Hidden gem! We loved swimming and my boys enjoyed climbing the palm tree…read more We did a short trail and saw plants and bugs! We had a picnic at a table but moved to the sun because the boys were cold.

Great place to spend the day and have fun!!We go on the weekends with friends by boat and it's…read morelot's of fun!

What a beautiful park! So many trails to take advantage and never enough time!…read more Great and helpful staff (who will allow you to loan binoculars if you forgot yours and give you ideas on which trails are best for you based on what you are looking to experience) If you are in the area and are a nature nut (like me), come and take a look around. We saw deer, alligators and plenty of birds in our short excursion!

We took advantage of our Florida State Park Pass (saved us the $6 entrance fee) and took a drive to…read morethe park. This is a beautiful park to drive or hike. The drive in and to the visitor center is so pretty! The trees make a nice, shady canopy. You can see various animals from the observation tower, open range or hiking. It was late afternoon and hot when we were there so we didn't see much (one deer!) and I'm sure the animals were in the shade somewhere.

As an English teacher, a lover of nature, and someone who loves to travel, I can say that our long…read moreanticipated journey to visit Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic State Park did not disappoint. I first stumbled upon "The Yearling" earlier this year after having a conversation with a wonderful woman on the Cumberland Island boat ferry tour over the summer. She mentioned how much she enjoyed her visit to cross Creek. As a California resident, I borrowed the book from a family member who had it, and thus my love for Marjorie, her life, and work was born! We first arrived at her house, and walked around the citrus orange groves. We played with the pet chickens, and made numerous observations of the property. Shortly after, the tour began. The house tour was led by Emma, a young, extremely warm, and knowledgeable tour guide. Emma made everybody feel extra comfortable, inviting questions and comments openly. The tour takes you through her living quarters, her bathroom, master bedroom, and guest rooms. The artifacts, decor, and design have been preserved to fit the exact historical era of Marjorie's life, and the artifacts are original belongings. The tour offers visitors a chance to learn colorful stories about Marjorie's life, a close look at her literary accomplishments, and a bonus is to get to see her kitchen to truly appreciate her love of cooking. After the tour, it's highly recommended that you make a stop at the yearling restaurant, just around the bend in the country road. It is there were you can enjoy delicious southern cuisine inspired by her, and buy from the incredible selection of books and gifts they offered in their gift shop. The tour guide also had mentioned that the park offers great cooking demonstrations from her cookbook "Cross Creek Cookery" in the spring months. I certainly look forward to visiting again to participate!

I was prompted to read "Cross Creek" because I am closely associated with the Mickens family who…read moreare referenced throughout the book. So we decided we'd go visit. I felt taken back in time The tour and information shared was well presented and only lead to more curiosity about this beautiful place that Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings immortalized in her novels. Read her books, visit the park, history is our teacher. Florida is such a beautiful place, if only we could stop paving this paradise... maybe we'd all see places like Cross Creek. Thank you to the staff and for Marjorie's gifts to the State and humanity.

Nice park with a view of the lake and a few picnic tables. This is a nice place to come chill for a…read morebit.

If you are driving around the local state roads you could be completely oblivious the massive Santa…read moreFe Lake which is on the outskirts of Melrose. Santa Fe Lake Park allows free access to the lake, an area to picnic, playground, and restrooms. There is a channel that goes from the boat ramp to the lake. I highly recommend if you do access the lake to make a note of where the channel to the boat ramp is as it is easily lost due to the many cypress trees that can hide it. Parking is ample as well. The park itself does not offer a view of the lake or any water activities other than the boat launch, it is a nice place to have a picnic. I launched my kayak from the boat launch, and enjoyed the park especially since it is free.

This place was amazing!! A true hidden gem, no reservation required, large spring area, a cute…read morelittle breakfast/sandwhich restaurant. The water was cold and it felt amazing! You should pack as you would for a beach day, a few snacks, some chairs, a pool noodle and couple towels. Get ready to lounge for the day in between refreshing spring waters and shady areas to chill out.

