This park was named in honor of Bill Kerdyk because of his passionate involvement in the local…read morecommunity. He was elected to the Coral Gables City Commissioner in 1995 and served until 2015. He was bestowed the title of Vice Mayor Emeritus. During his tenure, he established several community initiatives, including Parknership, a public-private partnership which raised over a million dollars to purchase and enhance open spaces and he founded the Coral Gables Trolley to improve the quality of life for the residents and business community in the city. Bill Kerdyk Park has ample green area for family picnics, children to run around, and just to enjoy a day in the sun. A really cool feature of the park is the solar bench where you can charge your electronic devices. The kids playground area has been recently renovated. The shaded playground has a 2-5 year old area and a 5-12 year old area. It also has a climbing wall. The park also has a large pavilion that can be rented for private events, paved walkways, large shade trees, and outdoor fitness equipment. I found the park clean and well maintained. This is a wonderful place to play to play and exercise in the City Beautiful.

What a wonderful little park conveniently located next to Publix. This park is always clean and…read moreready to be enjoyed. This is a nice little location to have your lunch break or even a family picnic while you play catch with your children or fetch with your dog. I have had the opportunity to walk this little park and even have small city bbq events which are always a delight. This amongst all the other parks that are available in the City of Coral Gables is just a small enjoyable location to enjoy yourself.

This park is full of beautiful and shaded trees , also extraordinary walking trails. A lot of space…read morefor people to have their personal space. Excellent park for exercising and training for self or group trainings.

This is a wide open park. It is also very huge and has different sections. There is a parking lot…read moreby a huge open field. Near the parking lot is a restroom facility and some picnic tables sprinkled around. They have some beautiful trees over there including banyan trees. The field is ginormous and has a disc golf course. A little further down from that area is another part of the park. There is a large parking lot over there and a huge football/soccer field and 8-10 artificial turf soccer fields that are enclosed by a fence. They have a covered patio area with picnic tables over there as well. Even though there are a bunch of trees around, there is not a lot of shade on either section of the park, so plan accordingly. You do not need a military ID to visit the park, as it sits outside of the gate. It is a very peaceful park and easy to get to. If you are looking for a low key park to hang out and relax then this is your spot.

Our next family adventure take us to Merrick Park located in the center of Coral Glades with a…read morecategory 4.6 and more than 600 reviews, this park offers different activities for the complete family throughout the year, depending on the current season. Now is Christmas time, the most wonderful time of the year and for the kids is amazing the city of Coral Glades create an small Santa village for the little ones enjoy and having fun with friends.

Not be confused with the Shops at Merrick Park which are located on San Lorenzo. It's a small…read more"island" park in the middle of three big streets across from the city hall. During winter time they turn it into a cute Christmas playground for kids. After that, they have a farmer's market every Saturday through February.

Every city has a heartbeat. In Coral Gables, it's Ponce Circle Park--a deceptively small patch of…read moregreen that's carried a century of history on its shoulders. You wouldn't know it at first glance. It looks like another well-manicured park with banyans throwing shade and benches full of locals scrolling their phones. But scratch the surface, and you find the bones of George Merrick's original Coral Gables dream. This was one of the first public gathering spaces Merrick laid out in the 1920s, back when he was building his "City Beautiful" with Mediterranean arches, fountains, and bougainvillea climbing like nature's graffiti. Ponce Circle Park was his town square, his living room, the place where his grand experiment in urban planning could breathe. It's history hidden in plain sight, smack on Ponce de Leon Boulevard, where old Florida ambition met the Spanish fantasy Merrick peddled to investors. Over the years, it's been everything from a quiet neighborhood lawn to the stage for farmers markets, festivals, and concerts. Coral Gables residents grew up chasing lizards here, picnicking here, staging community drama productions here. The banyan trees standing guard are older than half the buildings in Miami. They've seen hurricanes, weddings, protests, and more first dates than Tinder. What I love about it is the scale. In a city where everything screams bigger, newer, taller, Ponce Circle Park whispers. It's human-sized. You can sit on the grass and hear the jazz spilling out of Miracle Mile, or wander the farmer's market in winter and pretend you live in some Mediterranean village instead of hurricane alley. It's also one of those rare Miami-area parks that doesn't feel like it's been overrun or overdesigned. No theme-park polish, no Instagram playground. Just a square of history, culture, and community--simple, beautiful, alive.

