Enjoying the Gainesville Outdoors: Part 1

Goodbye sweater weather and hello better weather.

After a temporary winter hiatus, I’m back and ready to fill your eyeballs with plenty of things that you haven’t done yet and hopefully will want to do next. I’m capitalizing on this wonderful weather that should continue until the next Gainesville two-week winter and talking about fun things you can do outdoors all by your lonesome or with other humans.

Barr Hammock Preserve 

Tired of walking the same old sections of Payne’s Prairie that UF students do all the time? Already explored Lake Wauburg, that one overlook off of 13th Street and Bolen Bluff? Well, due to all this rain, it’s all mostly underwater by now and with a few more years of rain like this, we might as well just kiss all of Gainesville goodbye anyway.

Instead, you can go to Barr Hammock Preserve. For starters, this place is 6,000 acres worth of beauty. Once you walk a few miles and inevitably build up an appetite, it’s coincidentally right next to one of my favorite places: Pearl’s Country Store & Barbecue.

It’s your standard nature trail with plenty of wildlife and a quiet, serene beauty. I was there for roughly 30 minutes and saw two horses and three alligators, so be prepared to remain calm or run your ass off if need be.

According to the Alachua County website, “the 6.5 mile Levy Loop Trail is an unpaved loop that runs atop the levy and circumnavigates a 1,200-acre wet prairie, providing elevated viewing opportunities for wildlife and birding. Colorful shows of wildflowers can be seen in spring and fall. Beware of alligators[…]Barr Hammock south entrance provides 13 miles of trails for hikers, bikers and equestrian users.”

Did all you horse fanatics out there catch that? You can bring Seabiscuit around that trail to enhance your experience. It’s entirely free and seemingly empty most of the time so it can be a bit eerie if you’re into that sort of thing like I am.

Morningside Nature Center and Living History Farm

I’m sure most of you that have grown up in Gainesville have read A Land Remembered. If you haven’t I’m sure you’ve read The Little House on the Prairie. And if that’s still a no, then how are you even reading this?

This living history farm is immaculate. You love animals? You got them. You love old looking buildings? You got them. You love history, scenery, nature and nice people? You got them. The Nature Center itself has more than six miles of trails including a butterfly walk, and the Living History Farm is 10-acres of a blast from the Florida Cracker past.

The Center brings Florida cracker family living in the mid to late 1800s to life again, according to the City of Gainesville website. On Living History days (First Saturday of the month, September through May) farm visitors can observe daily life in 1870 as staff interpret bygone days through chores and activities.

I visited on a Wednesday afternoon because between 3 to 4 p.m. you can feed the animals with the Barnyard Buddies program. It’s also free, but bring a melon or squash with you to donate to our furry and feathered friends.

I’ll be continuing to add to this series as I do more fun things with this weather so stay tuned. Go hit these two hot spots and be ready to read more fun things to do outdoors.

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