If you are looking for a fun outdoor activity in Gainesville for a few hours, try a two-hour…read moreintroductory session with Canopy Climbers. Don't be fooled--This activity is different from the tree climbing we did in the backyard when we were younger--it was closer to rock climbing (with maybe a hint of CrossFit with the rope climbing). I was very glad that we got to experience it. The adrenaline rush when you are standing on a branch 30 feet high is not easily replicable! People of all athletic levels can participate and challenge themselves.

A great place to start your adventure and exploration of the Prarie…read more I recently stopped by the Payne's Prairie Preserve State Park Visitor Center in Micanopy, Florida, and it was a fantastic experience! Yes, you do pay the $6 per vehicle entrance fee to enter the state park, and it's a bit of a drive from the main gate along the park road to reach the parking lot. From there, you walk a short distance to the center itself. But once you arrive, it's absolutely worth it. The Visitor Center is very nice and modern building with large floor-to-ceiling windows directly across from teh entrance offering great views of the prairie itself. The staff, specifically Brad, was very helpful, The sets of displays provide an good overview of the prairie's natural and cultural history through interactive exhibits. There is also a short film in the theater room about the location. I really liked the observation area and spotting scopes. One scope was perfectly trained on a bald eagle perched about two miles away. I thought that was an incredible sight! It made the whole prairie feel alive and gave us a real sense of the wildlife that calls this special place home (wild horses and bison live here too). There is a small gift shop, restrooms, and the building provides easy access to trails and an observation tower nearby. It's a perfect starting point to understand and appreciate this unique place. If you're in the Gainesville area, make time for Payne's Prairie. The Visitor Center is a hidden gem that turns a simple stop into a memorable visit. I highly recommended it.

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.

The Welaka mud is soooo amazing!.. You can walk, run and do…read moreexercise, bike and walk dog around there.. The pool is very cold omg and your body feel nice when you get out of the water.

Absolutely beautiful spring. A short mile and a half hike to the beautiful spring. Well worth the…read moretrip

This park is clean and well-staffed. Most of the time, the concession is serving an assortment of…read morekid-loving snacks. There is enough room for everyone, The water is warm (lmao). It's great for birthdays, anniversary, whatever party you want to have. I think you can reserve a table or two, Have fun!!!

My wife and I, along with a few others, booked our campsites online. The cost was $30 per night,…read morebut there are discounts for senior citizens and those with disabilities. Our campsite had running water and electric hookups, but the space was relatively small, accommodating two decent-sized tents, a trailer, and a vehicle. We weren't sure about overflow parking, but they didn't mind when I parked my truck near an unmarked site. There was a dump station on the other side for RVs. The bathhouse was centrally located and clean, stocked with hand soap and toilet paper, although it lacked shampoo in the showers. We observed a variety of wildlife, including deer, otters, turtles, a snake, and squirrels. A raccoon, which I affectionately named "Gangster," rummaged through our belongings at night, even opening a cooler without a latch - amusing yet slightly concerning. A nice walking path leads to the boat dock, and there's a boat ramp for kayaks and canoes, but remember it's a walking path, not accessible by vehicle. The spring itself was spacious and not overly crowded, much better than Ginnie Springs, though there was a noticeable amount of algae on the surface. The store nearby offered snacks, food, and ice cream at reasonable prices, which the kids loved. We saw many dog owners, and it seemed dogs were prohibited only in or near the spring, although some were swimming near the boat ramp. Overall, it's a pleasant campsite, but there are a few drawbacks: numerous ticks and horseflies were present, and the area is very dark at night. There are no trash cans at the sites, so you'll need to bring your own container and take your trash to the dumpster. Lastly, the check-in process was slow due to limited staff.

I love Single Vision and been a supporter of Carl's endeavor since Bruiser Bear was on his little…read moresurfboard many years ago. Anyone who loves wild animals who have been abused, abandoned, or unable to be released back into their habitat will enjoy seeing that they are special and loved by Carl and the employees and volunteers who care for them. Wish that I lived closer, but feel so fortunate that I was able to visit several times. Single Vision is worthy of your support and donations!

Amazing place! All the animals are rescues or zoo "rejects" that have found a wonderful forever…read morehome! The people who care for them absolutely love what they do and these animals are a top priority to them! The tour was glorious and safety if their priority! They could use the donations so recommend giving more than they ask for as their work is very worthy!

Hart springs is a beautiful park that has a glorious swimming area, a tall jump into the deeper…read morearea of the spring. The park offers many tables and walk ways to truly explore the property and get a great look at this little arm of the Suwanee River. Come out and experience old Florida

One of our favorite springs to visit. Fun for all ages. All staff are nice and helpful.read more

Me and my step daughter took the horseback tour and it was awesome. Meagan was excellent and the…read morehorse i had was so easy to ride. His name was Jimmety crickets. I called him big Jim. my step dayghter had Cholua , she was awesome as well. Highly recommend!!!!

