Paynes Creek Historic State Park

Obviously this park has seen busier times.  The parking lot is large enough for many cars and boats with trailers, and there is this curious sign just before we got to the lot:

So it must get a lot busier than we found it.

The map shows how large the park is and how many different things there are to do here.

Another informational sign - All of the undergrowth in the parks and most of the huge empty spaces in the middle of Florida are routinely set on fire.  Pine and most palm trees seem to withstand the prescribed fires.

We often see worrisome clouds of smoke and remember a few years back when about half of Florida was on fire.  The prescribed burns supposedly keep the area safer as fuel for out of control fires is minimized.

It doesn't look very pretty when first done, but things grow so fast here that in days it starts getting green again.

 

Payne Creek Park isn't just for canoe people and fishermen, but it does have several places to get into the creek.  It also has a huge playground and several pavilions for picnic parties.  

The visitor center was closed due to Covid, but well-maintained grounds and sparkling clean restrooms at the main picnic/playground area showed it is being cared for.  We only saw two other vehicles in the entire park - both with out of state plates.