From its eastern boundary to western, rural areas to urban cores, Alachua County has parks and preserves throughout.  

The well-known gems—Sweetwater Wetlands Park, Depot Park, Gainesville-Hawthorne Trail, Paynes Prairie—attract visitors from across the state or beyond and service thousands of users each week.  

But a number of hidden gems are scattered across the county, with fewer guests but an equal amount of beauty to observe.  

Here’s a list of nine hidden gems: parks and preserves worth checking out. If you’ve got your own addition, place it in the comments below and help us get to a solid 10. 

Lake Alto 

17800 NE 134th Place, Waldo   

Featuring a boat launch, new floating dock and playground, Lake Alto Park (17800 NE 134th Place in Waldo) is great for fishing, kayaking or just enjoying the sights. The main park adjoins the 662-acre Lake Alto Preserve with 5.2 miles of unpaved hiking trails.  

The preserve trails allow horseback riding, cycling and hiking. The preserve is split into two sections: the north tract and the south tract. The north tract connects with Lake Alto Preserve via Treefrog Trial and has 3.2 miles of trails.  

 
The south tract has its own parking area (18795 NE 132nd Ave. In Waldo) just southwest of Lake Alto Park. This tract has a 1.2-mile canal loop. The loop follows part of the Waldo Canal, which connects Lake Alto to Lake Santa Fe. 

Find more info about Lake Alto Park and Lake Alto Preserve at the county’s website. 

Cellon Oak Park 

4100 NW 169th Place, Gainesville 

From hundreds of acres and thousands of trees to a small park with one huge tree. Well, Cellon Oak Park has more than one tree, but the Cellon Oak is the main spectacle, boasting a circumference of 30 feet and the title of largest live oak tree in Florida. 

The park is located a few miles north of Gainesville off State Road 121, called 34th Street within city limits. Just dig out the atlas and hop on NW 34th Street and head north, past 39th Avenue, past US 441 and about 2.5 miles before La Crosse.  

From Northside Park and the Walmart Supercenter off US 441, it’s about 7 miles and changes north.  

Saarinen Preserve 

3208 NW 186th Street, Newberry 

Owned and managed by Alachua Conservation Trust, a nonprofit dedicated to Florida conservation, this preserve was donated in the 1990s and is 2.5 miles straight west of Jonesville Park.    

The preserve has around 2.6 miles of unpaved trails with a thick tree canopy all the way.  

Watermelon Pond 

10700 SW 250th St., Newberry 

Surrounding Watermelon Pond, Alachua County and the state of Florida have conserved hundreds of acres. The land contains excellent sandhill habitat with both wide open views and heavily wooded sections. 

This is the area where the Alachua Audubon Society is building nesting boxes to study the southeastern American Kestrel. So, keep eyes peeled for the smallest North American falcon. 

To access the pond via boat, you can park at the county’s park (10700 SW 250th St. 

in Newberry). The park also connects to the state-managed preserve with over six miles of trails. Hunting is also allowed within the state preserve.  

You can also enter the state preserve via a dedicated trailhead that vehicles will reach before the pond. It’s at, roughly, 7822 SW 250th St. in Newberry.  

Watermelon Pond Preserve also has a connecting trail to a northern section of Goethe State Forrest, with 6.8 miles of additional hiking for the truly tough among us.  

Watermelon Pond Preserve Trials: Click Here 

Goethe State Forrest, Watermelon Pond trials: Click Here and scroll down to “Watermelon Pond” under maps.  

Palm Point Nature Park 

7401 Lakeshore Drive, Gainesville  

Off on the opposite side of the county, Gainesville’s Palm Point Nature Park has short walking paths, benches, picnic tables and beautiful views of Newnans Lake.  

It’s a good place to spot gators or migratory birds. From the shore, you can see what’s biting. Or consider reading how the state and local governments are working to improve Newnans Lake—at a cost of millions.  

Split Rock Conservation Area 

6400 SW 20th Ave., Gainesville 

On the other extreme of Gainesville’s city limits, Split Rock Conservation Area epitomizes “hidden in plain sight.” 

Located off SW 20th Avenue, a lot of cars pass the entrance each day, but since the entrance is for pedestrian and cyclist access (no parking lot), the area likely gets less attention.  

The conservation land is worth the trip though, with sinkholes and limestone outcroppings. 

Blues Creek Ravine Preserve  

6710 NW 69th Avenue, Gainesville 

Now to Gainesville’s northern boundary and another preserve operated by Alachua Conservation Trust.  

Blues Creek Ravine Preserve tucks itself between two heavy hitters in Alachua County’s park landscape: Devil’s Millhopper and San Felasco State Park.  

Hiding in the shadow of its well-known neighbors, the preserve features a 1.4-mile trail shaped like an ‘8’ that’s worth the trip. The area is a drainage basin for Blues Creek and other tributaries that flow through the preserve.  

Parking is available along the shoulders of NW 71st Street. A short walk down NW 69th Avenue will bring you to the trailhead.  

You can find a map at the Alachua Conservation Trust website. 

Mill Creek Nature Preserve  

14505 NW County Rd 236, Alachua 

Located north of the city of Alachua, Mill Creek Nature Preserve contains 5 miles of trails within 1,230 acres of conservation land.  

The property is a mix of Appalachian hardwood forest, small waterfall and pine flatwoods. Alachua County ranks the trails as a range from easy to moderate. During wet weather, some of the trails could be flooded and muddy.  

Find a brochure with the trail map at the county website. 

Longleaf Flatwoods Reserve 

On County Road 235, 2.3 miles south of Hawthorne Road (State Route 20) 

A co-owned property with Alachua County and St. John’s Water Management District, Longleaf Flatwoods Reserve has 6.25 miles of unpaved trails through pine flatwoods and cypress swamp. 

For birders, this is a good spot to search for Bachman’s sparrow, but other wildlife also abounds, with chances to spot gopher tortoises or bobcats.  

There’s no restroom or picnic area—just pure hiking, biking and horseback riding. The preserve does have a primitive campsite available for reservation for the water management district. Note: reservations need to be made 90 days in advance, so start planning. 

Did we miss a hidden gem? Without a doubt. Help this poor reporter out and place it in the comments.