Florida · Hiking

Cone's Dike Trail

4.0 mi
round trip
180 ft
climb
97 ft
high point
Out and back
route
Oct–Apr
best months

Cone's Dike Trail is a 4-mile hike in Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park in Florida, about 2 miles from the town of Tacoma. The trail is an out-and-back route that totals about 8 miles round trip, with a low point of 58 feet and a high of 97 feet. The climb is mostly flat, and the steepest stretch comes early, at about 0.2 miles in, with an 8% grade. The most comfortable months for a visit are typically spring and fall. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Gainesville show March highs around 76°F and October highs around 82°F, while summer brings highs near 91°F and the most wet days of the year. Several other trails sit close by. Chacala Trail and Jackson's Gap Trail are each about 0.8 miles away, and Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park Trail is about 0.9 miles away. For paddling, Prairie Creek is about 4.5 miles off.

  • Best time to go · Oct–Apr

    Best time to visit Cone's Dike Trail

    Best months: October–April. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      67° / 43°

      8 wet

    2. Feb

      71° / 46°

      7 wet

    3. Mar

      76° / 50°

      7 wet

    4. Apr

      81° / 56°

      6 wet

    5. May

      87° / 63°

      8 wet

    6. Jun

      90° / 70°

      14 wet

    7. Jul

      91° / 72°

      16 wet

    8. Aug

      91° / 72°

      16 wet

    9. Sep

      88° / 69°

      11 wet

    10. Oct

      82° / 61°

      7 wet

    11. Nov

      75° / 51°

      6 wet

    12. Dec

      69° / 45°

      7 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Gainesville Rgnl Ap, FL, 10 mi away at 123 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

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Jackson's Gap TrailPhoto: Rob Bixby, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Jackson's Gap Trail

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Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park TrailPhoto: Rob Bixby, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park Trail

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Chacala TrailPhoto: Rob Bixby, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Chacala Trail

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Still Branch CrossingPhoto: clembore, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

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Morningside Nature Center TrailPhoto: Alex Abair, CC BY 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

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Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors