Fore! Golfers abound all over South Florida on beautiful days. Miami-Dade County alone has more than a dozen gorgeous golf courses, including the world-famous Blue Monster at the Doral Resort and Spa, home to the Doral Ryder Open. The Blue Monster has hosted PGA events for more than 40 years; every famous golfer in the world plays here sometime. Besides the Blue Monster, other spectacular courses in Miami include the Normandy Shores Golf Club in Miami Beach, the Biltmore Hotel course in Coralg Gables, Don Shula's Golf Club in Miami Lakes, the course at Crandon Park on Key Biscayne, the course at Haulover Park in North Miami Beach and the three 9-hole courses at the Miccosukee Golf and Country Club in southwestern Miami-Dade County. Every part of Miami offers wonderful opportunities for golf!
Biscayne National Park
Within sight of downtown Miami, yet worlds away, this park is the largest marine park in the national park system. It protects and preserves a marine eco-system with living, fish-bejeweled coral reefs, mangrove shorelines, a shallow bay, and emerald islands. Dante Fascell Visitor Center (open 9am-5pm) houses a museum, art gallery, auditorium/environmental and educational discovery room. Glass-bottom boat tours of the bay and reefs, snorkeling and scuba diving trips, canoe and kayak rentals (island excursions for sightseeing are available November-May). Open daily 7am-5:30pm.
Within sight of downtown Miami, yet worlds away, this park is the largest marine park in the national park system. It protects and preserves a marine eco-system with living, fish-bejeweled coral reefs, mangrove shorelines, a shallow bay, and emerald islands. Dante Fascell Visitor Center (open 9am-5pm) houses a museum, art gallery, auditorium/environmental and educational discovery room. Glass-bottom boat tours of the bay and reefs, snorkeling and scuba diving trips, canoe and kayak rentals (island excursions for sightseeing are available November-May). Open daily 7am-5:30pm.
Blue Moon Outdoor Center
305-957-3040
Experience the real South Florida by kayaking through the beautiful waters and cruising along a bike trail! Get away from the every day hustle and bustle lifestyle and enjoy the great outdoors right in the heart of Miami-Dade County. Blue Moon caters to first-time kayakers and cyclists, as well as provides rental gear and trips for the more adventurous and experienced kayakers and bikers. Guided trips available. Located at Oleta River State Park.
305-957-3040
Experience the real South Florida by kayaking through the beautiful waters and cruising along a bike trail! Get away from the every day hustle and bustle lifestyle and enjoy the great outdoors right in the heart of Miami-Dade County. Blue Moon caters to first-time kayakers and cyclists, as well as provides rental gear and trips for the more adventurous and experienced kayakers and bikers. Guided trips available. Located at Oleta River State Park.
Cape Florida Lighthouse
305-361-8779
The oldest structure in Miami-Dade County, the 95-foot-high Cape Florida Lighthouse at the tip of Key Biscayne has been restored to its authentic 1855 condition in Bill Baggs State Park. This tower has survived hurricanes, an 1836 Seminole Indian attack and several fires. Park also offers an award-winning beach, bike paths, an oceanfront and a harbor-front café and fishing. Tours: Thur.-Mon. at 10am and 1pm. Children under 8 are not permitted to the top of the lighthouse. Entrance fee: $5/car with 2-8 people; $3/car with 1 person. $1/person (walking, biking)
305-361-8779
The oldest structure in Miami-Dade County, the 95-foot-high Cape Florida Lighthouse at the tip of Key Biscayne has been restored to its authentic 1855 condition in Bill Baggs State Park. This tower has survived hurricanes, an 1836 Seminole Indian attack and several fires. Park also offers an award-winning beach, bike paths, an oceanfront and a harbor-front café and fishing. Tours: Thur.-Mon. at 10am and 1pm. Children under 8 are not permitted to the top of the lighthouse. Entrance fee: $5/car with 2-8 people; $3/car with 1 person. $1/person (walking, biking)
Crandon Park
305-361-5421
Ride on the restored carousel by the sea at Crandon Park (weekends and certain holidays). The historic carousel is at the heart of the Family Amusement Center, which includes an old-fashioned outdoor roller rink, sea horse-shaped splash fountain and a host of marine play sculptures at the beachfront playground. The park's beautiful two-mile beach is consistently named among the top-ten beaches in the nation, celebrated for its pristine sand, calm water, winding promenade and convenient amenities. Open 8am-sunset. $5 per car.
