Florida is filled with natural landscapes: thick, lush forests of live oaks, soggy marshlands trapping tangled moss, and sandy coastal dunes rising softly above offshore marine habitats, to name a few. The state is in a constant flux, with lawmakers determining how to best protect its natural spaces while also making room for the development and infrastructure required to accommodate the state’s swelling population. Deep in Southwest Florida, about 25 miles northeast of Fort Myers, Babcock Ranch Preserve — a stunning 67,618-acre tract of former agricultural ranchland and timber logging now owned by the state — is trying to balance those interests. The state of Florida purchased Babcock Ranch in 2006, which was the state’s largest contiguous acquisition of conservation land in a single purchase. The land now preserves important native wildlife habitats, biodiverse ecosystems, culturally significant landscapes, and important water resources. It’s become a valued destination for recreational activities, too, with its hiking trails and bike paths, campsites, fishing spots, and eco-tours.
Originally called Crescent B Ranch, Babcock Ranch was owned by timber tycoon Ed Babcock. It totaled more than 90,000 acres and was a multi-operational estate hosting free-range cattle, rock mines, ostrich breeding, and alligator farming. Ed’s son Fred Babcock assumed ownership in the 1930s, and throughout the following decades, he elevated the ranch’s reputation as a conservation haven. Cattle ranching continued, but Babcock also restored forests, eradicated invasive plant species, and donated hundreds of acres of land for wildlife and native habitat preservation.
After Babcock died, development firm Kitson & Partners purchased the ranch, then sold 80% to the state of Florida, which now preserves natural habitats alongside a smaller working cattle ranch. The land was also developed into a first-of-its-kind solar city, utilizing an 870-acre solar farm to power 18,000 acres of energy-efficient homes and community structures.
Hike through the preserve’s trails or jump on a swamp buggy for an eco-tour
Babcock Ranch Preserve is an expanse of diverse Florida ecosystems, habitats, wildlife, and working ranch life with trails, outdoor recreation, and access to a rare version of “authentic” Florida. Dotted with cypress domes, pine flatwoods, prairies, and the largely cypress-laden Telegraph Swamp, it sits within the Caloosahatchee River Basin, often overlooked thanks to its proximity to bustling Fort Myers, a charming Gulf Coast destination renowned for its beaches. Travelers often miss Babcock Ranch Preserve in their travel plans because of the wide notoriety of Everglades National Park and Big Cypress National Preserve, an International Dark Sky Place, both less than two hours away…