River Ridge North

Property
Details

River Ridge North represents one of the finest plantation assemblages of land in the Red Hills region — a storied 2,069-acre plantation anchored by over 3.5 miles of Ochlocknee River frontage. Situated in Leon County, Florida, this is a property of genuine rarity: a landscape where exceptional habitat management, world-class recreation, and irreplaceable natural character converge at a large scale. Its chain of ownership reads like a who’s who of the Red Hills — passing through the hands of the Bannerman family, one of the region’s pioneering names, then the Phipps family, and most recently James Dahl — a lineage that speaks as much to the property’s enduring appeal as to its careful stewardship across generations.

“To say we hit a home run would be an understatement. This remarkable property, thoughtfully curated and stewarded by Mr. Jim Dahl, is truly one of a kind. Eric and the entire Wright Group team exceeded every expectation throughout the process.”
-Buyer, River Ridge North

The property’s signature entrance sets the tone for everything that follows: a cathedral canopy of live oaks stretching over 1.5 miles. Classic piney woods managed in the time-honored Red Hills tradition — native grasses, wiregrass understory, and the long view between mature longleaf — sustain wild bobwhite quail in the manner that made this region famous. Four lakes totaling nearly 100 acres have been professionally managed to produce world-class bass fishing, while a dedicated plant and flood duck pond provides exceptional sport given the proximity to the Ochlocknee River and nearby Lake Iamonia. Exceptional deer and turkey populations completes a recreational offering that few properties of any size can match- river bottoms, upland pines, and hardwood drains providing the habitat diversity that supports consistent, quality wildlife across every season.

The Ochlocknee River corridor delivers far more than frontage. It anchors a living, breathing ecosystem — a mosaic of bottomland hardwoods, cypress flats, and wetlands that move wildlife in ways the uplands alone never could. More than 3.5 miles of river wind through the property, establishing River Ridge North among an elite handful of properties in all of North Florida that share this outstanding feature. A boardwalk winds through a stand of virgin hardwoods and ancient cypress into the heart of a thriving rookery, where great blue herons, roseate spoonbills, and a chorus of native wading birds nest and wheel overhead in a scene that feels genuinely otherworldly. It is the kind of immersion that few places can still offer — a sense of true solitude that invites both reverence and reflection within the pristine natural surroundings.

River Ridge North carries a conservation easement held by Tall Timbers Research Station & Land Conservancy- one of the Southeast’s most respected conservation institutions — ensuring that the character and integrity of this landscape endure in perpetuity. In a northern Leon County corridor facing increasing development pressure, this protection is not a constraint but a permanent statement of value. For the discerning buyer who understands that true stewardship and exceptional recreation are not competing ambitions but one and the same, River Ridge North is without peer in the region. The sale of River Ridge North achieved the highest price per acre recorded for a tract of comparable character and scale in the region- a benchmark that reflects both the extraordinary rarity of the asset and the growing market recognition of conservation- protected land as the defining premium category in significant rural real estate. The transaction was identified off-market through The Wright Group’s deep regional relationships and privately brokered from introduction to closing. The seller, James Dahl, is a landowner of the national stature whose personal holdings have encompassed hundreds of thousands of acres. River Ridge North represented a meaningful part of that personal estate, and its sale under permanent conservation protection reflects a philosophy of stewardship that honors the integrity of exceptional land across generations.