Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park.
It's great for a 30 min stop or all day, depending on what you want to do. They also have Bison, which are actually native to Florida.
[Link](https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/paynes-prairie-preserve-state-park)
Payne’s Prairie is beautiful. I’d also stop at Pearls Country Store for BBQ and take a walk up Micanopy Main Street. If the cafes still open, get an egg custard tart.
If you have extra time, visit the Marjorie Kinan Rawlings house in Cross Creek, then stop at the Orange Shop in Citra on your way back to Orlando.
Lifelong Floridian here and did not know that Bison were native. I’ve also lived and worked on a couple ranches, so very shocked to have not learned this before. Thanks 🙏
They are the only wild Buffalo east of the Mississippi River, they were transplanted here in 1975.
It also has some of the only Wild Horses on this side of the country.
The Prairie is in such verdant state today because a hundred or more years ago they decided to divert the nearby spring head (it was being used as a luxury bath house) and it has been flowing into the Prairie ever since.
Bison lived here before humans did. So did lions and tigers and giant birds. And camels. And ground sloths and other cool creatures. Once in a Florida. Not just crazy people. We had really interesting fauna.
If you sidetrip to Gainesville the Florida Museum of Natural History is pretty cool. Go early to see the butterfly rain forest.
https://preview.redd.it/7ehyv88jk10d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=434d12fd0ae66659a691a8f24ddeeb7fa210b5a5
If you have an EBT card the admission to the butterfly and the Dinosaur Exhibit (currently something about digging up dinosaurs in the artic) is only $2 a person.
This is how you make a whole day of it. Be sure to leave early enough to hit each spot with enough time. Coming from Orlando:
Qreate Coffee - Grab a quick Avocado Toast or Korean Garlic Bread with a Vietnamese Style coffee to fuel your morning on your way out.
Southern Hill Farms in Clermont - Opens at 9am - 120-acre farm with seasonal U-Pick flowers & fruit, craft beer & cocktails, carnival rides (mainly for kids), fire pits, a petting zoo, and tons more!
Papi Pincho in Groveland - Puerto Rican food for lunch. You ABSOLUTELY have to get the grilled Chicken or Pork pinchos (meat on a stick) with fresh bread and some empanadas. Get it to go and head to your next stop.
Yalaha Bootlegging Company in Yalaha - Bonus stop you might as well check out since it’s not too far off route. Get you a bottle of moonshine to enjoy later.
Appleton Museum in Ocala - Free every first Saturday of the month. Closes at 5pm so you’ll only be able to fit this in if you skip the Farm. Bring your Stanley so you can sip on some of that moonshine while you view the art galleries.
You can get through the gardens in about 90 minutes. On the way back from Williston:
Grandpa Joe’s Candy Shop in Ocala - Nice little independent candy boutique for one-of-a-kind treats.
Yalaha Bakery in Yalaha - Authentic German Bakery. Truly a hidden gem. Grab a box of pastries for the rest of the ride. They close at 7pm.
Pepe’s Cantina in Historic Downtown Clermont - Tacos & Margs for dinner. They have a DJ on the weekends making it a great frickin time. Closes 9pm during the week, 10pm Friday/Saturday.
At this point either finish the night bar hopping and get you an AirBnB in the area or hop on the turnpike to get back home.
I absolutely LOVE kayaking in the crystal clear water 💦 at Silver Springs. Monkeys, gators, manatees, fish, and turtles. Ocala National Forest is beautiful
Next door in Williston is Devil's Den. We really enjoyed snorkeling there. A very unique place.
Otherwise check out the old school Yearling restaurant south of Gainesville, especially for some live blues music.
In Gainesville I'd recommend the La Chua trail. Tons of wildlife including more gators than I've seen anywhere else.
