Two Florida State Parks, One Day
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I woke up on our first morning at O'Leno State Park with a mix of anxious energy and an itch to explore. Before breakfast, I hopped on my bike while Danny was still waking up and pedaled the mile and a half toward the Santa Fe River. The early morning air was chilly and quiet.
O'Leno State Park Campground
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When I reached the river, I walked along the water’s edge and took in the stillness. A suspension bridge stretched across the river, but it was closed due to damage from Hurricane Ian. After some time soaking it all in, I headed back to the campsite. We had a full day ahead of us.
O’Leno turned out to be a great spot for our first overnighter. It was the only campground we could find with availability weeks out. The sites were a little close together, but the river running through the park made it feel peaceful and tucked away.
As we packed up to leave, we stopped by the river again so Danny could check it out. Then we hit the road, with Orlando still ahead of us and one more stop planned along the way.
Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, just south of Gainesville, was nothing like what we expected to find in Florida. The landscape opens up into wide grasslands, and the scale of the place hits you almost immediately. Paynes Prairie is home to free-roaming bison and wild horses. We climbed a viewing tower near the visitor center and scanned the horizon for bison, but came up empty.
Not ready to give up, we headed out on the eight-mile Cone’s Dike Trail, bringing our bikes so we could cover more ground. Riding through the prairie made the vastness of it sink in. Long open views in every direction, tall grass moving in the breeze, and very little shade. Near the end of the trail, we finally spotted the horses grazing in the distance. Just a bit farther out, we caught sight of the bison lounging in the grass just off the path.
Just to keep things properly Florida, we also passed a momma alligator with a baby hanging out just feet from the trail.
From a quiet river morning to wide open prairie and unexpected wildlife sightings, it was an excellent start to our journey.
O’Leno turned out to be a great spot for our first overnighter. It was the only campground we could find with availability weeks out. The sites were a little close together, but the river running through the park made it feel peaceful and tucked away.
As we packed up to leave, we stopped by the river again so Danny could check it out. Then we hit the road, with Orlando still ahead of us and one more stop planned along the way.
Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, just south of Gainesville, was nothing like what we expected to find in Florida. The landscape opens up into wide grasslands, and the scale of the place hits you almost immediately. Paynes Prairie is home to free-roaming bison and wild horses. We climbed a viewing tower near the visitor center and scanned the horizon for bison, but came up empty.
Not ready to give up, we headed out on the eight-mile Cone’s Dike Trail, bringing our bikes so we could cover more ground. Riding through the prairie made the vastness of it sink in. Long open views in every direction, tall grass moving in the breeze, and very little shade. Near the end of the trail, we finally spotted the horses grazing in the distance. Just a bit farther out, we caught sight of the bison lounging in the grass just off the path.
Just to keep things properly Florida, we also passed a momma alligator with a baby hanging out just feet from the trail.
From a quiet river morning to wide open prairie and unexpected wildlife sightings, it was an excellent start to our journey.