This is my favorite trail in Everglades NP. It has an elevated walkway above water and water…read morelillies. Park rangers lead frequent walks here, too. I think the entire walk is about a mile, but is suitable for those with limited mobility. I am not usually here in December, so I was surprised that I only saw one alligator. I usually visit in March/April, when it's gator mating season and I probably see a hundred. In the one area of the board walk, the great blue heron walked leisurely hunting small fish with no fear of a gator. There were minnows and even a decent sized fish. There is ample parking at the trail head, restrooms and a gift shop. They furnish blue tarps to protect vehicles from vultures, which can be particularly bad at some times of the year. This is the most scenic, walkable trail in the park.

The best nature trail I have visited for a long time. Flat accessible trail/ all paved or wood…read moreboardwalk. Bird watching, gator watching, flora and fauna were extraordinary! Saw four gators, spoonbills, blue herons and much more. Fast trip over from Lauderdale or Miami. I went on a rainy day and it was excellent activity.

Tucked away in a corner of Homestead this lush garden has an Indonesian, Indian, zen vibe to it…read morewith plenty of waterfalls, butterflies, horses and birds. Well kept grounds, interesting pop up restaurant and nice koi ponds. Best to visit in the morning when the heat is not so overwhelming.....

I went to the Patch of Heaven Sanctuary over the weekend and it was breathtaking! I got to…read moreexperience the lush forestry, beautiful water falls, butterfly room, tea room, Thai tapas. It was definitely a place you could spend hours just wandering outside and get lost in. I was there for three hours and still didn't see all of its wonders. They also have so many beautiful events that you can attend throughout the month to get in tune with both nature and yourself. You feel like you're in another world while you're there. It's so peaceful and majestic. I'm glad I found this beautiful treasure in Miami.

Took the kids kayaking at Flamingo Everglades park and it was a great experience. Dock Master…read moreRueben was very helpful and made sure we were prepared and safe before heading out. TAKE MOSQUITO REPELLANT!!!! PSA: Entrance to the was free due to it being July 4.

Probably one of the more lowkey National Parks in the US. Located about 45 minutes to an hour from…read moreMiami. With two official entrances into the park and visitor centers at each. Opted for a boat tour to see as much as possible, the tour was by Flamingo Adventures($48 per adult, $24 per child under 12). A nice way to see a lot and learn more about this National Park. Pro tip: bring bug spray and dress for the humidity, light layers + body fully covered! Lots of bugs!!

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.

Since this National Park is 95% water, you have to book some water activities to fully appreciate…read morethe uniqueness of this park! We did a snorkel tour our first day, which took us out in the bay where we got to snorkel in the mangroves and near a limestone shoreline that was filled with lobsters and unique marine life. Sometimes you will get to go snorkel the coral reef, however it was too windy the day we were there, which was disappointing but safety is first priority. Our second day, we kayaked the mangroves. This was my first time kayaking and it took a little while to get the hang of it but it was a cool experience. Going down the mangrove inlets was very peaceful and you could see some cute crabs hanging out at the root of the tree. Be sure to bring bug spray and sunscreen. You will need it! This park is free to enter, but excursions do cost. They are pretty affordable though. If you don't go on any, at least walk the trail around the visitor center and watch the 20 minute video about the park.

Biscayne National Park was a nice surprise on our Florida Keys trip. We didn't go in expecting…read moremuch, but it was actually quite beautiful and they had some fun activities on site. There were nice paved and groomed walking trails around the peninsula and bay, as well as a ranger-led fishing experience on the bridge, which didn't cost anything. One of the kids caught a neat looking fish. There was also a nice little visitor center with all sorts of information about the wildlife in the area, as well as different maps and rangers there to talk about what there was to do. Of course there were also junior ranger badges to get, which we made sure to do to add to our collection. Overall this is definitely worth a stop on any trip. Five stars!

