Rock Springs Conservation Area on the western edge of Decatur, Illinois, is the largest site in the Macon County Conservation District, offering more than 1,300 acres of forest, prairie and wetlands. The Sangamon River runs through Rock Springs and several small ponds dot the landscape. The 8.5 miles of hiking trails and the two miles of the Rock Springs/Fairview Park bike trail provide outdoor recreation opportunities.
Rock Springs Conservation Area is also
home to a large nature center, a museum, birdwatching
area, the Homestead Prairie Farm and
features historic and environmental displays, meeting
rooms and the Conservation District administrative offices.
Rooms in the Nature Center are available for rent.
Nature Center - Ecocenter Hours
Monday – Friday: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Saturday: 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Sunday: 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Closed New Year's Day, Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas
The Ecocenter
The Ecocenter is an interactive museum located in the Rock Springs Nature Center , designed to teach people of all ages about plants, animals and the history of Macon County . Special interactive exhibits demonstrate the importance of conservation. The Blue Stem Theater features video tours of our local natural resources. Bird watchers will enjoy the bird feeding stations in the woods outside the nature center, viewable from indoor benches.
Charles Franklin Schilling Reference Library
The nature reference library, located in Rock Springs Nature Center is open to the public. It offers a wide variety of books and videos for loan on such topics as natural resources, nature study including plants, animals, geology, astronomy, and many other topics. The library features an excellent collection of books on prairie flora and fauna plus prairie habitat restoration and various resources on local history.
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