The butterfly garden at the natural history museum is fun. There is also a Buddhist park with lots of statues that was a relaxing walk.
i might be wrong but the devils den is in Wiliston just west of Ocala and its one of the worlds most beautiful natural springs inside a cave with a giant hole in the ceiling to let in natural sunlight
[http://www.devilsden.com/](http://www.devilsden.com/)
If you're going on a Saturday, [Mill Creek Farm](https://www.visitgainesville.com/explore/attraction/mill-creek-farm/) is a public retirement home for horses on beautiful land you can walk around and feed the animals! Admission fee is just some carrots ;) (Which you can buy there)
I grew up in Orlando and went to college at UF and did that drive many times. I don't recall ever making a worthwhile detour.
Out of the way, but Blue Springs State Park is nice.
What you described sounds like Cedar Lakes Woods and Gardens in Williston and it is pretty cool. If you’re into agritourism, Amber Brook farms is near those gardens and you can do fruit and berry picking there and they have lots of activities and a cafe and wine bar there.
Went to UF. It was never not busy from Memorial Day to Labor Day and that was back in the late 90s. I tend to go Late September through that first real cold snap in Nov then March through early May ain’t so bad. I’ve been cavern diving there a few times to but if you do that, HAVE A CAVERN CERTIFICATION AND A BUDDY people have died in those caves
ETA getting there on Saturdays in the fall is a bit annoying because everyone is going that way for the football game, but because of the football game, the crowd at Ginny is pretty sparse
Sounds like you are looking at Cedar Lakes Woods and Garden in Williston. It's in an old quarry, basically on three levels, so there is a decent amount of up and down. They're dog friendly. You should plan on roughly 2 hours.
Marjorie Rawlings Plantation in Cross Creek. (Famous Writer)
Ma Bakers house off Lake Weir. (Famous Gangster)
Bok Tower Gardens. (Botanical Garden with a unique bell tower)
Paynes Prairie. (Alligators, Wild Horses, Wild Buffalo)
McInopy (1821) and McIntosh (1806 first founding, sacked by Seminoles in 1809. Refounded in 1885) are two of the oldest towns in Florida. I believe only Pensacola (1698), Fernandina Beach (1562) and St Augustine (1565) are older.
#
- [Sweetwater Wetlands Park Welcome to the City of Gainesville](https://www.gainesvillefl.gov/Parks/Sweetwater-Wetlands-Park)
- [MOSSWOOD FARM STORE, Micanopy - Restaurant Reviews, Photos & Phone Number - Tripadvisor](https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g34444-d2621997-Reviews-Mosswood_Farm_Store-Micanopy_Florida.html)
I just made that drive a week ago. I wanted to check out the Ocala Wildlife Management Area but didn't have time. It's pretty much straight north of Orlando and East of Gainesville.
It has a lot of trails. I'm hoping to go one day and get some nature pics.
It hasn't been built yet, but Ocala is getting a Buc-ee's in case you want to get gas (and even ethanol free gas) and the finest junk food ever. Buc-ee's also has amazing barbecue sandwiches.
There is an Elephant Preserve/Rescue on HWY 41 just South of Newberry near Williston which is a few miles. West of G'Ville . . .
Also . . . 19/27 is like a trip thru a time machine . . .
https://allaboutelephants.com/
There are some speed traps in that area. The locals tried to cover up the Automobile Club warning sign with a haunted house banner. I took down their banner and dumped in a Gainesville dumpster. This way motorists could avoid the speed trap.
Devils den is right next door (assuming you’re talking about Cypress Lakes)
There’s also paines prairie with some cool trails. If you’re lucky you can find wild bison and horses (plus alligators of course)
Gainesville has natural Springs and nice gorgeous scenery for swimming in crystal clear water and kayaking, while Orlando has Universal Studios and Disney Springs
Depends on what you like. If you like Mountain biking santos has a ton of trails and places to rent good bikes. Also there is horseback riding and ziplining in that area just south of ocala.
For things to do in nature - It’s worth visiting Sweetwater Wetlands Park in Gainesville (the wildlife is spectacular) and it’s also worth a short drive north to tube/canoe/kayak down Ichetucknee Springs State Park (easily one of the best experiences in all of Florida).
Not sure if you go through Ocala on that trip, but if so, the Ocala National Forest has an old ghost town that the grandson of the original owner bought and preserved. I believe you can rent one of the houses for the night too.
