Hiking Trails in Alachua County, Florida
Trail Maps, Photos, and Other Information
Enjoy hiking Alachua County near Gainesville, Florida! All pages provide maps to parking near trail heads plus trail maps. And you’ll find photos, entry fee and tail information plus more! Includes hiking trails, horseback riding, and off-road biking with great views of nature near Gainesville.
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Barr Hammock Preserve – Levy Loop Trail – 6.5 mile loop around a restored marshland. Great for hiking or biking with abundant wildlife and other nature-viewing.

Barr Hammock Preserve – South Trails – Dozens of miles of shaded canopy trails rich in wildlife. Free for use by hikers, bikers, and horseback riders.

Bivens Arm Nature Park – A nice spot in Gainesville for a family picnic gathering with a playground. But the nature walk is short and not much of a hike.

Cone’s Dike Trail – An easy 5-mile there-and-back at Payne’s Prairie (see below). Find a marsh with plenty of flowers, birds, and other animals.

Lake Alto Park – Boating ramp, fishing, and picnic area plus two long trails, Tree Frog Trail and a LEAFS Society Trail, are also linked from the page.

Lake Alto Preserve – Multiple trails form a 4-mile loop that includes extensive boardwalk over a swamp. Plus, find a pier with a very calm and refreshing lake view.

LEAFS Stewardship Forest – Forest with meandering and somewhat overgrown trails preserved by the Longleaf Ecology and Forestry Society.

Little Orange Creek Preserve – Kathy Cantwell there-and-back trail near Hawthorne offers one of the most fun short trails you can find anywhere.

Longleaf Flatwoods Reserve – Six to ten miles of hiking amid longleaf pines in this beautiful, 3000-acre reserve. With low traffic, you may have all to yourself!

Newnan’s Lake Conservation Area – Two connected loops provide 9 miles of hiking in mostly open sun with pines. Discover great birding opportunities including bald eagles.

Orange Creek Conservation Area – North Tract – Five miles of loops for hiking and horseback. See also the Orange Creek South Tract in Hiking Marion County.

Paynes Prairie Preserve North Entrance – A fun little hike with great animal views. You’ll never get this close to alligators and all kinds of marshland birds except at the zoo.

Paynes Prairie State Preserve – Hours of hiking trails with a great view of Paynes Prairie and picnicking at Lake Wauberg. See also Cone’s Dike Trail at this location.

Prairie Creek Preserve – Miles of rich trails including pines, old forest, and swamp and marshlands. And it’s well maintained by the Alachua Conservation Trust.

Price’s Scrub Greenway Loop – Hiking, biking, and equestrian trails at Price’s Scrub State Park provide a solid good time outdoors with wide trails and a choice of loops.

San Felasco Hammock – Creek Sink Trail – 2.3 mile hiking or running loop through dense woods with a creek and sink hole ponds. It shares parking as Spring Grove Trail, next >

San Felasco Hammock – Spring Grove Trail – Six-mile loop in sandy hills amid beech and oak for hiking and birding. You’ll really enjoy your time hiking here!

Sweetwater Preserve – Rich in wildlife, this preserve has two entrances near Gainesville, and a bench overlooking an active swamp steals the show.

Sweetwater Wetlands Park – A stroll around ponds with some of the best birding opportunities in central Florida.
Hiking Trails
Hiking, biking, and riding trails with maps