Paul's Travel Pictures

Chacala Trail - Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park - Micanopy, FL
Pictures, a video clip, and visitor info from the Chacala Trail in Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park in Micanopy, Florida.

Main Menu            Home           Digital Cameras

Misc. Pictures            Articles            My Blog

Chacala-Trail-Paynes-Prairie-Preserve-State-Park-Micanopy-FL-001
US Highway 441
Chacala-Trail-Paynes-Prairie-Preserve-State-Park-Micanopy-FL-002
Paynes Prairie Sign
Chacala-Trail-Paynes-Prairie-Preserve-State-Park-Micanopy-FL-003
Wildlife Crossing Sign
Chacala Trail is a peaceful hiking path through mostly pineland within the Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park in Micanopy, FL.

The official distance of Chacala Trail is 6.5 miles but you could walk as few as 2 miles or as many as 8 miles round trip. There are three loops or "blazes" named Chacala Yellow, White and Blue.

The quickest route to arrive at the scenic view of Chacala Pond is a 4 mile round trip stroll past lettered posts "A", "J", "H", "G", left on F at the .3 mile spur and then back.

Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park is located a short ten miles south of Gainesville on the east side of US 441 at 100 Savannah Blvd, Micanopy, FL 32667.

Visitors are welcome in the park every day of the year from 8 AM to sunset. The entrance fee is just $6 per vehicle with up to eight people inside. Annual passes are available. To reach the park rangers by phone, call (352) 466-3397.



 
Chacala-Trail-Paynes-Prairie-Preserve-State-Park-Micanopy-FL-004 Chacala-Trail-Paynes-Prairie-Preserve-State-Park-Micanopy-FL-005
Chacala Trail Sign
Chacala-Trail-Paynes-Prairie-Preserve-State-Park-Micanopy-FL-006
Visitor Center - Puggy Rd.
Some of the creatures that can be seen on the Chacala trail include armadillos, hawks, woodpeckers, wild turkey, bald eagles, turtles, gopher tortoises, and butterflies. You may also run into a few wriggling green "hanging caterpillars" that are suspended by a thin filament from a tree branch.
Chacala-Trail-Paynes-Prairie-Preserve-State-Park-Micanopy-FL-007
Chacala Trail Info Sign
Chacala-Trail-Paynes-Prairie-Preserve-State-Park-Micanopy-FL-008
Chacala Pond, Jackson's Gap
Chacala-Trail-Paynes-Prairie-Preserve-State-Park-Micanopy-FL-009
Other paths in the park accessible from the main entrance are  the Wacahoota Trail, Cones Dike Trail, Jackson's Gap Trail, and Lake Trail. The Visitor Center (9 AM to 4 PM) is also located near the main entrance of the park where you can enjoy a variety of exhibits and the view from a 50 foot high observation tower.
Chacala-Trail-Paynes-Prairie-Preserve-State-Park-Micanopy-FL-010 Chacala-Trail-Paynes-Prairie-Preserve-State-Park-Micanopy-FL-011 Chacala-Trail-Paynes-Prairie-Preserve-State-Park-Micanopy-FL-012
Once you've explored all of the trails near the main entrance of Paynes Prairie, you can visit other parts of the 22,000+ acre park such as Bolen Bluff Trail off Hwy 441, the Ecopassage Observation Boardwalk (Hwy 441), the 16 mile paved Gainesville-Hawthorne State Trail popular with bicyclists, and La Chua Trail in Gainesville at SE 15th St. If you'd like to see alligators up close, I'd highly recommend checking out the La Chua Trail. (No pets allowed on La Chua for obvious reasons.)
Chacala-Trail-Paynes-Prairie-Preserve-State-Park-Micanopy-FL-013 Chacala-Trail-Paynes-Prairie-Preserve-State-Park-Micanopy-FL-014
 
