Gainesville-Hawthorne Trail State Park, Rail trail in Gainesville, Florida, United States

The Gainesville–Hawthorne State Trail is a 16-mile (26 km) paved rail trail protected as a Florida State Park, running from Boulware Springs Water Works in Gainesville to the town of Hawthorne. It follows a former Atlantic Coast Line Railroad line bought from CSX Transportation in late 1989 and opened in January 1992, crossing Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park and the Lochloosa Wildlife Management Area. A grassy equestrian path runs alongside, except east of the Lochloosa trailhead.

The trail follows the route of a former railroad that once linked small towns across this part of Florida. Concrete mileage markers and whistle posts from that era are still visible along the path today.

The trail connects urban Gainesville to rural Hawthorne, passing through citrus groves, marshlands, and open prairie. As you walk or ride along it, the landscape shifts gradually from neighborhood streets to a world of wetlands and open sky.

Parking is available at the Boulware Springs trailhead at 3300 S.E. 15th St in Gainesville, at the Rochelle trailhead where county roads 234 and 2082 meet, at 7902 S.E. 200th Drive west of Hawthorne, and at 2182 S.E. 71st Avenue in Hawthorne. The Boulware Springs gate closes at 6 p.m. November through April and at 8 p.m. May through October; the Paynes Prairie stretch stays open until sunset all year.

The western section near Gainesville has noticeable rises and curves, which stands out in a state where most trails are flat. Many visitors are caught off guard by this change in the ground, making that part of the ride feel quite different from what they expected.