Wild Bison Call this Florida Prairie Home

Wild Bison on Paynes Prairie — Paynes Prairie teams with wildlife, including a wild herd of American plains bison, abundant alligators and birds. Here the bison graze on the flooded prairie alongside an alligator and a great blue heron. (Photos: Michael Warren | iStock / Getty)

The typical picture of “buffalo” roaming the great North American plains understates just how far the bison ranged in their heyday. In the 18th century they could be found as far afield as Alaska, New York . . . and, yes, even Florida.

So when the Florida park service in 1975 reintroduced a small herd to Paynes Prairie State Park, just south of Gainesville, it was no gimmick. It was part of a plan to restore the the savanna to something like its appearance in the late 1700s. Today the 21,000-acre park is a Florida gem, with opportunities for hiking, birding, wildlife viewing, canoeing and more.

Florida Bison at Paynes Prairie — The famous naturalist William Bartram visited the prairie in 1774. Bison were known to the area at the time, but he didn’t spot any. His experience isn’t different from today’s visitors, who may visit the prairie many times before catching a glimpse of a bison. They’re big, and the biggest of them can weigh nearly a ton, but there’s lots of tall grass for them to hide.

William Bartram described the “Alachua Savanna” in lush terms during his visit in the late 18th century: “It is encircled with high, sloping hills, covered with waving forests and a fragrant Orange grove, rising from a exuberantly fertile soil. The towering Magnolia grandiflora and transcendent Palm stand conspicuous among them. Herds of sprightly deer, squadrons of the beautiful fleet Siminole horse, flocks of turkeys, civilized communities of the sonorous watchful crane, mix together, appearing happy and contented in the enjoyment of peace.”

Sandhill Cranes — Bartram’s description is still fitting today. The park is home to an abundance of wildlife including resident and migratory sandhill cranes, whose bugle-like call can be heard up to two and a half miles away.

A 50-foot observation tower near the park visitor’s center is the perfect way to enjoy a high view of the south rim of the prairie. Bring a pair of binoculars and keep an eye out for deer, bison, Spanish horses, and a vast array of birds — including up to 300 species.

The prairie basin is shaped and re-shaped by water. During wet periods it is almost completely submerged. For several years in the late 1800s steamboats navigated the shallow waters. But the prairie has also seen sudden drops in the water level. In 1891 the water level dropped eight feet in 10 days when the Alachua Sink suddenly opened up and drained the prairie like a bathtub.

A half a dozen hiking trails offer ample opportunity for exploration. But the 3-mile round-trip La Chua Trail on the northern rim is the best bet for spotting alligators and wildlife. It includes a boardwalk around the Alachua Sink, as well as a foray out onto the prairie where an observation deck provides a view of Alachua Lake. The La Chua Trail was named for the vast Spanish cattle ranch that occupied the region in the late 1600s.

Gators are plentiful along the muddy banks of Lake Alachua, including this large fellow who has picked up a decorative crown of what may be pickerel weed.

Red Wing Black Bird — This male red-winged blackbird was spotted along the La Chua Trail. The beautiful song of this bird is matched only by his colorful epaulets.

Wild Horses at Paynes Prarie — Wild Spanish horses graze along the prairie edge on the La Chua Trail. The horses are descendants of the animals brought across the Atlantic with the conquistadors.

If You Go: Paynes Prairie is located just south of Gainesville, Florida and is bisected by I-75 and US 441. The park is open daily from 8 a.m. to sunset. For more information, call (352) 466-3397 or visit their website.

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