Chacala-Trail-Paynes-Prairie-Preserve-State-Park-Micanopy-FL-015
Just a few of the recreational activities possible in Paynes Prairie Park include hiking, bicycling, fishing, boating (electric motors only), canoeing, camping, horse riding, picnicking, and wildlife viewing.
Chacala-Trail-Paynes-Prairie-Preserve-State-Park-Micanopy-FL-016 Chacala-Trail-Paynes-Prairie-Preserve-State-Park-Micanopy-FL-017
Pinecone
Chacala-Trail-Paynes-Prairie-Preserve-State-Park-Micanopy-FL-018
Chacala-Trail-Paynes-Prairie-Preserve-State-Park-Micanopy-FL-019 Chacala-Trail-Paynes-Prairie-Preserve-State-Park-Micanopy-FL-020 Chacala-Trail-Paynes-Prairie-Preserve-State-Park-Micanopy-FL-021
Chacala-Trail-Paynes-Prairie-Preserve-State-Park-Micanopy-FL-022 Chacala-Trail-Paynes-Prairie-Preserve-State-Park-Micanopy-FL-023 Chacala-Trail-Paynes-Prairie-Preserve-State-Park-Micanopy-FL-024


 
Chacala-Trail-Paynes-Prairie-Preserve-State-Park-Micanopy-FL-025 Chacala-Trail-Paynes-Prairie-Preserve-State-Park-Micanopy-FL-026 Chacala-Trail-Paynes-Prairie-Preserve-State-Park-Micanopy-FL-027
Chacala-Trail-Paynes-Prairie-Preserve-State-Park-Micanopy-FL-028 Chacala-Trail-Paynes-Prairie-Preserve-State-Park-Micanopy-FL-029 Chacala-Trail-Paynes-Prairie-Preserve-State-Park-Micanopy-FL-030
Black & Red Spider
Chacala-Trail-Paynes-Prairie-Preserve-State-Park-Micanopy-FL-031 Chacala-Trail-Paynes-Prairie-Preserve-State-Park-Micanopy-FL-032
Chacala Pond Spur
Chacala-Trail-Paynes-Prairie-Preserve-State-Park-Micanopy-FL-033
Swamp Area
Chacala-Trail-Paynes-Prairie-Preserve-State-Park-Micanopy-FL-034
Bench By Pond
Chacala-Trail-Paynes-Prairie-Preserve-State-Park-Micanopy-FL-035 Chacala-Trail-Paynes-Prairie-Preserve-State-Park-Micanopy-FL-036
Chacala Pond
While walking the Chacala Trail, I captured a few videos and later edited them together into one short clip. It includes one of the interesting green hanging caterpillars that we encountered on the path. To view the video clip, click on the blue link below. To download the video to your hard drive, right click on the link and choose "Save Target As" or "Save Link As".


Chacala Trail Video Clip - Walking & Hanging Caterpillar - Paynes Prairie Park

Chacala-Trail-Paynes-Prairie-Preserve-State-Park-Micanopy-FL-037 Chacala-Trail-Paynes-Prairie-Preserve-State-Park-Micanopy-FL-038
Hanging Caterpillar
Chacala-Trail-Paynes-Prairie-Preserve-State-Park-Micanopy-FL-039
Armadillo
Chacala-Trail-Paynes-Prairie-Preserve-State-Park-Micanopy-FL-040 Chacala-Trail-Paynes-Prairie-Preserve-State-Park-Micanopy-FL-041
Picnic Tables
Chacala-Trail-Paynes-Prairie-Preserve-State-Park-Micanopy-FL-042
Parking Lot
For more of my related photo galleries, click on the following links: La Chua Trail - Paynes Prairie Preserve Park, UF Homecoming Parade, Palm Point Nature Park, UF Gators Vs. USF Bulls, Import Face Off - Gainesville Raceway, UF Gator Gallop, UF Gators Vs. Redhawks, Lakeridge Winery, University of Florida Campus, SW 34th St Graffiti Wall, Gators Vs. Buccaneers Tailgating, Florida Caverns State Park - Marianna, Gators Vs. Canes, Motocross of Marion County, American Heroes Air Show, Kanapaha Botanical Gardens, Gainesville Raceway - Test & Tune, Gainesville Show Shine & Sound, Lake Alice, St. Augustine, Devil's Den - Williston, and the Ironwood Golf Course.

Main Menu       Home       Digital Cameras

Misc. Pictures       Articles       My Blog

 

Copyright 2024 © PaulsTravelPictures.com
 All Rights Reserved ®

Paul's Travel Pictures is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Privacy Policy     About Paul & Author Contact Info