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Payne's Prairie Observation Tower Hike route map
Difficulty: EasyOut and Back
Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park/Florida

Payne's Prairie Observation Tower Hike

Micanopy, Florida

1.0 mi

Distance

295 ft

Elev. Gain

22m

Est. Time

Out & Back

Route Type

Easy

Difficulty

About This Trail

Payne's Prairie Observation Tower Hike is an out-and-back trail in Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, managed by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, in Alachua County, Florida. It is 1 mile long and gains 295 feet. The nearest town is Micanopy, Florida, about 2 miles away in a straight line.

From the trail data on this page. For conditions and closures, see official sources.

Trail Conditions

Trail Conditions

Unknown

We have no current condition data for this trail. Check with the operator before you go, and submit a report below if you've been recently.

No recent condition reports. Be the first to share what you see on the trail.

Elevation Profile

Min:18 ft
Max:54 ft
Gain:90 ft
Loss:90 ft
Elevation profileA line rising and falling between 18 ft and 54 ft across 1.0 mi along the route, drawn from start to end.18 ft30 ft42 ft54 ft0.0 mi0.3 mi0.5 mi0.8 mi1.0 mi

Elevation at the labelled points along this route
PointDistance from startElevation
Start0.0 mi36 ft
High point0.1 mi54 ft
End1.0 mi36 ft

Trail Details

Route Type
Out & Back

Official sources & verification

Managed by Florida Department of Environmental Protection

Verify before you go

Source of truth

Where it is

Nearest town:
Micanopy, FL · about 2 mi away
County:
Alachua County, FL
Jurisdiction:
Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park · Florida Department of Environmental Protection

Nearest town and county from U.S. Census Bureau place records and county boundaries.

We display cached information from agency feeds. Hours, fees, permits, closures, fire restrictions, and conditions change without notice. Outdoors is not the permitting authority. Confirm current conditions for this trail using the links above before you go — you are responsible for compliance. Last verified by us: May 23, 2026. Our copy is more than a month old — please reconfirm with the agency before relying on it.Spot an error in our data?

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Legacy import — verify before navigating

Path geometry came from our pre-launch legacy database. Routes have not yet been re-verified against the operator and may differ from the actual trail.

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In this park

Other trails in Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park

View Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park
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