Babcock Ranch near Punta Gorda

The sky blazed crimson at the horizon as the first rays of the sun touched the edge of the dawning day. Through the mist ghostly shapes of cattle emerged and the twittering sounds of morning filled the air. Florida, the way the pioneers saw it, is visible still in Charlotte County. And maybe, thanks to an agreement reached between Syd Kitson and the Babcock Ranch a few years back, will be for generations to come (despite some of the negativity that still surrounds Mr. Kitson’s. ideas).

Kitson acquired 17,000 acres of the 90,000 acre Babcock Ranch, which sprawls over Lee and Charlotte counties, for development, and the state obtained 73,000 adjacent acres of environmentally sensitive land for preservation. Kitson’s goal is to build the first totally solar-powered city in the world. A working ranch and the eco-tour would be retained as part of the overall plan.

We recently visited the Babcock Ranch and took the Wilderness Adventure Tour, a guided ride through portions of the ranch, which allows visitors to experience, quoting the tour information, “Old Florida.” We hopped aboard a modified bus, “swamp buggy,” which bumped its way through much of what will be the preserve area of the ranch through pinewoods, marshes and swamp, while the guide rattled on about the history of the ranch and the ecosystem which contains it. Longhorn cattle wandered up to the bus, as well as wild boar. We splashed through swampland and caught sight of alligators, and stopped for a visit with panthers that the Tour keeps in a zoo-like environment for the tourists to see.

At one point, a guide comes aboard the bus with a baby alligator for a close-up view

This is truly worth the experience, and something, if you live here, and haven’t done yet, you should do. Moreover, it’s the perfect guest thing taking up a reasonable amount of time, and engaging enough to keep both adults and kids of all ages entertained.

Average Time to See Attraction:
2 and 1/2 hours

Directions:

From the North:
I-75 to exit 164 to Highway 17 head North one mile to State Road 74 and go East 15 miles to State Road 31 then head South - look for Tour Entrance 6 miles on left

From the South:
I-75 to exit 143 head East on Route 78 to State Road 31 and go North 9 miles - Look for Tour Entrance on right

All Tours are by Reservation only:
Phone: 1-800-500-5583
Fax: 1-941-637-4611
Admission Prices:
Adults: $19.95 plus 7% tax
Children (3-12): $12.95 plus 7% tax
Call for prices for groups of 20 or more.

http://www.babcockwilderness.com