Gainesville-Hawthorne Trail Bike Ride – Sunday - March 30^th              

This ride departs right at 10:00 at the Boulware Spring trailhead in the southern suburbs of Gainesville.   This ride is a rails-to-trail state trail that is mostly flat riding on a well-paved pathway.  The entire length of the trail is 16 miles; however, we are going to ride a few of the spurs that take you out to vistas of Paynes Prairie, which will add another 4 miles to the trip.  There will be two routes, a 20-mile leader route and a 36-mile leader route.   The groups will start out together, visit the spur routes together, then when the mileage hits 12, the short group will return, while the long distance folks can continue until about 18 miles before returning. 

We are starting this ride a little later because we want to give those that are camping time to pull-up their stakes and pack the car and drive the more than 20 minutes up the road to the trailhead.  The trailhead is in a residential and heavy use area, so you will not be leaving your car in some remote location. 

The first spur is just a short distance from the start.  It is an open view of the dry lake where their will be opportunity to see buffalo that the state has introduced to the prairie.  The next stop is another short distance where we park our bikes at the work camp and take a quarter mile hike to the Alachua sink.  This is where the lake drains into the limestone caverns below.   The third spur is about another mile up the trail and it takes you through open meadow pocked with pine, oak and wild plum.  This lengthy spur takes you down to the rim of the prairie for another look south toward Paynes Prairie State Park.  If it is not too late in the season, the plum trees will be in full bloom.

Other than a couple of more miles east on the trail, this is the extent of my experience on the trail, but I doubt anyone will get lost.  As pointed out on one of the personal journals below, this is a fairly remote route with no expectation of convenient stores or restaurants.  So come well nurished, bring a lunch and plenty of hydration. 

Here are additional links regarding this state trail, directions are included.

Gainesville-Hawthorne State Trail

Friends of the Gainesville-Hawthorne Trail.

Somebody's photos, comments, and journal  (I don't know these folks, but good stuff) Gainesville-Hawthorne Experience

Return to Clark's Trekker weekend overview

Click on these thumbnails to explore more about this ride.

Lake Alachua Spur

View from North Rim of Paynes Prairie