305-361-5421
Ride on the restored carousel by the sea at Crandon Park (weekends and certain holidays). The historic carousel is at the heart of the Family Amusement Center, which includes an old-fashioned outdoor roller rink, sea horse-shaped splash fountain and a host of marine play sculptures at the beachfront playground. The park's beautiful two-mile beach is consistently named among the top-ten beaches in the nation, celebrated for its pristine sand, calm water, winding promenade and convenient amenities. Open 8am-sunset. $5 per car.
Everglades National Park
239-695-2945
239-695-3311
305-242-7700
305-221-8776
With 1.5 million acres of watery wilderness, Everglades National Park is the third largest national park in the lower 48 states of the U.S. This "River of Grass" is home to wading birds, alligators, fish, turtles, snakes and other wildlife, including endangered species such as the manatee, the wood stork and the Florida panther. There are four park entrances: Royal Palm, Shark Valley, Flamingo and Gulf Coast. A good way to visit the Everglades is to walk the boardwalks and trails along the main park road and join in ranger-led events. Biking, fishing and boating are also popular park activities; please check at the parks' Visitor Centers for regulations and license information. For more information, please call 305-242-7700, Monday-Friday, 8am-4:30pm.
239-695-2945
239-695-3311
305-242-7700
305-221-8776
With 1.5 million acres of watery wilderness, Everglades National Park is the third largest national park in the lower 48 states of the U.S. This "River of Grass" is home to wading birds, alligators, fish, turtles, snakes and other wildlife, including endangered species such as the manatee, the wood stork and the Florida panther. There are four park entrances: Royal Palm, Shark Valley, Flamingo and Gulf Coast. A good way to visit the Everglades is to walk the boardwalks and trails along the main park road and join in ranger-led events. Biking, fishing and boating are also popular park activities; please check at the parks' Visitor Centers for regulations and license information. For more information, please call 305-242-7700, Monday-Friday, 8am-4:30pm.
Fruit and Spice Park
305-247-5727
The Fruit & Spice Park is a 37-acre public facility, and the only tropical botanical garden of its kind in the U.S. The park's tropical climate can be found nowhere else in the continental U.S. and hosts more than 500 varieties of fruits, vegetables, spices, herbs, and nuts, and other commercially important plant specimens from around the world. Visitors are invited to munch at our tasting counter inside our Park Store or enjoy lunch at the Mango Café. Open daily, 9am-5pm; daily park tours at 11am, 1:30pm and 3pm. Admission is $6 for adults, $1.50 for children ages 6-12, and free for children under 6.
305-247-5727
The Fruit & Spice Park is a 37-acre public facility, and the only tropical botanical garden of its kind in the U.S. The park's tropical climate can be found nowhere else in the continental U.S. and hosts more than 500 varieties of fruits, vegetables, spices, herbs, and nuts, and other commercially important plant specimens from around the world. Visitors are invited to munch at our tasting counter inside our Park Store or enjoy lunch at the Mango Café. Open daily, 9am-5pm; daily park tours at 11am, 1:30pm and 3pm. Admission is $6 for adults, $1.50 for children ages 6-12, and free for children under 6.
Greynolds Park
Once a rock quarry, it is now a 249-acre park consisting of a variety of habitats, most notably a relatively intact hardwood hammock and mangrove forest; Greynolds has bike and nature trails, a boathouse, paddle boats, canoes and kayaks, bird rookery, volleyball nets and a nine-hole regulation golf course (305-949-1741). Open daily sunrise to sunset. Admission is $5 on the weekends and holidays; free on weekdays.
