Take this Epic Hike at Devil’s Millhopper Geological State Park

Take an epic hike down into the mysterious sinkhole at Devil’s Millhopper State Park in Gainesville, Florida. This journey into past is the perfect day trip if you are camping nearby or just visiting the area.

The Legend of Devil’s Millhopper

This is the legend as written in the park brochure. All credit given to Florida State Parks.

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful Indian princess who lived in a village near the location of the present day Devil’s Millhopper. The Devil wanted to marry the princess, but she wanted nothing to do with him.

One day he decided to kidnap her. He grabbed the Indian princess and ran. On hearing this, all the Indian braves were deeply saddened and began to chase the Devil and the Indian princess. As the braves began to get closer and closer, the Devil created a huge sinkhole for the Indians to fall into.

That sinkhole is the Devil’s Millhopper you see today.

When the braves tried to climb out of the sinkhole to save the princess, the Devil turned them into stone. To this day, it is said, that the weeping of the water from the stone along the slopes of the Devil’s Millhopper are the tears the Indian braves shed for the beautiful princess.

Hiking

My husband and I had a lot fun hiking this state park. The park was beautiful with fantastic views of the sinkhole and surroundings. The park is not crowded, so you don’t feel like you have to hurry while viewing the sinkhole. Take your time and enjoy the view. It is amazing.

The stairs leading down to the sinkhole are easy to navigate. Beware the coming back up though. Climbing all those stairs was quite the leg workout. Give yourself time and take it easy. Don’t worry there is bench at top for you to rest and catch your breath.

There is a nature trail around the sinkhole that you can hike as well. The full loop is closed because of repairs being made to the bridge, so it’s more of walk in and out path.

If you are into Geocaching there is one located on the nature trails. There are a couple in the park, but we only had luck finding one. Not sure what Geocaching is? Check out my blog post, Geocaching With Kids.

Before You Go

Make sure to wear comfortable shoes, it’s not a lot of hiking, but going up and down those stairs will give you a workout. Also bring the bug spray. The mosquitoes are definitely present. There is a picnic area at the park, so plan on a snack or lunch. It’s a pretty area to stop and relax.

Also note that the park is closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Although there usually is a park employee in the area, no one is there to take your entrance fee. There is a pay station as you enter the park. For more information on Devil’s Millhopper State Geological State Park visit here. If want to find more weird and wonderful sites in Florida check out the book, Weird Florida by Charlie Carlson. Get out there and explore and find your next adventure.

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