Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park Ranger Programs

• RANGER'S CHOICE
  End of the month, November through April.
  FREE with regular park entrance fee. These Saturday activities will vary. Program topics may include birding by ear, twelve thousand years of people and the Prairie, trees and tracks of the Preserve, exploring Lake Wauberg by canoe/kayak, riding through time on the Gainesville Hawthorne trail, and more! NO PETS.
  20 person limit. Call the Visitor Center at (352) 466-4100 for reservations and details.
  
  Participation Requirements
  
  Call (352) 466-4100 for more details.
• GENTLE WALK AND TALK
  November through April. This program runs every Thursday (except Thanksgiving), November through April. Begins at 9:00 a.m. and is approximately 2 hours long. This gentle walk takes you to the edge of the prairie basin and Alachua Sink, plus areas of the Preserve only accessible with a guide. Challenge yourself to identify birds, butterflies, trees, and wildflowers along the way, or just enjoy a peaceful stroll. This walk is suitable for those who aren't hikers but still want to have an outdoor Paynes Prairie experience. The pace is slow and comfortable and your guide will stop and talk about what is encountered. Also learn Paynes Prairie’s significant history, including a tour of the old Camp Ranch bunkhouse, now the North Rim Interpretive Center.
  10 person limit. Call the Visitor Center at (352) 466-4100 for reservations. $2.00 per person (suggested donation).
  
  Participation Requirements
  
  Call 352-466-4100 for more details.
• RIM RAMBLE
  Third Saturday of the month, November to April.
  Experience the Real Florida by following in the footsteps of noted naturalist and artist William Bartram. The rim ramble is a half-day hike, 3.5 miles ranger-led. The heavily shaded trail rambles around an array of fragile sinkholes. A panoramic view of the freshwater wetland is seen from Persimmon Point. 20 person limit.
  
  Participation Requirements
  
  Call 352-466-4100 for more details.
• WILDLIFE WALK
  Second Saturday of the month, November to April.
  Join one of the Preserve's rangers and take a walk on the wild side. This leisurely paced excursion onto the prairie basin provides a wonderful opportunity to observe the unusual plants and magnificent animals that inhabit the vast 21,000-acre preserve. The three-mile walk leads to an observation deck overlooking Alachua Lake. Walk is 3-4 hours. 25 person limit. Call (352) 466-4100 for reservations and to confirm walk. This walk is dependent on the water levels on the prairie basin.
  
  Participation Requirements
  
  Call 352-466-4100 for more details.
• CAMPFIRE PROGRAMS
  Every Saturday evening, November to February.
  FREE with regular park entrance fee or campsite. Ranger-led campfire programs about Paynes Prairie's cultural and natural resources will vary weekly. Topics may include the Timucua Indians, native medicinal plants, pottery of the past, flint knapping and atlatls, wild horses, bison, cattle and tales of Cracker Cowboys, William Bartram's Travels, wildlife of the Preserve, birds of prey, snakes, alligators, and more. Programs begin at dusk. Bring your marshmallows. Call the Ranger Station for the program start time and topic (352) 466-3397. NO PETS.
  
  Participation Requirements
  
  Call (352) 466-3397 for more details.
• OVERNIGHT BACKPACKING TRIP
  First Saturday of the month, November to March.
  The overnight trip is a moderately strenuous hike of approximately 6.5 miles over level to slightly rolling terrain (not recommended for children). The pack in, pack out hike begins mid-morning Saturday with a 4.5-mile hike to Persimmon Point. Sunday's return hike skirts along a two-mile section of the picturesque north rim of the prairie basin. It concludes around noon Sunday at the starting point. Call (352) 466-4100 for reservations up to 60 days in advance. Fee is $10 per person, 20 person limit.
  
  Participation Requirements
  
  Call 352-466-4100 for more details.