Once a rock quarry, it is now a 249-acre park consisting of a variety of habitats, most notably a relatively intact hardwood hammock and mangrove forest; Greynolds has bike and nature trails, a boathouse, paddle boats, canoes and kayaks, bird rookery, volleyball nets and a nine-hole regulation golf course (305-949-1741). Open daily sunrise to sunset. Admission is $5 on the weekends and holidays; free on weekdays.
Haulover Beach Park & Marina
305-947-3525
Oceanfront park with 1.5 miles of beach, complete marina, charter fishing boats, a 9-hole golf course and tennis courts. Beach is open sunrise to sunset. An underground walkway connects the bay and ocean sides of the park. Parking: $5/car; $10 buses/RV. Clothing-optional area designated at the northern 1/3-mile of beach, in the signed-area only. Gawkers strongly discouraged!
305-947-3525
Oceanfront park with 1.5 miles of beach, complete marina, charter fishing boats, a 9-hole golf course and tennis courts. Beach is open sunrise to sunset. An underground walkway connects the bay and ocean sides of the park. Parking: $5/car; $10 buses/RV. Clothing-optional area designated at the northern 1/3-mile of beach, in the signed-area only. Gawkers strongly discouraged!
Matheson Hammock Park Beach
305-665-5475
A top-ranked family park with nature trails, a sand beach with lifeguards, picnic grounds, concession stand and marina. There's also a restaurant serving dinner (closed on Mondays). Park is open daily sunrise to sunset; beach is open from 8:30am-5pm on weekdays, 6pm on weekends. Admission is $5 per car, $10 per RV and $12 per trailer.
305-665-5475
A top-ranked family park with nature trails, a sand beach with lifeguards, picnic grounds, concession stand and marina. There's also a restaurant serving dinner (closed on Mondays). Park is open daily sunrise to sunset; beach is open from 8:30am-5pm on weekdays, 6pm on weekends. Admission is $5 per car, $10 per RV and $12 per trailer.
Miami-Dade Parks’ Eco-Adventures
305-365-3018
Create a strong connection with nature while immersing in these outdoor adventures: kayaking, canoeing, snorkeling, hiking, biking, and birding. Naturalist-guided adventures are designed for all levels. Explore unique natural areas as in some of South Florida’s most incredible outdoor landscapes, discovering native wildlife and breathtaking views. South Florida Expeditions by bike, hiking and airboat go into some of the best wilderness areas of the Everglades and South Florida coastal parks.
305-365-3018
Create a strong connection with nature while immersing in these outdoor adventures: kayaking, canoeing, snorkeling, hiking, biking, and birding. Naturalist-guided adventures are designed for all levels. Explore unique natural areas as in some of South Florida’s most incredible outdoor landscapes, discovering native wildlife and breathtaking views. South Florida Expeditions by bike, hiking and airboat go into some of the best wilderness areas of the Everglades and South Florida coastal parks.
Oleta River State Park
305-919-1846
Oleta River's mangrove forests, tropical hammocks and surrounding waters offer an urban oasis of outdoor activities in Miami: mountain biking, picnicking, canoeing, swimming, children's playground, fishing and kayaking. Guided nature walks upon request. Open daily from 8am-sunset. Admission is $5 per car of up to 8 people; $3 for a car with one person; $1 for walk/bike/roll-ins. Cabins rentals available for up to two weeks; for reservations call 1-800-326-3521.
305-919-1846
Oleta River's mangrove forests, tropical hammocks and surrounding waters offer an urban oasis of outdoor activities in Miami: mountain biking, picnicking, canoeing, swimming, children's playground, fishing and kayaking. Guided nature walks upon request. Open daily from 8am-sunset. Admission is $5 per car of up to 8 people; $3 for a car with one person; $1 for walk/bike/roll-ins. Cabins rentals available for up to two weeks; for reservations call 1-800-326-3521.
