Westby Ranch
5406 State Road 70 West : Lake Placid, FL 33852
Highlands County, Florida
Land Description
Land can become a large part of a family’s legacy and that history can help to shape the legacy of the land itself. That is the story of Westby Ranch.
Westby Ranch is a slice of Central Florida history - land that has been owned, worked, and cared for by generations of the same family for over 50 years.
Westby Ranch’s geography and size give it particular characteristics that are broad and uncommon in our state. The east side of the property sits on Florida’s Ridge, higher in elevation and with soils well adapted to growing citrus. Lake June-In-Winter State Park is on the NE border of the property with its pines, oak hammocks, and cutthroat seeps.
Moving west, the land descends from ridge to valley, where the pastureland is marked by Fisheating Creek, meandering over the acreage for more than 1.6 miles. The creek also marks a transition to the marshland area, which occupies the western side of the property. Adding to the beauty of this land are multiple ponds situated throughout and more than 3,000 feet of shoreline on Lake Crews.
Westby Ranch is a large tract, with 11,256 gross acres of land. Included are 7,360 acres that are encumbered with a Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) easement through the National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS). The easement is designated to preserve wetlands and can also allow grazing and numerous recreational activities on the property, including hunting. Other acreage includes 624 acres of producing citrus groves and 3,272 acres of cleared pastureland, all of which is unencumbered.
There are numerous improvements on Westby Ranch, each adding to its support base and income production. Included are seven wells, a barn, cattle pens, and a cell tower. Not to be overlooked are the nine singlefamily homes situated on the property, which range in size from 2 to 4 bedrooms and were built between 1964 and 1999. Two of the homes are currently rented.
Much of the land bordering Westby is protected, adding to its privacy and seclusion, but it isn’t isolated. The property is only five miles from the city of Lake Placid, and less than 20 minutes’ drive from Arcadia.
Three entrance points provide easy access to this land from Lake Groves Road NW, Lake Crews Road, and SR 70, where there is two miles of road frontage.
The history of Westby Ranch represents the best of Florida land through its natural beauty, history, amenities, income production, and excellent recreation traits.
