Hiking is fun, but the journey isn’t always the destination. If you’re looking for a picnic spot that doesn’t take a miles-long trip to reach, check out the Devil’s Millhopper.
Located on the edge of town, the Devil’s Millhopper is special for the thing Florida lacks: topography.
A GIANT sinkhole, the Millhopper is 500 feet across and almost as deep as Beaty Towers is tall. Clear creeks and waterfalls line the walls, and as you descend temperature drops to comfortable levels: perfect for warm spring afternoons. Though the temperature is cooler in the hot months, it’s stable in the winter, and many species of plants normally found further south can survive inside the lush basin, shielded from the occasional winter frost.
A boardwalk has been built to help people descend without struggling or causing erosion, and it’s just a short walk to the bottom.
There, you can relax and eat, amidst the ferns and waterfalls and cool in the heat of an early Florida summer.
The park is open from 9 AM to 5 PM Wednesday through Sunday, and admission is $4 per vehicle.
Address for directions: 4732 Millhopper Road Gainesville, FL 32653
Additional note: The Millhopper does heat up on especially hot days. Make sure to bring water down with you!
