Brevard’s Enchanted Forest

One of the wonderful opportunities that had been afforded to members of the myregion.org Naturally Central Florida committee has been the chance to explore various environmental treasures that exist within our region.

 The Enchanted Forest Sanctuary
The most recent opportunity occurred on June 27 when Naturally Central Florida held their meeting at the Enchanted Forest Sanctuary in Brevard County.

The Enchanted Forest is the “Flagship” Sanctuary for the county and was the first property purchased through the Brevard County Environmentally Endangered lands (EEL) Program.

The Environmentally Endangered Lands (EEL) Program was established in 1990 to protect the natural habitats of Brevard County by acquiring environmentally sensitive lands for conservation, passive recreation, and environmental education. This was made possible by citizens who voted to tax themselves up to $55 million dollars for the acquisition and maintenance of Brevard’s natural areas.

To stretch these funds as far as possible, the EEL Program forms partnerships with federal, state, and local agencies that are committed to the protection of natural resources and our long-term quality of life. EEL sanctuaries are managed to preserve native habitats and the plants and animals that live there.
Two former directors of the Brevard EEL, Dr. Duane DeFreese and Anne Birch, are members of the Naturally Central Florida committee and were excited to have the opportunity to show off the sanctuary and education center.

Mike Knight, who is also a member of the Naturally Central Florida committee and is the interim director of the Brevard EEL, led a tour through the trails.

Located in the southern limits of the City of Titusville, the 393-acre forest preserves a diversity of the natural habitats found in Brevard County. Several miles of hiking trails allow visitors to enjoy the natural beauty of the Sanctuary. The diversity is very noticeable as during a short walk you can go from a typical low-lying Florida scrub environment to a more majestic canopy of trees.

The Enchanted Forest includes five basic habitat types: oak scrub, mesic and hydric hammock, wet prairie, and pine flatwood. Wildlife species found in the forest include the Eastern indigo snake, Florida scrub lizard, gopher tortoise, white-tailed deer, and the bobcat.


Completed in 2002, the Enchanted Forest Sanctuary Management and Education Center provides interpretive educational exhibits, two 25-person capacity classrooms, offices, a reference library, restrooms, and a gift shop. In addition, the Center features an exterior screened porch and walkway, an outdoor amphitheater, and the Enchanted Crossing—an interpretive nature trail with a stabilized surface for universal accessibility.

A primary goal for the Center is to be a model of universal accessibility to outdoor areas. All features of the Center and interpretive trail are focused on accessibility for all people regardless of age or ability.