Best of Alachua County
A college town, clear springs and a prairie where bison still roam, in north central Florida.
See things to do »Welcome to Alachua County
Alachua County is old Florida with a university in the middle of it. Gainesville, the county seat and home of the University of Florida, has the museums, music clubs and restaurants you would expect from a city of about 150,000 people with a large student population. Drive twenty minutes in almost any direction, though, and the landscape opens into hardwood hammocks, cattle pasture, limestone sinks and some of the clearest spring water in the country.
The county's best-known natural sight sits on Gainesville's southern edge. Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, Florida's first state preserve, covers about 21,000 acres of wet prairie and marsh, and a small herd of wild bison and a band of Cracker horses graze there, along with plenty of alligators. Interstate 75 and U.S. 441 cross the prairie on causeways, and an observation tower and the La Chua Trail let you look across it on foot. Just beyond the prairie, the little town of Micanopy keeps a street of antique shops under moss-hung oaks, and Cross Creek preserves the farmhouse where Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings wrote The Yearling.
To the northwest, High Springs is the gateway to the springs of the Santa Fe River. The river disappears underground and rises again near O'Leno State Park, then gathers water from a chain of springs before it reaches the Suwannee. Several of the most popular, including Ginnie Springs and Gilchrist Blue Springs, are just across the river in Gilchrist County, and Ichetucknee Springs is a short drive farther in Columbia County. They are close enough to High Springs that most visitors treat the town as their base for swimming, tubing, paddling and diving.
Gainesville itself rewards a day or two. The Florida Museum of Natural History and the Harn Museum of Art sit side by side on the university's cultural campus, bats stream out of houses at Lake Alice every evening at dusk, and downtown's brick blocks around Bo Diddley Plaza host concerts, a fall arts festival and plenty of bars. The city has a long music history, too: Tom Petty grew up here, and the independent music scene still fills small stages most nights. Students give the city its energy during the school year, while summer is quieter, with easier parking, shorter restaurant waits and lower hotel rates outside of special events.
This guide covers four areas: Gainesville and the university, High Springs and the springs, Paynes Prairie and Micanopy, and the towns of Alachua and Newberry with the preserves northwest of the city. Bookable tours are scarce in this part of Florida, so some area pages show only our recommendations; a travel specialist can still help arrange a stay around a football weekend, a festival or a springs trip.
Explore Alachua County by Area
Top-Rated Things to Do in Alachua County
Viator
Viator
ViatorTours, tickets, prices and reviews from Viator (a Tripadvisor company) and Tiqets — prices are per person, from, and were checked October 27, 2026. Best of Alachua County may earn a commission when you book, at no extra cost to you.
Where to Eat in Alachua County
Gainesville eats better than its size suggests. A Michelin-recommended brunch counter, a farm-to-table dinner spot that has changed its menu nightly for more than twenty years, wood-grilled steaks and a pizza shop with seats inside a vintage van all share the city with student cafes and a strong craft beer scene. Out in the county, Micanopy has a barbecue gas station and a roadside pizzeria, and Cross Creek serves frog legs and sour orange pie.
Festivals and Events in Alachua County
Alachua County's calendar runs on the school year and the seasons. January brings jousting at the Hoggetowne Medieval Faire, spring brings garden and arts festivals in Gainesville and seed spitting at the Newberry Watermelon Festival, and fall is packed: UF homecoming, The FEST's weekend of punk and indie bands, the Micanopy Fall Festival and the Downtown Festival and Art Show.
Want help planning Alachua County?
Tell us when you are coming and what you enjoy. A travel specialist will put together hotel, activity and travel options for you — free, with no obligation.
Get free trip quotes »Alachua County — FAQ
Where is Alachua County?
Alachua County is in north central Florida, roughly halfway between Jacksonville and Orlando along Interstate 75. Gainesville is the county seat and largest city.
How do I get to Gainesville?
Gainesville Regional Airport has daily flights from a few hub cities, and many visitors fly into Jacksonville or Orlando and drive about one and a half to two hours. Interstate 75 runs along the west side of the city.
Are the springs near Gainesville in Alachua County?
Some are, such as Poe Springs west of High Springs. Many of the best-known springs, including Ginnie Springs, Gilchrist Blue Springs and Ichetucknee Springs, are just across the Santa Fe River in Gilchrist and Columbia counties, 20 to 45 minutes from Gainesville.
When is the best time to visit?
Fall and spring bring comfortable weather for trails and festivals. Summer is hot but ideal for the springs, which stay around 72 degrees all year. Gainesville hotels fill up on University of Florida home football weekends and graduation weekends, so book early for those dates.
Can I see bison at Paynes Prairie?
Often, but not always. The small bison herd and the wild horses roam freely across the preserve, so sightings depend on where they are grazing. The observation tower near the visitor center and the La Chua Trail on the north rim give the best chances; binoculars help.