RV or Tent site (water and electric)
- Hookups
- Water & electric
- Power
- 30 / 50 amp
- Pull-through
- Not listed
- Max length
- 58 ft
- Pad
- Gravel
- Number of sites
- 30
- Nightly
- $25
Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park
State park in Micanopy, Alachua County, Florida Also known as Paynes Prairie State Preserve
USDA NAIP via USGS State park with 45 sites
Full hookups, 50 amp, Pets welcome, On the water
From the park's website, Oct 2026
Not yet confirmed by phone. Details can change, so check with the park before you go.
45 sites
1 with water and sewer at the site
30 / 50 amp
Electric service
Rigs up to 58 ft
Open year-round
Park open 8 a.m. to sunset, 365 days a year; campers get a gate combination.
Pick your exact site online
Source: Florida State Parks reservations
Book online
Through State reservations
State park campground near Lake Wauburg south of Gainesville, heavily shaded, with back-in water and electric RV sites (mostly 30-amp, up to 58 ft) and walk-in tent sites, hot showers and a dump station. Wild bison and horses roam the preserve; no internet in the park.
What stands out
- Wild bison and horses roam the preserve
- Heavily shaded campground near 300-acre Lake Wauburg with a boat ramp
- Back-in sites, mostly 30-amp, RVs up to 58 ft
- $18 base plus $7 utility fee per night; 50% off base fee for Florida seniors
- Over 30 miles of trails incl. the paved 16-mile Gainesville-Hawthorne State Trail
- No internet in the park
Sites
Tent Only site
- Hookups
- Not listed
- Power
- Not listed
- Pull-through
- Not listed
- Max length
- Not listed
- Pad
- Not listed
- Number of sites
- 15
- Nightly
- $18
Primitive / equestrian group site (Chacala Trail)
- Hookups
- No hookups
- Power
- Not listed
- Pull-through
- Not listed
- Max length
- Not listed
- Pad
- Not listed
- Number of sites
- 1
What this place offers
- Bathhouse
- Showers
- Dump station
- Firewood
- Lake
- Fishing
- Boat ramp
- Hiking trails
- Playground
- Planned activities
Things to know
Rig rules
- No RV age limit listed
- Rigs up to 58 ft
Pets
- Pets allowed
- Leashed pets allowed in campground and on designated trails; not on La Chua, Bolen Bluff or Cone's Dike trails. Well-behaved pets allowed at primitive site.
Arrival
- Park open 8 a.m. to sunset, 365 days a year; campers get a gate combination.
Other fees: $18/night plus tax plus nonrefundable $6.70 reservation fee; RV sites add $7/night utility fee. Primitive $5/person/night. Entrance $6/vehicle. Pavilion $30.
Good to know
From the park's own website and other official pages. Policies change, so confirm with the park.
Location and directions
- Entrance gate locks at sunset; registered campers get a gate combination.
Sites
- RV sites are back-in; tent sites are a short walk from the parking area.
- Sites have a limerock surface, lantern post, fire ring with grill and picnic table.
Rates and fees
- Florida residents 65+ or with Social Security or 100% federal disability certificates get 50% off the base campsite fee (not the reservation or utility fee).
- RV sites add a $7 nightly utility fee on top of the $18 base; tents don't pay it.
Pets
- Pets are not allowed on La Chua, Bolen Bluff or Cone's Dike trails because of alligators, snakes and bison.
Rules
- Firewood sold at the ranger station; gathering firewood in the park is prohibited.
- Alcohol is allowed (21+) at a reserved campsite but not in public areas of state parks.
- Golf carts may be driven on park roads under 30 mph by licensed drivers with required equipment; daylight only unless lighted.
Amenities and services
- No internet access is available in the park.
Activities and nearby
- Wild-roaming bison and Spanish horses live on the prairie; nearly 300 bird species.
- Ranger-led campfire programs Saturday evenings November through February.
- 300-acre Lake Wauburg has a public boat ramp; no canoe rentals in the park.
- 50-foot observation tower reached by the quarter-mile Wacahoota Trail from the visitor center.
Ownership
- Florida's first state preserve, set aside in 1970.
On Google
Rating, reviews and photos from the park's Google listing.
Where you'll be
100 Savannah Blvd., Micanopy, FL, 32667
DirectionsWhere this info comes from
- floridastateparks.org Overview, hours, entrance fee, address, phone, amenities list
- floridastateparks.org Hours, camping fees, discounts, primitive fees, pavilion
- floridastateparks.org Campground details, amps, max length, pets, firewood, internet, trails, primitive and equestrian camping, fishing
- reserve.floridastateparks.org Bookable site list and site numbers
- floridastateparks.org Statewide rules: alcohol, golf carts, drones
- Florida Department of Health mobile home and RV park license list
- OpenStreetMap
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