The Bear Creek Educational Forest

Just south of Quincy in Gadsden County — and only minutes from Tallahassee — the Bear Creek Educational Forest is a 492-acre jewel of the Lake Talquin State Forest system. More than just a place to walk among the trees, Bear Creek is an immersive environmental education center where free guided programs bring the forest to life for students and visitors of all ages.

Facilities include an air-conditioned indoor classroom, an outdoor classroom with seating for 60, three nature trails of varying lengths, and a remarkable paved “talking tree” trail where audio-enhanced storytelling points bring the forest to life. The forest meanders through wetlands, sandhills, and steephead ravines, hosting gopher tortoises, songbirds, warblers, and swallow-tailed kites.

Bear Creek Educational Forest is an outstanding Gadsden County resource for school groups, families, and anyone seeking a meaningful, educational outdoor adventure in the heart of North Florida — just minutes from Tallahassee.