Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, Florida, United States

5MrMiamiExplorer 5:00 PM Jan 8, 2021

Can't Wait To Return
I had wanted to visit this location for a while, so when my family was vacationing in Ocala, I recommended going. This is an amazing state park with breathtaking prairie views reminiscent of the west. We saw white-tailed deer, wild horses, green & brown anole lizards, a ribbon snake, spiders, many species of plants and a variety of unusual and beautiful fungi and lichens. The indoor visitor center was nice and had informative displays. The picnic area where we ate, overlooks a beautiful expansive lake. Unfortunately I did not get to see most of the park due to my other family members having little interest in hiking or nature, but I definitely plan on returning. My only complaint was that although masks were mandatory inside the visitor center, they were not required on any of the outdoor trails or other areas, so we had to constantly avoid maskless families and other groups of ignorant individuals, at one point having a large mask less family try and all squeeze past us with no social distancing while we were attempting to climb down the steps of the observation tower. This is a State Park, so I don't know why they were not being more strict on mask requirements. Regardless, I was not going to let these fools ruin my experience.

4CapeCodgirl71 5:00 PM Nov 16, 2022

Nice preserve with boardwalks and observation decks
Nice place for a day trip. Saw lots of birds, some horses in the distance, plus an alligator up close. (Well not too close.) Be sure to take binoculars. It's a nature preserve, not a zoo, so the animals don't necessarily see out visitors for photo opps.