavated for study.

All of them had been made using fire to hollow out the logs, which is pretty cool! Most of them were from the archaic period, more than 2300 years ago, but a few were a bit more recent, too.

While this is as close as you can get to the lake, it doesn’t offer great views of the lake because there are trees all along the shore. There is no viewpoint here.

If you want a view of Newnans Lake, head to Palm Point Park not too far away.

Before continuing onto the trail to the right, we followed a little path through the trees on the left.

Along this whole area we could hear a ton of alligators bellowing which was so cool!

It was so loud and it sounded like there were a lot of them but we couldn’t see any, unfortunately.

After listening to them for a bit we continued on to finish the loop. The trail was a little hard to spot in this area, so if you’re standing facing the canoe with the lake behind it, it’s kind of straight off to the right of the canoe.

This side of the loop is pretty much the same as the first side but there was a really nice tree over the trail with some cute little ferns growing on top of the branch.

There isn’t anything particularly remarkable to write about the trail itself, but if you want a nice quiet hike in Gainesville, this is a great choice.

And as far as hikes in the Florida woods go, it was a really nice one. It’s not super dense lush green woods, but more like a hardwood hammock maybe?

Overall I enjoyed the trail and would definitely recommend it. The scenery isn’t particularly unique but it is quite nice.

Are Lake Pithlachocco and Newnans Lake the same thing?

Yes! Newnans Lake and Lake Pithlachocco are the same thing. It’s original name is Lake Pithlachocco, and some people still call it that, but it was officially renamed Newnans Lake after Daniel Newnan.

In 1812 he led a detachment of Georgia militia that fought an inconclusive battle with Seminoles near the lake.

Where is the Lake Pithlachocco Trailhead?

The Lake Pithlachocco Trailhead is in Newnans Lake State Forest on the eastern edge of Gainesville, Florida.

It’s about ten minutes from downtown Gainesville, 40 minutes from High Springs, and 45 minutes from Ocala.

It’s on FL-26 W/NE 55th Boulevard, not too far from the West Trailhead (they are different trailheads).

How long is the Lake Pithlachocco trail?

I’m talking about the trail at the Lake Pithlachocco Trailhead, which may also sometimes be called the Lake Pithlachocco Sparrow Trail (on AllTrails).

This is a 2.7 mile loop mostly through typical Florida woods that takes you to the shore of Lake Pithlachocco (Newnans Lake).

Is the Lake Pithlachocco trail hard?

Nope! Like pretty much every trail in Florida, its flat as can be. There isn’t any sand to walk through either so it’s easy walking.

Is the Lake Pithlachocco trail worth it?

Yes! I really liked this trail and we didn’t see anyone else while we were there so if you want a hike in solitude, this is a great choice.

The trail is really nice and hearing the gators bellowing on the shores of the lake was so cool! I would definitely recommend it if you’re looking for a hike in Gainesville.