The founder of Coral Gables, George Merrick opened this park in 1924 named for famed Spanish…read moreexplorer and Fountain of Youth seeker, Juan Ponce de Leon. He placed it in the Crafts Section of town. The park was designed to showcase the craftspeople of Coral Gables, potters, sculptors, artists, and furniture makers. Studios were planned for the park with the artists living nearby in the surrounding residential section. Merrick's vision was never fully realized but the open space remained in the heart of the downtown. On November 8, 1994, the Coral Gables City Commission renamed the park Fred B. Hartnett Ponce Circle Park. Fred B. Hartnett (1901-1995) was a Coral Gables Commissioner and a former mayor of Coral Gables (1955-1957). He moved to Coral Gables from New York in 1925 and was an active civic participant in the formation of the city. Among his many accomplishments, he was a founding member of the Church of the Little Flower, the Coral Gables Jaycees, and the Country Club of Coral Gables. Today George Merrick would be surprised by the towering buildings and construction that have sprung up around his little park. If you visit the today it park has a walking path, historical sign, markers, benches, and a fountain. There is open space to play and stage events. The City of Goral Gables is currently contemplating improvements to the park.

Bear Cut Preserve is located in Crandon Park at Key Biscayne. The preserve is on the shores of…read moreBiscayne Bay. In the nature center I learned that the preserve got its name from the Florida black bears that used to swim from Virginia Key to Key Biscayne. I guess even bears enjoy a beach day. Trails for the preserve begin at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Nature Center. The first trails you come to are the Tequesta Hammock Trail and the Bear Cut Nature Trail. Both trails are natural earth and are .3 miles long. They loop around through a tropical hardwood hammock. On the day I visited they were filled with mosquitoes. The 1.3 mile Osprey Trail is paved and perfect for bikes. It ends in a boardwalk that overlooks a 6,000 year old fossilized mangrove forest reef and gives a spectacular view of downtown Miami. You have to pay for parking in Crandon Park. You will also want to bring bug spray, sunscreen, and water. After you finish your hike you can visit the nature center, hang out on the beach, or explore the botanical garden on the other side of the park.

Bear Cut Preserve is located at the northern end of North Beach on Crandon Park. Named for when…read morebears swam to Key BISCAYNE from the mainland. Upon entering the park, make a left and head to the northern end of the parking lot. Bear Cut has three trails: 1) Tequesta [1/4 mile]; 2) Bear Cut [1/2 mile]; and Osprey and a Nature Center. The Center has exhibits and explains the unique flora and fauna of the Preserve. Pick up a trail guide at the Nature Center. All trails are accesible to the north of the Nature Center and are clearly marked. Tequesta and Bear Cut are more shaded and smaller than the Osprey trail, and cover part of the Hardwood Hammock ecosystem. The Osprey trail is on soft sand, paved and board walk. It takes you by the sand dunes and mangrove forest on an elevated board walk. It is 1.3 miles from the Nature Center to the highlight of the Preserve: a fossilized mangrove swamp that dates 2,000 years ago and is one of only 2 in the world, with the other in Japan. The board walk takes you through the swamp and has an observation platform at the end overlooking the fossilized mangrove. The trail has spurs along the trail that takes you to the beach. The more you walk the more secluded you are. Bring plenty of water, sunscreen

So quiet. Peaceful…read more Up the river is the Wharf. The Wharf is a cool place, been there a couple times, paid $300 minimum for the group to sit in a comfy lounger by the water. But you bring a cooler, a small grill, or use theirs, a call table and chairs and you have the same thing but waaaaay more peaceful. Watching the yachts going up and down the river is fun. This is not your typical free for all park jammed with families on the weekend. No one knows about this little park !! One gazebo, a few picnic tables, playground with rubber below, a couple grills, benches by the water. Plenty of shade. Great park to make- out.

