I love exploring natural areas and I saw a small sign for the R Hardy Matheson County Preserve off…read moreOld Cutler Road. There isn't a parking lot so I took a chance pulling off to the side of the road despite a number of no parking/ tow away signs. The nearest place I can find to park is approximately a mile away. As I was parking a number of other people with fishing gear also pulled over to park and headed to the preserve. The preserve is named in honor of Robert Hardy Matheson, a conservationist and former commissioner credited with helping create Biscayne National Park and MetroZoo. Matheson won his election to the county commission in 1964 by campaigning against an oil terminal in Biscayne Bay. With his support the site was instead turned into a federal park. His family donated the land for the county's first park, Matheson Hammock, and later for Crandon Park on Key Biscayne. Mr. Matheson passed away in 1993 at the age of 73. R. Hardy Matheson Preserve is 813 acres located east of Old Cutler Road. In 1982, the State of Florida purchased 640 acres that make up the majority of the preserve and entered into an agreement with Miami Dade County to manage it. The preserve is bordered by Biscayne Bay Aquatic Preserve to the east, Matheson Hammock Park and a housing development to the north, and the Snapper Creek Lakes residential subdivision, Snapper Creek Marina, and Four Fillies Farm to the west. The preserve contains a rustic hiking trail that takes you to Biscayne Bay. In the preserve is the remains of a prehistoric Tequesta Indian village dating to 500 BC. The site contains a midden, a kind of ancient garbage dump that can tell archaeologists a lot about the people who lived there, a village, and possibly a cemetery. Artifacts found in Snapper Creek include tools made from bones, pieces of broken pottery, and ax heads made out of conch shells. Today you might spot manatees swimming in the creek. The preserve is also home to a high diversity of rare ecosystems including pine rockland, mangrove, hardwood hammock and estuaries. Over 200 species of birds have been recorded here. Since 1910 the preserve has been covered with mounds of fill from the dredging of the Snapper Creek for navigation. Miami Fade County has restored large areas of the preserve and removed invasive plants. In 2012 volunteers from Wells Fargo grew red mangrove propagules and transplanted to the coastline of R Hardy Matheson County Preserve to give juvenile fish and crustaceans a habitat in which to grow. Currently, there are no developed recreational facilities at R Hardy Matheson County Preserve. An informal footpath spans the length of the maintenance berm along the canal. The path begins at the park entrance and runs along the north side of the canal to Biscayne Bay. There is also a graffiti covered cold war era bunker on the preserve. R Hardy Matheson County Preserve is not officially open to the public although people sometimes take the trail from Old Cutler Road and from Biscayne Bay to fish and sight see. In 2012 Miami Dade County developed a 10 year prospectus for the preserve which included making a parking lot, canoe launch, and picnic area. Unfortunately nothing was ever done and this area remains underutilized which is a shame because it has beautiful views of Biscayne Bay if you walk the trail all the way out.

Bring your snacks and spend the sunset, very nice place for water soporta also, not good for…read moreswimming. Great place to relax. Great place to relax.

Surfside is a charming tiny Miami Beach town of only one square mile nestled between Miami Beach…read moreand Bal Harbour along the Atlantic Ocean. The town has unique shops and restaurants, family-friendly parks, special events, and great access to the beach. The Surfside Walking Path runs from 87th Terrace to 96th Street parallel to the beach. There is a bike path alongside it. The walking and bike path are some of the best places to take in the fresh sea air and enjoy the views in Surfside. Along the way you will enjoy stunning views of the ocean as you pass by architectural gems like the Four Seasons Surf Club completed by Pritzker Prize winning architect, Richard Meier, the Arquitectonica designed Fendi Chateau, and ARTE designed by Italian architects Antonio Citterio and Patricia Viel. At the beach entrance at 95th Street you can find Ké, the Mother Turtle art sculpture which is the mascot for the town. On the day I visited people of all ages were strolling, jogging, biking, and walking their dogs, The Surfside Walking Path is a great way to inspire and enjoy healthy movement in people who may otherwise shy away from a gym.

I discovered this wonderful spot which is Surfsides jogging and walking path. It offers nature,…read morepeace and quiet, shade and gorgeous sea views. It is beautiful and runs from Bal Harbour to Surfside. Its roughly a mile long from 88th to 96th Street. Take a stroll from 88th Street through Bal Harbour up to Haulover Inlet, and you'll be rewarded with one of Miami-Dade's best beach views at the rock jetty. I also spotted this huge sculpture.

Maurice Gibb Park re-opened recently months after years of construction and it is safe to say it…read morelooks like a brand new beautiful park. There is a dog park, a kid play area, plenty of seating throughout, fishing areas, and walking paths. It's become a favorite spot to see sunsets. There is a small parking lot right in front, pay by phone street options, or a garage close by. Close to the Sunset Harbor shops, or you can bring your own bites to the park. Definitely a great spot!

The park has now reopened and is a wonderful attraction to Sunset Harbor. The Park has a new…read moreplayground area for kids with giant musical instrument slides and swings, a dog park area, and my favorite part what feels like stadium seating into the water to catch the sunset at the harbor. So beautiful and breathtaking. I recommend everyone come here and catch this. The playground area closes strictly at 8 around sunset time. You can stay outside watching the sunset. Public parking is right there so there is plenty of parking area.

