Think of Florida and you’ll likely picture young families posing in Mickey Mouse hats, beautiful people in neon bikinis tanning themselves on South Beach, and snap-happy tourists cruising the Everglades in search of gators. But here’s a secret that only the most experienced travellers know: northern Florida is an unsung paradise for nature lovers. Tired of crowded beaches, big-city living and “It’s a Small World”? Head north to one of these top sites to clear your head and bask in the beauty of Mother Nature.
University of Florida Bat Barns and Bat House, Gainesville
When your state is famous for its ginormous mosquitoes, having an insect-eating bat colony around is a relief. These structures at the University of Florida are the world’s largest occupied bat houses, with the colony estimated to number almost half a million. Each night after sunset (on warm evenings – above 18C), the bats emerge, at first one or two, then increasing into an inky arc as it gets close to dark. If you listen closely, you might even hear their echolocation squeaks. As a bonus, the bats are right across the street from Lake Alice, offering an option for alligator-spotting while you wait for night to fall.
Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, Gainesville
You can barely turn a corner without spotting a gator in Florida, but there’s only one place in the state where you can see wild-roaming horses and bison. Paynes Prairie covers more than 20,000 acres of wetlands and woods full of wildlife, including bobcats, wild turkeys and hundreds of species of birds. There are several paths for hiking, including the 16-mile paved Gainesville-Hawthorne State Trail; some are even open to those on bicycles or horses.
A boardwalk on the La Chua Trail leads into the middle of the prairie, and the park has a 50ft-high observation tower, ideal for snapping envy-inducing pictures. If you want to sleep under the stars, there are several campsites available.