Definitely go see Spook Hill before it's too late. Someday, the road will be developed with buildings that destroy the optical illusion & completely ruin it.
>Yes but they have herpes that is fatal to humans so do not interact with them.
Copied from another comment that was talking about the monkeys in silver springs, but it applies here as well.
Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park. It's great for a 30 min stop or all day, depending on what you want to do. They also have Bison, which are actually native to Florida. [Link](https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/paynes-prairie-preserve-state-park)
Payne’s Prairie is beautiful. I’d also stop at Pearls Country Store for BBQ and take a walk up Micanopy Main Street. If the cafes still open, get an egg custard tart. If you have extra time, visit the Marjorie Kinan Rawlings house in Cross Creek, then stop at the Orange Shop in Citra on your way back to Orlando.
All excellent suggestions ⬆️
All good ideas, however the Orange Shop is closed for the season.
There are great recommendations.
Lifelong Floridian here and did not know that Bison were native. I’ve also lived and worked on a couple ranches, so very shocked to have not learned this before. Thanks 🙏
They are the only wild Buffalo east of the Mississippi River, they were transplanted here in 1975. It also has some of the only Wild Horses on this side of the country. The Prairie is in such verdant state today because a hundred or more years ago they decided to divert the nearby spring head (it was being used as a luxury bath house) and it has been flowing into the Prairie ever since.
Bison lived here before humans did. So did lions and tigers and giant birds. And camels. And ground sloths and other cool creatures. Once in a Florida. Not just crazy people. We had really interesting fauna.
That is beautiful to consider. Wish we could have all those animals back. Now we’re lucky to keep any panthers.
Yes. We have none. We did once. And gloptodons and smilodons. In Florida. And elephants. In Florida. What a great time.
The palm trees were good food for mastodon.
To be alive with mastodon in your yard. My god. I would love that.
Absolutely recommend. La Chua Trail is my personal favorite
Today I learned .
If you sidetrip to Gainesville the Florida Museum of Natural History is pretty cool. Go early to see the butterfly rain forest. https://preview.redd.it/7ehyv88jk10d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=434d12fd0ae66659a691a8f24ddeeb7fa210b5a5
It's also next to the Harn museum of art, and admission is free!
Butterfly part isn't free though.
Nope, but I actually meant the Harn is free!
I second that when I visit my son at UF it’s the first place we head to
If you have an EBT card the admission to the butterfly and the Dinosaur Exhibit (currently something about digging up dinosaurs in the artic) is only $2 a person.
I went there a bunch of times as a kid and loved it.
Oh yes. It’s awesome, my girlfriend who’s now my wife and I used to go a few times when I went to UF. Loved it.
Devil's Millhopper Geological State Park. A big ol' sinkhole that drains to the aquifer with stairs to go down and look at the bottom.
I’ve been there. Absolutely worth it!
But in the summer, the mosquitos there are ridiculous
The Appleton Museum of Art in Ocala is one of the finest small museums I've visited.
For the size of Ocala and general area, the Appleton is honestly very nice
You could swing by the villages and pick up an sti.
The Herp is real there.
Cafe Risqué
We Bare All!
There’s also Kanapaha Botanical Gardens in Gainesville beautiful place
Mt. Dora is a sneaky great town
Hint…there is no mountain.
135ft above sea level doesn't count lol
I was running at 7k elevation this weekend noticed a huge difference in effort / lung capacity.
Or parking depending on the day/time
Stay at the Lakeside Inn (oldest Hotel in FL). They'll treat you right.
Yes! So fun. So much thrifting and antiquing for those who partake
Big Daddy Don Garlits Museum. Never been, but I’ve driven past it hundreds of times
It’s much more than drag racing. It is worth the stop!
Always wondered how you race in heels and a dress……….
This. (If you're into cars) This place has soooo many awesome vehicles from all eras of automotive history.
Burger Barn in Hawthorne FL is a fantastic regular cheeseburger on the cheap
lol devils hole is close to there. I miss Hawthorne. I went to school there.
I live in Earleton!
My ex’s house. She’s a peach
Can confirm, I stopped by a few times before she was your ex....
