WATER & COAST
Sweetwater Wetlands Park
Alachua County · North Florida & First Coast
More than 125 acres of built wetland that cleans water on its way to Paynes Prairie, with 3.5 miles of trail through it.
ABOUT THIS PLACE
Sweetwater Wetlands Park is more than 125 acres of wetlands and ponds on the edge of Gainesville, and it was built to do a job rather than to be looked at. Water passes through it and is cleaned before it reaches the wetlands of Paynes Prairie and the Floridan Aquifer below, which the city describes as working like nature's kidney. Having built it, the city opened it to the public, and 3.5 miles of crushed gravel trails and boardwalks now run through the cells and around the ponds. More than 260 species of bird have been recorded here. Alligators are resident and easily seen from the path, and butterflies are common in the warmer months. The park opens at seven in the morning and closes at sunset every day. There is a charge per car to come in, less for anyone arriving on foot or by bicycle, and the city asks for exact change or its parking app
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