Chinsegut Conservation Center: Central Florida’s Hidden Gem
by Rachel Penrod
A group of hikers travel down a low boardwalk through a stand of cypress trees. The trees are thick at first, then open up as the boardwalk ends in a long viewing platform. Dragonflies dip in and out of swaying grasses in the serene waters of a wet prairie, as the hikers take in the sights and sounds of wildlife all around them. This group is on a guided hike at the Chinsegut Wildlife and Environmental Area visiting May’s Prairie. Their guide, an educator from the Chinsegut Conservation Center, points out species of plants, insects, reptiles and amphibians adapted to this wet habitat.
Guided nature hikes are just one of the many public offerings on this 850-acre area nestled in the geologic Brooksville Ridge region. Ancient relic sand dunes are now gently rolling sandhills, covered by longleaf pines that undulate gently down to wetlands. As visitors explore the habitats and plant life that transition up and down the hills, they may discover Florida mice, red-headed woodpeckers, gopher frogs and other species uniquely adapted to this landscape.
Chinsegut Wildlife and Environmental Area is just 7 miles north of Brooksville in Hernando County. The area is managed by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and houses a nature center enjoyed by residents and visitors from across the state.
Year-round at the conservation center tract, visitors can take advantage of several miles of hiking trails as well as speaker programs and outdoor skills classes. Trails loop through oak hammocks and sandhills, and meander by wetlands, making up a beautiful part of the 1,500-mile Florida National Science Trail. A day hiker can take a short spur trail that leads to a wildlife viewing blind overlooking May’s Prairie. Wood duck drakes make a plaintive whistle as they swim in and out of maidencane, pickerelweed and other wetland plants.
Programs on wildlife viewing, nature photography, archery and other outdoor skills are offered regularly and available for groups upon request. Two trailheads at Chinsegut Wildlife and Environmental Area are open to the public from dawn to dusk seven days a week. The conservation center and associated trailhead located off of Lake Lindsey Road is open on Fridays and Saturdays from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m.
Chinsegut offers something for everyone, whether they are seeking solitude on an early morning hike or enjoying a program with friends and family. The next time you are in Central Florida, visit this gem tucked away in the sandhills of the Brooksville Ridge and discover the natural pleasures it provides. For more information and a schedule of events, visit MyFWC.com/Chinsegut.