Paynes Prairie Sampler: Observation Tower, Wacahoota Trail, And Lake Wauburg

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I feel like whenever I talk about Paynes Prairie I just talk about La Chua Trail, but the observation tower, Lake Wauburg, and Wacahoota Trail are all so good, too!

I’ve only been to Lake Wauburg and Wacahoota Trail once each (the first time I went) but I went to the observation tower three times.

Lake Wauburg

I’ll start with Lake Wauburg since it’s first along the Paynes Prairie drive (the main drive off of 441 near Bolen Bluff and Micanopy), about 5 minutes from the visitor center.

There is plenty of parking right by the boardwalk and picnic area and we just did that (the short boardwalk).

It was extremely sunny the day we went, but not super busy. It wasn’t great for pictures but it was still really pretty.

We walked around the picnic area before leaving and saw a racoon skulking around.

We also got to see two turtles here! I’m not sure what kind but I love them.

Other than that we didn’t see a whole lot but it was still a nice stop and I’m glad we checked it out.

Wacahoota Trail

Next up is the Wacahoota Trail to the left of the visitor center. This is a 0.3 mile wooded loop.

We did this after going to the observation tower since it was short and a good walk to add to the walk back to the car.

It’s a wideish trail and there seem to be a couple of loop options on AllTrails, which also includes the walk from the parking area making it a 0.8 mile walk total.

There isn’t much to say about the loop part of the trail, we didn’t see anything exciting (I’m talking about the main trail in the next section) but it’s a nice walk. I enjoyed it.

The wooded trail is surrounded by live oaks and a variety of palms. We didn’t see any wildlife or particularly interesting plants.

I think we did the small loop that’s highlighted on AllTrails but I’m not 100% sure. It’s a nice addition to the main trail and doesn’t take long to do.

Paynes Prairie observation tower

Finally, the highlight of the area, we have the observation tower overlooking Paynes Prairie!

I would guess the walk from the parking area to the visitor center is maybe 0.25 miles, it’s not too long.

The portion of the trail is all paved and mostly flat, but it is downhill just a tiny bit. Like, minimal downhill.

I love this part of the trail. It’s beautiful and the palm trees are so tall here.

This part of the walk feels so much like south Florida to me, I’m not entirely sure why but it does.

And I love south Florida (SWFL specifically) so it makes sense that I love this.

There are bathrooms about halfway to the visitor center if you need them.

If the visitor center is open, pop in and take a look around to learn about the park.

The trail to the observation tower is to the left of the visitor center and maybe only another 0.25 miles at most, probably less.

I believe this part of the trail is also paved which is nice. The only part that isn’t is the wooded loop.

At the top of the 50-foot tower you get views all the way across the prairie.

You can see parts of the Cones Dike trail to the right and 441 to the left.

If you’re lucky, you’ll catch views of bison and/or wild horses that live in the park.

They might be pretty far off but it’s still exciting to see! And sometimes they are closer so keep an eye out!

Even if you don’t see wildlife, the views are amazing from the top of the tower and the Spanish moss just perfectly frames the landscape.

Even if you don’t climb to the top, the views at the bottom are just as beautiful.

Overall, I really enjoyed all three of these stops and would definitely recommend them if you’re in the area!

Paynes Prairie is one of my favorite state parks in Florida and this side of it is really slept on (I think).

Travel Services I Recommend:
AllTrails – This is my favorite hike tracking app.
America the Beautiful – The national park pass is essential.
Booking.com – This is great for finding and booking hotels.
Get Your Guide – I recommend Get Your Guide for booking tours.
National Park Obsessed – This is the best national park planner.
Skyscanner – Skyscanner is great for finding and booking flights.
Enterprise – This is my rental car recommendation.
See all my resources here.

Where is the Paynes Prairie observation tower and Lake Wauberg?

Wauberg Lake, the Wacahoota Trail, and the Paynes Prairie observation tower are all in the south area of Paynes Prairie State Park.

This part of the park is between Gainesville and Micanopy (which you should also visit!)

It’s about 15 minutes from Micanopy, 25 from downtown Gainesville, 25 from La Chua Trailhead, and 40 minutes from both Ocala and High Springs.

How long is the Wacahoota Trail?

The Wacahoota Trail is a 0.3 mile loop. I’m not sure how long the walk to the visitor center and observation tower is, but I would guess about the same.

The boardwalk at Wauburg Lake is very short but there is a 0.75 mile tail that connects the lake to the road near(ish) to the visitor center.