A walk on the wild side is fun for the entire family, especially for resident of Oakmont in north central Florida.
Located in the heart of booming Gainesville, Oakmont is the area’s premier master-planned community, perfectly sited to take advantage of surrounding educational, arts and cultural and business opportunities.
It’s also only minutes from the prodigious outdoor recreation options that surround Gainesville, one of which is a varied and fascinating wildlife presence.
Read on for more about the fun, educational wildlife activities near Gainesville.
Go batty with the Lubee Bat Conservancy
One of the world’s top bat habitats is located in Gainesville, and its staff welcomes visitors eager to see and learn about these evocative creatures.
The Lubee Bat Conservancy houses more than 150 fruit bats. It can be found just north of Gainesville and the Monteocha Conservation Area, where its rural roosts house the bats and function as a center of research, conservation and public outreach.
The Conservancy hosts Saturday of Summer events (among many others) that are ideal for exploring the center and learning from the experts who care for the bats. It does a require an advance ticket purchase and tickets are limited.
Go bass fishing in Orange Lake
It’s in the top 10 of Bassmaster magazine’s latest ranking of top 10 U.S. bass lakes and is the only one ranked in Florida.
Sprawling Orange Lake, located southeast of the delightful vintage town of Micanopy, and just southeast of Oakmont and Gainesville, is overseen by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and is a prime destination for recreational and trophy anglers.
Try your own luck but odds are good you’ll snag a bite! Bassmasters magazine researchers monitored statistics that included numbers of fish caught, weight and other factors to reach their annual rankings.
Go birding then brewing
Here’s a great way to combine (or discover) dual interests in birding and Gainesville’s award-winning craft brew scene.
Meet at First Magnitude Brewing near downtown Gainesville to enjoy monthly, early-evening nature walks with Alachua Audubon Society volunteers. They’ll help you identify local birds and supply loaner binoculars if needed. Then toast the sunset upon your return to First Magnitude Brewing.
See giant lily pads at Kanapaha Botanical Gardens
Bonus! This one doesn’t involve some form of wildlife, but pets are welcome on the Gardens’ paved paths, which cover a large portion of its 68-acre track. Plus it’s right around the corner from Oakmont.
And while all of the Gardens’ displays and exhibitions are worth a visit (it’s home to the world’s largest public bamboo collection), summer is peak viewing time for Kanapaha’s giant Victorian lily pads. You’ll swear the largest are as big as a tabletop!
The Gardens are open all year, but guided walks at 10 a.m., on the first Saturday of each month are a great time to learn more about the lily pads and other collections and features.
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