Dark Hammock Legacy Ranch

A unique experience

A gentle breeze flutters through the leaves of 200-year-old granddaddy oaks draped with Spanish Moss. The sun peeks through the leaves of the oaks, tall palmettos and pines. As visitors here take in a natural beauty surrounding them, they realize they’ve left behind that white background noise that is so big a part of our culture. They have entered virgin land: Undisturbed, pristine Florida countryside where cattle roam green pastures. Here, they get a glimpse of what life was like 200 years ago when this was a land virtually without fences. When cattlemen made this part of central-western Highland County an overnight destination. It was here, under a thick oak hammock that the pioneers could bed down for the night, their cattle safe in a corral. They didn’t have to take four-hour shifts to calm the cattle; everyone could get a good night’s sleep. Today the property is called Dark Hammock Legacy Ranch, named after the oak hammock. And it still is a place of rest. Today it is a destination for those who long for the tranquility of a country refuge, far from the noise of interstate traffic.