The 6 acre Biscayne Shores and Gardens Park is a wonderful recreational resource for the Biscayne…read moreShore community. One of the highlights of the park is the nature inspired 10,800 square foot playground. The new playground was designed by LandscapeDE who was hired by Miami-Dade Parks, Recreation, and Open Spaces with the goal of creating a space that would encourage residents and their children to spend more time outside, be active, and de-stress. LandscapeDE creates very distinctive and creative outdoor play spaces for children. If you ever saw one you would know it instantly. They also created the amazing ADA accessible playground in Pinecrest Gardens with the anole lizard ramp and play structure and a brand new playground for Pioneer Park in Port St. Lucie. For Biscayne Shores & Gardens Park they built on a five foot earth mound and added an explorer dome, boulder climbers, an embankment slide, swings, bee and forest bug spring riders, a forest lake boat, and an embankment slide. Royal palms, gumbo limbo trees, live oaks, milkweeds, Fakahatchee grass, pineland crotons, yellowtops, porterweeds, gamagrass, giant ironweeds, and Boston ferns were planted to accent the area. The large trees give the playground the feel of being in a forest as they provide shade and connect the playground to nature. The playground was one of the first in Miami Dade County to incorporate nature based play elements. Biscayne Shore and Gardens Park also has a new 3,013 square foot recreation center that offers arts and crafts, after school programs, and camps. The recreations center includes a park office, restrooms, and storage space, a 20-vehicle lighted parking lot, walkway lighting, sidewalks, and landscaping. Additional amenities include picnic shelters, benches, and an exercise path that winds among the park's landscaping enhancing its natural beauty, with palm trees and colorful flowers adding to the vibrant and inviting environment. Biscayne Shores and Gardens Park is a charming and versatile space that caters to a wide range of interests and activities. With all of the recreational amenities it is a great destination for families, fitness enthusiasts, and anyone looking to enjoy a relaxing day outdoors. Whether you're a local resident or just visiting Miami, this park is well worth a visit, especially if you have children.

Yo, seriously, screw the po-po. I'm not all that tolerant of authority, but can't people have any…read morefun without being sent home because it's slightly "too dark"? That's the State for you, I guess. But anyway, large grassy area, plenty of room to kick a ball around, there's a baseball field (though however small), a basketball court, and a playground for children. This is a great working-class park, however, it's easily distressed by these annoying, useless government agents. Again, as soon as sunset hits, expect your local uniformed-thugs to send you packing home, because, yup, you guessed, it's "too dark" and those are the "rules".

Super cute mini park located in Coconut Grove. It's a locals park that people walk to (there is no…read moreparking). A quiet place to hang out with your pet. It's technically an on-leash park but its generally empty. (the off leash park is around the corner). It's not an expansive park but if you want a shaded bench and a quiet place.

This is such a sweet, shaded delightful park. It is set amongst a residential area. No doubt the…read moremajority of visitors are people in this zone. Luckily for me this sweet lil spot is very close to where I work. I bring my little charge for a play and run around. It is always clean and offers gorgeous shade.

Hi I am Sandra with Miami Love Balloons. I had a chance to…read moredo a balloon installation for a Unicorn Birthday Party. The park has a relaxed atmosphere. The picnic tables are moveable. The structure is 9ft tall with 8 poles. The distance between each pole is 112 inches and the distance from the front pole to the back pole is 125 inches.

Ocean Terrace Beach is the more quieter and more relaxed beach in Miami Beach. It's considered a…read moregood spot for those looking for a quieter and more relaxed experience away from the intense crowds and heavy traffic of South Beach. You will still have scenic views like some of the amazing views of the port and Fisher Island. For those who enjoy water wildlife, manatee sightings have been seen from the pier. They are quite active in this area. I have not heard of any shark sightings, thank goodness. This beach is very close by to Collins Ave amenities. You are still in the middle of all the popular sightseeing places. Parking is on the street. It just depends on what day and the time of day. I look forward to another visit.

Ocean Terrace Beach has a beach access point between 74th and 75th Streets. It is close to North…read moreBeach Oceanside Park which has beach volleyball courts and restrooms. Running parallel to the beach is a paved beach trail, which extends for over a mile, starting from Allison Park and ending at North Shore Open Space Park. People use it to bike, jog, stroll, and rollerblade. The Ocean Terrace Beach is currently fenced off but it can be still be reached by entering a different beach access point at one of the neighboring parks. It is closed because of construction associated with the mixed-use Ocean Terrace redevelopment project, a 20-story residential tower with 75 units, an 11-story hotel with 127 rooms, and new retail and restaurant venues. $15 million is being invested into the redevelopment of a 5-acre public oceanfront greenspace for the public to enjoy. It will be designed by landscape architect Raymond Jungles. The property east of the development site will have new water features and seating areas, along with additional walking trails. I can't wait to see how this new space enhances the beach.

Bal Harbour is an exclusive, 1-square-mile affluent village at the northern tip of Miami Beach. It…read moreis known for its white-sand beaches, luxury oceanfront resorts, and high-end Bal Harbour Shops. In my humble opinion the crown jewel of Bal Harbour is the beach. Located between 96th and 102nd Streets it is stunning and showcases what I love about Florida, its beaches. The Bal Harbour Beach is clean, peaceful, and less crowded making it ideal for families while South Beach favors nightlife and people who want to be on display. There is a pay by app lot I like to park at only two blocks away and there is also metered street parking. One of the nicest features of this beach is the scenic one mile paved pathway perfect for walking and biking. On this visit I spotted a beautiful floral installation of a bike and lamp post covered in live flowers as part of the Flora Fleurs de Villes exhibit happening right now throughout Bal Harbour. There is also a seawall jetty that extends into the ocean for fishing or taking in the view. Only a block away you will find a number of restaurants and Bal Harbour Shops is across the street. Swim, sun, and relax on the picture perfect wide, sandy beach. Whether you are coming for a few hours or the whole day, this beach is a true hidden gem in Miami.

Absolutely stunning! A relaxing and clean beach to visit. Parking options are limited but if you…read morefind street parking near by , you're in luck! Beautiful beach and a great crowd. I highly recommend.