Can confirm: I am the ex.
Miss u bby
Let us relish in the memories babe ❤️❤️
Can also confirm: I am the house
Lucky for you. Every time I go, there's a line.
Use the app for fast pass
This is how you make a whole day of it. Be sure to leave early enough to hit each spot with enough time. Coming from Orlando: Qreate Coffee - Grab a quick Avocado Toast or Korean Garlic Bread with a Vietnamese Style coffee to fuel your morning on your way out. Southern Hill Farms in Clermont - Opens at 9am - 120-acre farm with seasonal U-Pick flowers & fruit, craft beer & cocktails, carnival rides (mainly for kids), fire pits, a petting zoo, and tons more! Papi Pincho in Groveland - Puerto Rican food for lunch. You ABSOLUTELY have to get the grilled Chicken or Pork pinchos (meat on a stick) with fresh bread and some empanadas. Get it to go and head to your next stop. Yalaha Bootlegging Company in Yalaha - Bonus stop you might as well check out since it’s not too far off route. Get you a bottle of moonshine to enjoy later. Appleton Museum in Ocala - Free every first Saturday of the month. Closes at 5pm so you’ll only be able to fit this in if you skip the Farm. Bring your Stanley so you can sip on some of that moonshine while you view the art galleries. You can get through the gardens in about 90 minutes. On the way back from Williston: Grandpa Joe’s Candy Shop in Ocala - Nice little independent candy boutique for one-of-a-kind treats. Yalaha Bakery in Yalaha - Authentic German Bakery. Truly a hidden gem. Grab a box of pastries for the rest of the ride. They close at 7pm. Pepe’s Cantina in Historic Downtown Clermont - Tacos & Margs for dinner. They have a DJ on the weekends making it a great frickin time. Closes 9pm during the week, 10pm Friday/Saturday. At this point either finish the night bar hopping and get you an AirBnB in the area or hop on the turnpike to get back home.
Damned if you didn’t give me an itinerary for some summer weekend, thanks pal 💖
How is Korean Garlic Bread different from Italian Garlic Bread? I've never heard of it before, but it sounds good.
It’s a bread roll stuffed with cream cheese and then dunked in garlic butter.
Bruh
Paynes Prarie State Park & The Ocala National Forest has tons of gems if you enjoy nature
Best place EVER to see a wild horse stomp a gator.
Or a human. I saw a very patient horse suddenly charge some annoying idiot who couldn’t read the 400 signs telling you not to touch the horses.
I absolutely LOVE kayaking in the crystal clear water 💦 at Silver Springs. Monkeys, gators, manatees, fish, and turtles. Ocala National Forest is beautiful
Silver Springs State Park has monkeys.
Yes but they have herpes that is fatal to humans so do not interact with them.
Well, you shouldn’t interact with wild monkeys, herpes or not.
Well if I can't get herpes from the monkeys then I'm not going!
Florida man has joined the chat
Nobody touches the monkeys, and the monkeys don't chase after people.
Have to kayak a decent ways to see them, though.
Next door in Williston is Devil's Den. We really enjoyed snorkeling there. A very unique place. Otherwise check out the old school Yearling restaurant south of Gainesville, especially for some live blues music. In Gainesville I'd recommend the La Chua trail. Tons of wildlife including more gators than I've seen anywhere else. The butterfly garden at the natural history museum is fun. There is also a Buddhist park with lots of statues that was a relaxing walk.
Rainbow river in dunnellon
Not really between Gainesville and Orlando...
It’s south of Williston you could make it along the way. OP is going to Williston not Gainesville.
i might be wrong but the devils den is in Wiliston just west of Ocala and its one of the worlds most beautiful natural springs inside a cave with a giant hole in the ceiling to let in natural sunlight [http://www.devilsden.com/](http://www.devilsden.com/)
If you're going on a Saturday, [Mill Creek Farm](https://www.visitgainesville.com/explore/attraction/mill-creek-farm/) is a public retirement home for horses on beautiful land you can walk around and feed the animals! Admission fee is just some carrots ;) (Which you can buy there)
Other than that, I echo the Micanopy and Paynes Prairie suggestions!
