Brooksville: a Florida Trail Town

Brooksville, FL

The City of Brooksville has been the Hernando County seat for more than 100 years. It is a thriving residential-commercial community that has experienced continuous growth while preserving its original charm. The Good Neighbor Trail, part of the Coast-to-Coast Regional Trail, goes through three city parks and downtown Brooksville. Visitors can enjoy multi-use trails, sports facilities, local food & drink, library boxes, and plenty of local art throughout town.

Russell Street Park - Good Neighbor Trailhead

Begin or end our trail journey on the Good Neighbor Trail at the Russell Street Park trailhead. Users have access to parking, water fountains, library kiosks, covered picnic tables, a pavilion, map kiosk, bathrooms, and two heritage sites. Downtown Brooksville is easily accessible from here, just a couple of blocks up on Main Street.

Russell Street Park - Train Depot & One Room Schoolhouse

Hernando Historical Museum Association maintains the two heritage sites at the Russell Street Park Trailhead. Visitors can tour the Countryman Family one room school house and the 1885 Train Depot with a kitchen train car on-site that was recovered from the Green Swamp.

Brooksville Water Tower

On the corner of E Liberty St and S Brooksville Ave, trail users have access to a water bottle filling station, bike repair station, bike racks, benches and tables, and a map kiosk. Visitors can rest and refuel here before heading right into downtown Brooksville.

Downtown Brooksville

Less than half a mile from the Russell Street Park Trailhead is the historic downtown Brooksville. Visitors can easily navigate the town with the city's wayfinding signage. Local businesses, restaurants, and shops are abundant and welcoming. Trail users can refuel their supplies at Pik'd Cafe and market or enjoy a beverage and photo-op with the Brooksville mural at Mountaineer Coffee.

Brooksville mermaid at the County Courthouse

Oak draped street in downtown Brooksville

Mermaid Trail

The City of Brooksville has worked closely with Brooksville Main Street to incorporate art and history into the fabric of the city. The Brooksville Mermaid Trail provides a fun scavenger hunt for mermaid figurines while also taking users on a tour of the downtown area. Brooksville Main Street has also developed QR codes that provide information about Brooksville's significant historical figures and the historical homes in the area.

Tom Varn & McKethan Park

The Good Neighbor Trail (part of the Coast-to-Coast Trail) runs through two more city parks . McKethan Park offers tennis courts, restrooms, a playground, and pavilion. Tom Varn park also offers a restrooms, recreation facilities, picnic areas, and a splashpad. The city's Jerome Brown Community Center is also connected to these parks and provides even more recreational opportunities.

Coast-to-Coast Trail

The Good Neighbor Trail is the section of the Coast-to-Coast Trail that runs through the City of Brooksville. As one of six Trail Towns along the Coast-to-Coast trail, situated between the Trail Towns of Dunedin and Clermont, Brooksville provides a great stopping point for trail users and visitors. Trail users have access to many necessary amenities and recreational opportunities in Brooksville and the city is constantly enhancing these resources.