April 10, 2017
Anthony Galluscio La Chua Trail Hike
La Chua Trail at Paynes Prairie
Quick Facts
- Distance: 3 miles
- Duration: 2 hours
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Terrain: Flat boardwalks, grass, and sand paths
- Human Impact: Heavy impact due to proximity to Gainesville, FL
- Location: Paynes Prairie, FL
- Start: La Chua Trail parking lot
- End: La Chua Trail parking lot
- Dates: April 9, 2017
Getting Started
Becca (my wife), Bobby (my eldest son), Katie (my daugher), Miguel (Katie's boyfriend), Stevie (my 2nd son), and I hiked this very easy, but very interesting trail. The interesting part is that you can get VERY CLOSE to nature. The hike is an out-and-back that goes from the self-pay parking lot, out to an observation tower, and back. Parking costs $4.00 per vehicle on an honor system. Full disclosure on this hike is that you can get way closer to alligators than some people would feel comfortable. However, the wildlife on this hike is amazing. Here are some of the highlights:Wild Horses
Wild horses roam free and even walk on the trail with you. We saw several colts.
Alligators
There were many many large alligators. One of the park rangers told us that there has been a recent rash of cannibalism. In fact, right before we arrived there one alligator had just killed another and was eating it as we watched. Note this is NOT like Bass Pro because there is no fence between you and the gators.
Armadillos
On the hike out there was an armadillo on the trail. It did not seem at all afraid of us.