Basics
- Length:
- 47 miles (75 km)
- Time:
- Two hours
- Fees:
- There are no fees to travel this byway.
Description
The Old Florida Heritage Highway leads the traveler along forested and pastoral countryside. Lakes, wetlands, prairies, and rural homesteads also enhance the landscape. The highway stands as a good example of one of the more well preserved sections of Florida Highway as it was before the interstates came along.
The byway is unique in that it consists of a twelve-mile stretch of four lane highway, U.S. 441, along with many county roads, or spurs, which branch out from U.S. 441, forming a network of limitless natural, scenic, and recreational experiences. In addition, the traveler can exit I-75 to enter either end of the U.S. 441 portion of the byway, travel the length of the byway, and then reenter I-75 at the other end.
Tourism Resources
Helpful Links
Tourism Resources
Points of Interest
Points of Interest Along The Way
Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings State Historic Site and House (FL)
The Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings State Historic Site and House consist of 68 preserved acres of the original Rawlings homestead at Cross Creek. Tours are offered at the Rawlings home.
Directions
Just off County Road 325, in Cross Creek.
Paynes Prairie State Preserve (FL)
Payne's Prairie State Preserve consists of 21,000 acres of protected wilderness. The Preserve contains almost 14,000 acres of basin with marsh, wet prairie, and open water. Uplands surround the basin with pine flatwoods, fields, ponds, and hardwood hammock. This wide variety of biological communities provides habitat for hundreds of species of wildlife and insects, with hundreds more species of wild flowers and other types of vegetation.
Directions
The majority of Payne's Prairie State Preserve is found in the area between US-441 and County Road 234, south of Gainsville.