Decided to check out Deleon springs, it wasn't too busy for a Friday thankfully we got a spot close…read moreto the spring which was nice, your allowed to bring a small pop up tent or a small umbrella. They have a gift shop and bathrooms very close to the spring and on the opposite side is the pancake house and gril where you can order from a window for take away small bites and drinks, only alcohol sells inside the restaurant, The inside of the pancake house was so hot, I felt for the employees!!! as much as we wanted to experience cooking your own pancakes it was too hot that day. The spring was a nice experience but this one was to small for me. Great for families and a close drive from Orlando.

Lake Wauburg is a cool lake that sits just south of Paynes Prairie and is located in Alachua…read moreCounty, Florida. It is a pleasant enough lake and while not big, it is a nice place to chill for a bit.

Lake was cool , there is a guy who can juggle so make sure to ask about that. Must see.read more

I came here for the first time for a nature trail tour by a UF forestry employee. After the tour I…read moreleft with more knowledge about the vegetation and various tree varieties. It truly reminds you why this city feels so peaceful and rooted in nature. The combination of the nature trails, the historic farm, and the quiet, spacious grounds makes it the perfect place to slow down and breathe. I loved how well‑kept everything was, the trails are clearly marked, the farm area is clean and thoughtfully maintained, and the whole space feels safe and family‑friendly without being loud or crowded. The farm is such a unique touch. It really feels like stepping back in time, and the staff and volunteers do a great job keeping the experience authentic. The animals are well cared for, and the whole area has a calm, simple charm that's rare to find. The trails themselves are beautiful, a mix of shaded paths, open stretches, and plenty of opportunities to see wildlife if you're paying attention. It's an easy place to spend an hour or two without realizing how much time has passed. Perfect for solo walks, quiet mornings, or bringing someone who needs a grounding, gentle outing.

This 400 acre nature preserve overseen by the City of Gainesville in Alachua County with seven…read moremiles of trails through a diverse ecosystem of Florida pines, flatwoods, sandhills, and cypress domes. Also abundant wildlife and wildflowers. They feature a Living History Farm which recreates a rural 1870's homestead with historic buildings, a school and farm animals. These historic buildings were moved to this location. We enjoyed experiencing the pioneer life plus the cows, sheep and hogs on the farm. We were there for the Wednesday afternoon program but it is only from September to May. No fee to enter. The farm is open Monday to Saturday 9am to 4:30pm and the park is open every 8am to 6pm.

Kicking off the new year on a new trail - and it was a great one! This trail is part of the Majorie…read moreHarris Carr Cross Florida Greenway that stretches from the Gulf to the St Johns River, the Greenway is a Florida State Park. This address takes you to the Landbridge Trailhead (approximately 1.4 miles NE of the actual I-75 Landbridge) and has separate parking and trails for equestrians -vs- hikers and bikers which is nice. There are bathrooms, a water bottle filler, a bike wash station, a few picnic tables, a bike tool station (although the air hose was cut) and all of it very well maintained given the impressive number of acres. The mountain bike trail intersected the paved trail so when we had enough bumps (hello, beginner here?!) we could take the paved trail a little while longer and all the back, thank goodness.

Came here for the first time this past weekend and really enjoyed it. We will definitely be coming…read moreback. At this trailhead, there is PLENTY of parking (when you pull in go to the right - it goes around a corner and there is where you'll see a couple of parking lots). There are bathrooms, a water fountain, and trail map here at the trailhead. You can choose a couple different trails - going to the right is a 3.5 mile hike (one way - so there and back is 7 total) that goes over to the 49th ave trailhead or to the left goes to Santos (7 mile one way). We went with Santos. Things were pretty clearly marked; however we somehow ended up on the bike trail at some point (there were 4 of us and we were busy in conversation so ya know, it happens lol), but was easy enough to make our way back so our 7 miles turned in to about 8-8.5. Worked out great because we ended up coming out where Santos Bike Shop is and took a Lyft/Uber back to our car at the trailhead. The bike shop was great, super nice people, plenty of knowledge in there. The trail itself is shaded for the most part, sun creeps in, but it's definitely shaded with all the trees. We saw a LOT of cool looking trees. I'm a big fan of being able to explore Florida (free is even better) so it's nice to be able to go out on the trails without having to pay to get in to parks or for parking or what not. If you have bikes, this is a GREAT trail to come to - the trails are separate as far as bike friendly and people hiking friendly which is nice for both parties. We really enjoyed and can't wait to visit again.