The McCarty Ranch Preserve, or Port St. Lucie’s McCarty Ranch Preserve, is a 3,100-acre preserve sitting squarely around Lake John and the smaller bodies of water: Lake Dan and Lake Brian. Located in Port St. Lucie, the ranch features 13 rustic campsites with modern amenities such as restrooms, showers, and free wifi, as well as 6 RV campsites, a boat/canoe launch, fishing, trails, and an 18-hole disc golf course, all of which are pet-friendly. The wide range of trails, designed for everything from horses to bikes, to the classic walking stick, is the real draw of McCarthy Ranch Preserve.
There are two hikeable nature trails located near the entrance and campgrounds. The Gopher Tortoise Trail is the longest at about 16 miles and is split evenly by the Palmetto Trail which is 1 mile long. On these trails, you will likely encounter abundant wild flora and fauna, such as bats, alligators, and a variety of predatory birds like the beloved osprey. The local flora resembles old Florida pinelands, which host slash pines, milkweed (a Monarch host plant!), and mulberry.
The McCarty Ranch Preserve can trace its roots to the influential McCarty Family and its patriarch, Charles Tobin McCarty, who used the land for cattle and pineapple farming in the 1880s. CT (Charles Tobin) McCarty’s grandson, Dan, became the state’s 31st Governor in 1953 while his son John managed the ranch. The ranch continued until 2012 when it was purchased and incorporated into city limits for the purpose of storing water and creating a recreational area for the community.
If you are seeking the perfect trailhead on foot or horseback, the McCarty Ranch Preserve is the place to go for your family’s (and pets!) fishing, canoeing, and hiking needs. For more information please go to the https://www.cityofpsl.com/…/mccarty-ranch-preserve…
Author: IOF Volunteer Sarina Pennington
Photo Credit: Courtney Smith 