At the turn of the century, the land where the park is was the property of Civil War General Samuel…read moreC. Lawrence of New England. He was injured in the Battle of Bull Run in 1861. In Miami he created an estate with a lush garden in which he planted with royal palms and a boat slip. He grew grapefruits on the rest of his land. After Lawrence passed away in 1911 the land was subdivided and the city of Miami purchased the land where the garden was 1964. A park was created and named for Miami pioneer Everest George Sewell who opened the first store north of the Miami River on March 26, 1896. He also served four terms as mayor of Miami. He died on April 2, 1940 at Jackson Memorial Hospital. The park is 10.33 acres along the Miami River next to the 17th Street Bridge. The park is two levels with the upper level near the parking lot containing a playground, barbecues, and benches. In this portion of the park you can see a historical marker and columns and stairs that are the ruins of Lawrences guest house that the city demolished in 1969. There is also the remains of the water pump Lawrence used to irrigate his garden. The lower portion of the park is a large linear green space along the Miami River providing a beautiful view of the water. The large royal palm trees that General Lawrence planted line the river bank. Here you will also find caves that belong to the Miccosukee Indian Tribe. There is a no trespassing sign but it is fascinating to think that there might be artifacts in there. I would be remiss if I did not talk about the cats here. This park is filled with stray cats. As an animal lover I was concerned but there were trays of food everywhere and they had the notch in the ear indicating that they are fixed. They looked well cared for. Eating at the buffet and interacting with the cats were various raccoons. Another interesting fact about the park is that the Miami New Times claims it is the best public park for Santeria rituals due to it's proximity to the river. Santeria is an Afro Cuban religion. Supposedly offerings of candy, fruit, and other objects are left on the river banks. The beautiful view and history make this one of Miami's more interesting parks to visit.

This place is indeed a hidden gem. It's unusual that it's right in the middle of residential area…read more You could be living steps away from it! Definitely a plus if you don't want to drive far. As this is a nature center and less a city park, there's no playground area, but instead natural trails for you to walk and explore. Great if you want to be out in the nature, without masks, and total socially distanced. This tranquil place is a great place to visit if you need to unwind. They have canoes for rent, a campfire area, and they have a sign that says butterfly garden - though I didn't see any butterfly and didn't quite know where exactly that garden may be. There's also a little free library as well. The restroom is clean and brightly lit.

The Bill Sadowski Park and Nature Center is named for Bill Sadowski, a former Department of…read moreCommunity Affairs Secretary who died in a plane crash in 1992 at the age of 48. He served in the House of Representatives and had a successful law practice in Miami where he practiced environmental law. It makes sense that a nature preserve would be named for him. The 30 acre parcel of land that makes up the park has three distinct habitats: pineland, tropical hardwood hammock, and drained Everglades slough. Hiking trails run through these areas. You do have to be careful while hiking, especially on the half mile Old Cuttler Hammock Nature Trail that is behind the nature center. This area was completely destroyed by Hurricane Andrew in 1992 but the canopy has since come back. There are a lot of limestone formations that are easy to trip on. Another of the trails leads to a canal where you canoe and fish while yet a different trail winds through a native tree arboretum. There is a nature center open daily from 10 to 4 with live animal exhibits and an 822 gallon freshwater aquarium. You can schedule tours and nature study programs at the nature center and rent kayaks. Picnic areas and rest rooms are available. Every Saturday night from 8 to 10 PM the Southern Cross Astro's meet in the parking lot near the main entrance. They have the largest public use telescope in Miami and the event is free. You might see a satellite, meteor, or the International Space Station. I hope to join them one evening.

Monarch Lakes Park is a recently renovated 15 acre park located behind Coconut Palm Elementary…read moreSchool. This park is part of Miramar's Monarch Lakes, a neighborhood of 647 acres located north of Miramar Parkway and east of Southwest 148th Avenue. Built in 1997, the neighborhood has 2,219 homes and apartments, 123 acres of lakes, and 24 acres of parks. In March the recently renovated park reopened with a new shade covered fenced in playground, rentable pavilion with picnic tables and charcoal grills, restrooms, press button splash pad, and paved walkways. There is a lot of open space for unstructured play but Monarch Lakes Park lacks trees so it is very hot in the direct sun. Still the upgrades are very nice and Monarch Lakes Park is an inviting recreational space for a party, casual friends and family gathering, or play.

Newly renovated park located behind the elementary school. It is small and quiet with a…read more spacious grass field surrounded by a sidewalk. It is also fenced all around. There is no lake on site. There is a very small splash pad in the back to cool off. The playground is new as well, although it seems to be more appropriate for older kids as it is mostly climbing obstacles and one single slide that is quite high. There are 2 pavilions which are equipped with an outlet, a grill and trash can. Pavilion 2 is located next to the playground and pavilion 1 is the one to the right of the restroom.