River Ridge North sale sets Red Hills price record

A 2,069-acre Leon County plantation in Florida’s Red Hills sold off-market for a record price per acre in a private deal brokered by The Wright Group. The transaction highlights continued demand for conservation-protected land with strong recreation, habitat and water assets.

Why it matters: - River Ridge North set a new benchmark for comparable Red Hills tracts, underscoring the premium buyers place on conservation-protected land in North Florida. - The sale shows that large rural properties with strong recreation and habitat management can command record pricing even under permanent easement restrictions. - The deal also signals continued liquidity for elite conservation land in the Southeast.

What happened: - River Ridge North, a 2,069-acre plantation in Leon County, Florida, sold in an off-market transaction. - The Wright Group privately brokered the sale from introduction to closing. - The sale achieved the highest price per acre recorded for a tract of comparable character and scale in the Red Hills region. - The buyer’s identity was not disclosed.

The details: - River Ridge North’s ownership passed through the Bannerman family, then the Phipps family, and most recently James Dahl. - The property features a live-oak canopy stretching more than 1.5 miles at the entrance. - The land includes managed piney woods, native grasses, wiregrass understory, mature longleaf pines, rolling topography, food plots, ancient oaks and pristine lakes. - Four lakes totaling nearly 100 acres have been managed for bass fishing. - A dedicated plant and flood duck pond adds waterfowl hunting opportunities, aided by the property’s proximity to the Ochlockonee River and Lake Iamonia. - The property supports strong deer and turkey populations. - More than 3.5 miles of the Ochlockonee River run through the tract. - The river corridor contains bottomland hardwoods, cypress flats, wetlands and a boardwalk leading through virgin hardwoods and ancient cypress to a rookery. - Great blue herons, roseate spoonbills and other native wading birds nest on the property. - River Ridge North is protected by a conservation easement held by Tall Timbers Research Station and Land Conservancy. - The easement is permanent and preserves the property’s character and integrity.

Between the lines: - The sale reinforces how conservation status can add value rather than limit it when a property combines habitat quality, recreation and scarcity. - Northern Leon County faces increasing development pressure, which makes permanently protected land more rare and more valuable. - James Dahl’s sale of a meaningful part of a national-scale estate suggests continued transfer of trophy land to buyers willing to pay for stewardship and exclusivity.

What's next: - The new owner is expected to keep the property private, consistent with the confidentiality common in this market. - The record price per acre may shape expectations for future sales of similarly protected tracts in the Red Hills and broader Southeast. - The Wright Group is likely to continue marketing significant rural, recreational and conservation properties across North Florida and South Georgia.

The bottom line: - River Ridge North’s sale sets a new high-water mark for conservation land in one of the South’s most coveted rural markets.