Paynes Prairie

Paynes Prairie (seen from Interstate-75 in the photo below) is a natural area first described by William Bartram who dubbed this natural area just south of Gainesville, Florida, as the “Alachua Savannah” when this noted artist and naturalist visited the site in 1774.  The prairie is crossed by Interstate-75, which yields a great view of the flat, terrain making up the savannah. Occasionally floods have covered the plain (with the most recent occurring from 1871 until 1886 according to Wikipedia.org) at depths deep enough to permit the use of steamboats over the lake that formed called Alachua Lake at the time. 

Prior to settlement by Europeans, the area was a Seminole stronghold.  The name “Payne” was given to the prairie in the 1700s, which was the name of the eldest son of the Alachua band of Seminoles occupying the area at the time.  The prairie consists of approximately 21,000 acres and is a highlands freshwater marsh that supports over 270 species of birds.  Here the Seminoles herded the first horses and cattle they obtained from the Europeans.  Prior to European settlers, Plains bison roamed the area until the early 19^th Century!  In the mid 1970’s bison were reintroduced to the prairie by the park service from Oklahoma in an attempt to restore this State Park back to pre-European settler conditions.  The Park Service maintains a population of about 8 to 10 bison here.