Awww 🥹 I want to go to there!
I grew up in Orlando and went to college at UF and did that drive many times. I don't recall ever making a worthwhile detour. Out of the way, but Blue Springs State Park is nice.
I would avoid blue springs right now. They are building a sea wall to stop erosion, so all water activities are closed this year.
About time, we went last year and holy moly it eroded alot since the last time i went
World Equestrian Center. It’s worth checking out just to see the spectacle of it.
Is there anything to see there when there's not an event going on?
There are a few restaurants & tack shops. The hotel is ridiculously fancy. Look it up online.
What you described sounds like Cedar Lakes Woods and Gardens in Williston and it is pretty cool. If you’re into agritourism, Amber Brook farms is near those gardens and you can do fruit and berry picking there and they have lots of activities and a cafe and wine bar there.
Alexander and Rock springs
Will be jam packed but Ginny Springs
Memorial Day weekend is slammed packed and a huge nonstop party. Camped out there a few Memorial Day weekends
Went to UF. It was never not busy from Memorial Day to Labor Day and that was back in the late 90s. I tend to go Late September through that first real cold snap in Nov then March through early May ain’t so bad. I’ve been cavern diving there a few times to but if you do that, HAVE A CAVERN CERTIFICATION AND A BUDDY people have died in those caves ETA getting there on Saturdays in the fall is a bit annoying because everyone is going that way for the football game, but because of the football game, the crowd at Ginny is pretty sparse
Horses and cows lol Edit and Herpes monkeys
Rainbow springs
If I remember right Devils Den is in Williston.
Sounds like you are looking at Cedar Lakes Woods and Garden in Williston. It's in an old quarry, basically on three levels, so there is a decent amount of up and down. They're dog friendly. You should plan on roughly 2 hours.
Yes, I looked it up and that's the place.
Marjorie Rawlings Plantation in Cross Creek. (Famous Writer) Ma Bakers house off Lake Weir. (Famous Gangster) Bok Tower Gardens. (Botanical Garden with a unique bell tower) Paynes Prairie. (Alligators, Wild Horses, Wild Buffalo) McInopy (1821) and McIntosh (1806 first founding, sacked by Seminoles in 1809. Refounded in 1885) are two of the oldest towns in Florida. I believe only Pensacola (1698), Fernandina Beach (1562) and St Augustine (1565) are older. #
https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/marjorie-kinnan-rawlings-historic-state-park
Lots of great mountain biking trails up there if you’re into that
Rainbow springs.
- [Sweetwater Wetlands Park Welcome to the City of Gainesville](https://www.gainesvillefl.gov/Parks/Sweetwater-Wetlands-Park) - [MOSSWOOD FARM STORE, Micanopy - Restaurant Reviews, Photos & Phone Number - Tripadvisor](https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g34444-d2621997-Reviews-Mosswood_Farm_Store-Micanopy_Florida.html)
I just made that drive a week ago. I wanted to check out the Ocala Wildlife Management Area but didn't have time. It's pretty much straight north of Orlando and East of Gainesville. It has a lot of trails. I'm hoping to go one day and get some nature pics.
The springs , tarpon springs , ocala silver springs . Weeki watchee..
It hasn't been built yet, but Ocala is getting a Buc-ee's in case you want to get gas (and even ethanol free gas) and the finest junk food ever. Buc-ee's also has amazing barbecue sandwiches.
There is an Elephant Preserve/Rescue on HWY 41 just South of Newberry near Williston which is a few miles. West of G'Ville . . . Also . . . 19/27 is like a trip thru a time machine . . . https://allaboutelephants.com/
There are some speed traps in that area. The locals tried to cover up the Automobile Club warning sign with a haunted house banner. I took down their banner and dumped in a Gainesville dumpster. This way motorists could avoid the speed trap.
FHP is always lurking around Micanopy on I75
There’s a bomb range in the Ocala National forest. It’s the bomb.
Go out to Silver Glen in the ONF
Ginnie springs
I live this place but not between the two
Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive
Ravine Gardens (especially in Spring), the Historic Area and St. John's River in Palatka.