My daughter and I came up from Sarasota-2.5 hrs south- to do the trail ride. The place is very…read moreclean, well run, and so scenic. The horses were beautiful and well behaved. The trail was definitely different and very scenic, with some steep and narrow paths; not your typical flat and boring. The guests loaded up on a golf cart type vehicle to get from check in to the barn. Then we all waited while Sadie (?) actually grilled and ate a hot dog in front of us!! Same girl upon giving her instructions told everyone "to make your horse go, kick it, and if it doesn't go keep kicking it.. harder". I was appalled!!! One the trail ride, the other girl would take a few photos. I did want pictures of my daughter and I together,so I bought the package. Which is everyone in your group, and that day I think there were 12 or so. The photos she took were not good,but what can ya do? I should have let a gentleman in the group who offered to take my phone and take pictures. Also, between waiting to get on a horse and then waiting for everyone to dismount and get back to the main building, the total ride time was just under an hour. It really is pretty though. I think there were just too many people who booked the same day and time leading to a slightly shorter ride.

Came by at Sunset to see the bats fly... Fly my children of the night and go eat all those fucking…read moremosquitoes.

Located across from Lake Alice in Gainesville, the UF bat houses are something to experience at…read moreleast once for sure. You should arrive approximately 10 minutes before sunset. There is a decent size parking lot right there. There are a couple benches if you arrive early or you can bring your own chairs. Right around dusk, out come thousands of bats just streaming out of the holes in both houses. Literally making a trail in the sky as they go out to feed for the night. Definitely a cool experience and highly recommend a visit to this free gem in Gainesville.

This public pool was renovated back in 2022, updating in many ways the original 1960s design with…read morenew locker rooms and other improvements--a new waterslide was also added in 2023. The pool itself is large and unless swim meets are underway, the majority of it is for open swim most of the time. Two or three lanes are normally reserved for lap swimmers as well but for me, as a diver, my main attraction is the dive well. The pool has a dive well which is connected to the rest of the pool but normally cordoned off via the swim lanes. There are two 1M and two 3M springboards and these are open to the public if dive practice or other events like artistic swimming practice are not taking place. There is also a dive tower with 3M, 7M, and 10M platforms but this is only accessible for dive teams and other serious divers who have authorization--as a diver who has used it I very much appreciate its presence because 10M platforms are very, very, hard to find outside of universities in the US. (For other divers, yes, I know the heights are weird and 5M and 7.5M are standard today--I don't know why the two lower platforms are strange heights.) So, to recap, plenty of American public pools have removed even their 3M springboards for liability and other silly reasons and yet here we have, in Gainesville, springboards and even a tower. In fact, all three our Gville public pools have both 1M and 3M springboards which is insanely good fortune. I don't think Jax or Orlando can even claim this. Beyond diving, it's simply a really nice pool: they play great music over the stereo, the lifeguards are in my experience all super-chill, super-competent, folks and you see everyone from swim teams to older serious swimmers to kids splashing around having a grand ole time. This is one of the real success stories of Gainesville's parks and rec programs in my view.

Even though Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park is still recovering from the…read moreimpacts of Hurricane Helene, our visit was outstanding and absolutely worth the stop. The staff and volunteers clearly care deeply about the park and its mission, and their dedication really shows. While a few areas are still in the process of being repaired, the park remains beautiful and full of life. The wildlife viewing opportunities are excellent, and the park does a wonderful job showcasing Florida's native species in a natural and respectful setting. Seeing the manatees up close was a highlight, and the underwater observatory provides a truly unique perspective you won't find in many places. What impressed us most was how well the park is being maintained despite the storm damage. Paths are clean, signage is clear, and the staff members we encountered were friendly, knowledgeable, and happy to answer questions. It's obvious that a lot of hard work is going into restoring everything while still making sure visitors have a great experience. If anything, visiting during this recovery period gives you an even greater appreciation for the park and the people who take care of it. Their resilience and commitment to conservation are inspiring. If you're traveling through the Homosassa area, this park is absolutely worth your time. It's a special place that celebrates Florida's wildlife and natural beauty, and we're already looking forward to coming back once the final restoration work is complete.

Originally, we road-tripped north almost 2 hours to experience a rare opportunity to swim amongst…read moremanatees in a natural setting. When we arrived we found out that the manatees had migrated away from the springs about 2.5 weeks ago. Disappointed we drove about 6 miles south and happened upon Homosassa Springs State Park, where they have 3 resident manatees that live in the springs year round. This small state park, was devastated by the hurricane several years ago. They have photos showing how high the waters were and many buildings are still closed. We had to wait for the tram to take us across the way to the park, they also have a boat to get there in a unique way. However, the water was too low to enjoy the boat ride. The park has about 3-4 manatees during the off season and you just have to look for them as they live in a natural setting. Eventually we found them a bit down river from the springs. Once in a while you'd see their nose pop up for air. They are such beautiful creatures. There is also a small zoo with a black bear, flamingoes, a white tailed deer, reptile case, an array of birds, and a variety of wild cats. They used to have a hippo but she died about 10 months ago. Definitely worth the $13 entry fee. It's a cute and well maintained park that is about at 75% of its operating capacity due to closed buildings that have not yet been renovated following Hurricane Milton. Although, we were disappointed to miss out on a once in a lifetime experience to *actually* swim amongst manatees, being able to see them in their natural habitat was truly special.