Chinsegut Conservation Center

Located six miles north of Brooksville, the Chinsegut Conservation Center is an environmental education facility managed by FWC that offers outdoor skills and conservation education programs to the public. Fun educational programs connect visitors with biologists and wildlife experts to explore and become familiar with Florida’s unique and sensitive natural areas. Outdoor skills programs such as archery, wildlife signs and compass navigation are offered seasonally as weather permits.

The center is located on the Chinsegut Wildlife and Environmental Area, which is home to many wildlife species that can be observed throughout the year. Catch a glimpse of gopher tortoises, white-tailed deer, bobcats, sandhill cranes or turkeys from the hiking trails or at May’s Prairie.

A site on the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail, Chinsegut is a choice location for seeing migratory as well as resident birds. White-tailed deer are abundant and frequently wander by the Conservation Center. The Conservation Center’s butterfly garden attracts a colorful array of butterflies throughout the year, with peak butterfly numbers in late summer and fall.

Both the Big Pine Tract and the Conservation Center Tract have several hiking trails, including the "Prairie-to-Pines Trail" which connects the two properties by winding through a variety of landscapes. Trails are open year-round on both tracts, but access from the trailhead at the Chinsegut Conservation Center is limited