The obvious answer: Cafe Risque.
Devils den is right next door (assuming you’re talking about Cypress Lakes) There’s also paines prairie with some cool trails. If you’re lucky you can find wild bison and horses (plus alligators of course)
Gainesville has natural Springs and nice gorgeous scenery for swimming in crystal clear water and kayaking, while Orlando has Universal Studios and Disney Springs
Depends on what you like. If you like Mountain biking santos has a ton of trails and places to rent good bikes. Also there is horseback riding and ziplining in that area just south of ocala.
Crystal River is worth checking out. You can see a lot of manatees out there.
* ichetucknee springs state park
You can’t bring any drinks on the river there. We go to Ginnie and deal with the crowds to be able to have a beer or 6 on the river.
Don Garlits drag racing museum is pretty cool if you’re into cars. He’s often there too, I met him my last visit in August.
lol
Juniper run.
Kings landing springs
Ocala has one of the last drive-in theaters in the state
For things to do in nature - It’s worth visiting Sweetwater Wetlands Park in Gainesville (the wildlife is spectacular) and it’s also worth a short drive north to tube/canoe/kayak down Ichetucknee Springs State Park (easily one of the best experiences in all of Florida).
Go mountain biking near Ocala. The vortex is awesome.
Central 28 Brewery
+crickets chirping+
Silver Springs State Park Take the glass bottom boat and learn about the springs in Florida and see monkeys.
Cedar Lakes and woods is what you are talking about. It’s really nice, but the springs in the Ocala National Forest are great, and you can swim!
Lubee Bat Sanctuary is amazing and cool; if you can get a tour, you can see bats close up! 🦇💖
Gatorland
Gonna enjoy following this thread for ideas
Springs
A mote
All the springs! Silver Springs, Rainbow River, Hunter Springs, Ginnie Springs....
Rainbow springs
If you go to Gainesville definitely Satchels
Not sure if you go through Ocala on that trip, but if so, the Ocala National Forest has an old ghost town that the grandson of the original owner bought and preserved. I believe you can rent one of the houses for the night too.
Silver springs or Wekiwa springs are both awesome state parks
Silver Springs (but not in the summer)
A bit further south you have Bok Gardens an you gotta drive on " spook hill" as well
Definitely go see Spook Hill before it's too late. Someday, the road will be developed with buildings that destroy the optical illusion & completely ruin it.
If you’re into places that best represent how not to plan a city, then Ocala is just for you.
Haven’t been yet, but we hear the equestrian center in Ocala is amazing
Howey in the Hills is a really cool old school golf course/resort.
Also rainbow river, silver springs, and I think John Travolta lives in Ocala!
Silver springs
The Answernis always Cafe Risqué, no?
Certainly an accident on I4….
Paymes for sure and there is a butterfly garden at the university that is incredible
Ginnie springs is a little past Gainesville but is awesome
Downtown Micanopy.
Mount Dora
LunaSea Alpaca farm tour.
Payne prarie state park for wild horses and bison.
Canapaha and Plains prairie. And downtown gains.
some springs, kings landing..
Into cars? Don Garlits Museum is right off 75 and 484. [Drag Racing Museum in Ocala, FL (garlits.com)](https://garlits.com/)
Paynes Prairie, La Chua Trail, Sweetwater Preserve, Bolen bluff (likely see Bison), Kanapala Botanical Gardens.
Big Daddy Don Gartlis drag race museum. Russell stovers outlet. Lakeridge winery.
The Villages
>Yes but they have herpes that is fatal to humans so do not interact with them. Copied from another comment that was talking about the monkeys in silver springs, but it applies here as well.
Lol
Between Gainesville and Orlando I would like to see Donald Trump working on a chain gang.
Always plenty to do here.
Abortion Billboards
The question is what’s worth seeing in Gainesville and Orlando?
Please just stay out of the Florida pan handle. It's the last of old Florida. Let's keep it that way.
Nothing beyond traffic
If you’re going to go towards Williston, you could go to Devil’s Den if you like to swim.