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Nature
(by David)

I think one of the hidden jewels of Gainesville is the nature that is all around town, and in its outskirts. It's simply amazing.

• Devil's Millhopper State Geological Site: 4732 Millhopper Road (SR 232)
  
  This enormous sinkhole (130 feet deep, 500 feet diameter) is several tens of thousands of years and is an small ecosystem in itself. The vegetation found there is pretty unique in Florida (it reminds me of North Carolina, sort of). If you need a moment of calm in the middle of nowhere, without leaving town, this is the place to go.
  

• Gainesville to Hawthorne Rail Trail: starts at 3300 SE 15th Street.
  
  This old railroad turned bicycle trail is 17 miles long and goes from Gainesville to Hawthorne. The trail follows the border of Paynes Prairie for a few miles and then goes through the forest. Go there about two hours before sunset (or after sunrise, if you're an early bird, and you can be sure to have some close encounters with the local wildlife (deers, lots of deers, but also armadillos, many birds, a few snakes, etc.) Definitely the best place to ride a bike around Gainesville.
  Believe it or not, I miss this place more than many other more "civilized" ones.
  

• Kanapaha Botanical Gardens: 4700 SW 58th Drive (on Archer Road, right after the I-75 exit).
  
  A wonderful botanical garden just out of the city. An ideal place to stroll among many different kind of plants and flowers. There's also a few ponds, a small bamboo forest, humming birds, etc. A place for plant lovers... or just for lovers (bringing your date there is never a bad idea)...
  

• Paynes Prairie State Preserve: Several entrances, one south of the city, through Boulware Springs Park/Hawthorne Trail on SE 15th Street, some more on US 441 in between Gainesville and Micanopy.
  
  A quite unique place in Florida, Paynes Prairie used to be a big lake (it's more or less the area of Gainesville) that one day emptied itself like it can happen in Florida (I think it happened in the late 19th Century, I don't know the exact date, but definitely after the foundation of the city). Today it's a huge prairie sometimes turning into a swamp during rainy season. One can find an extremely rich wildlife there, about 350 different species of vertebrates (gators, snakes, turtles, many many birds, buffaloes, horses, etc) as well as 750 different types of plants. It's a real paradise for nature lovers on par with the Everglades (it's just smaller).
  Be aware that the place changes a lot all year round, mostly because of the different levels of humidity and rain between summer and winter, and it's a good reason to go there several times a year. If you want to see real wildlife just on your doorstep, this is the place to go.
  
  

  • La Chua Trail & Alachua Sink: in the North-East part of the prairie (access through Hawthorne Trail and Boulware Springs Park, SE 15th Street).
    
    La Chua Trail is a path that is about 3 miles long and that goes from the forest to an observation deck in the heart of the prairie. This trail is the best part of the prairie if you want to get close to wildlife, so close that be careful with the gators and the snakes, they're all around. This place might just be my favorite thing of all Gainesville.
     
    

  • The Observation Deck: on US 441 towards Gainesville (if you're coming from Gainesville, there's a spot where you can cross and make a U-turn)
    
    It's a short wooden path on stilts that ends by a deck where one can see birds and alligators. The place is nice and cute, I liked to go there just to get some fresh air, or watch the sunset, or even at night to watch the stars, but if you think you've seen the prairie because you've been there, think again.
    
    

  • Bolen Bluff Trail: on US 441, just north of Lake Wauburg.
    
    This trail is about 3 miles long, it starts on the roadside of US441 and goes on a circle in the middle of a hammock. Halfway through, a path goes down in the prairie to an observation deck that is a very good place for bird watching.