The 112 acre Castellow Hammock Preserve is part of the Dade Archipelago, a series of rocky islands…read morethat once stuck out from the Everglades. The park was named for James S. Castellow, one of the earliest citrus farmers in the area. He homesteaded 160 acres in July of 1900 and he built a small house from wood he harvested and had milled. Hugh Matheson, Jr. purchased the property from him in the 1950's. The county purchased the property from Matheson in 1962. The sale included the hardwood hammock forest called Castellow Hammock by local snail collectors and botanists. In 1974 Castellow Hammock was opened as a park and it contained one of the first environmental education centers in Miami-Dade county. The education center offers a variety of educational classes., ranger guided EcoAdventure tours, canoe trips, kayak fishing excursions, biking in Everglades National Park, and biking through the historic Redland Farming District. In the summer there is a children's park summer nature day camp. Today Castellow Hammock is a tropical hardwood forest surrounded by the farms of the Redlands. There is a half mile trail that cuts through the preserve. The trail is narrow and filled with tree branches and protruding irregular chunks of limestone. You really need to pay attention to where you are stepping. The limestone contains solution holes where rare fern species can grow. Trees that make up the trail canopy overhead include mastic, gumbo limbo, West Indian mahogany, paradise trees, and Jamaican dogwood. On the ground you will find wild coffee and giant sword ferns. Living among the plants is the colorful Liguus tree snail of the Everglades and Keys that only lives in the hardwood hammocks. The park is part of the 2000-mile Great Florida Birding Trail and over 120 species of birds have been spotted here as well as 70 species of butterflies. Mammals that call Castellow Hammock home include raccoons, opossum, gray squirrels, southern flying squirrels, gray fox, and short-tailed shrews. Reptiles and amphibians have been found here including the venomous Eastern coral snake. Thankfully I didn't come across any. The park is perfect for hikers, birders, butterfly watchers, botanists, and other nature enthusiasts. I loved the hike even though I was constantly at risk of tripping over a tree root or slipping on a limestone rock. It was more interesting than my average hike. After you get your exercise you can sample some of the Redlands other delights like a wine tasting at Schnebly's or the cinnamon rolls at Knaus Berry Farm. There are so many reasons to love the Redlands.

Stumbled upon this nature center by chance and loved it. Did a nature walk through the hammock led…read moreby the awesome "H". She was incredibly knowledgeable, enthusiastic and fun. Learnt how the whole forest has an underground network of fungus. Might sound gross but it is fascinating! There are also this sink hole looking things called solutions that are super interesting to see and learn more about. The hammock is beautiful and you truly feel like you escaped Miami overall. The volunteers did some epic work on the butterfly garden. The bathrooms are clear and there are picnic tables all around. The nature center itself has a nice little exhibit to educate on birds, butterflies, snakes and the like. The staff is very friendly and helpful, and host several events throughout the month to educate and engage with the community. Archery lessons, evening walks, historic c bike rides and others. Looking forward to coming back!!

The original Flamingo is but a ghost town with just a few remaining foundation remnants left. Today…read moreit is the most Southern headquarters of the Everglades National Park, overlooks Florida Bay, and marks the southern end of the 99 mile Wilderness Waterway as well as the roadway end point of Everglades National Park. GPS: 25°08'28.96" N 80°55'25.73" W You won't find any Flamingos here. They were long ago eradicated with the last significant sighting having occurred back in 1902. But you will find beautiful scenery, a large camping area for tent, motorhome and trailer, tour boats, canoeing, a marina, boat ramps, an open in the winter only restaurant, a visitor and nature interpretive center. Also, plenty of birds including the American bald eagle, the osprey, various pelicans, gulls and the American crocodile. There are also a good number of raccoons, but you want to watch out for them when camping, since you'll find them to be not only food hungry but highly aggressive. Though camping is available during some of the summer months, you don't want to do it. The mosquitos will eat you alive and even during the winter months be sure to have bring plenty of repellant and best have your tent or other facility equipped with "no-see-um" screens. Before venture to Flamingo, remember to fill your vehicle up as you'll be over 40 miles from any gasoline station. Then for food, though there is one open during winter month's restaurant, my suggestion would be to bring your own. Flamingo is just about as remote an area as you'll ever find, surrounded by the pristine beauty of Florida Bay and the only everglades in the world. There is something about the remoteness, the vastness, the colors of the water and sky that are difficult to describe or put into words, but the uniqueness of it all is literally unparalleled by anything found elsewhere.

We stayed in the tent loop. Loved it. Not many people there which was great. Did the nature boat…read moretour, had a snack at the restaurant before we set up camp.

I was able to afford the opportunity to attend this beautiful location because I am a local and…read morehave a library card. Therefore, through the event programs I decide to get a museum pass and see the amazing place for myself. Personally, I absolutely loved it and thought it was totally worth it. Similarly, I appreciate Juan (a tour guide provided free with the purchase) who made the experience much more enjoyable. I recommend seeing the park for yourselves and taking a tour with him or David... really nice. And remember to enjoy the fruits, the space and the sights this park has to offer.

Hello.. well its been 8 years since my last review and crazy to say this experience was better. The…read moreplace still needs some updating. But in all was a great experience. This time around we finally got to ride the tram that has two tour times. One being at 11 am and the other at 1:30pm. I highly suggest you spray yourself with bug spray. We got to taste a variation of like 6 different mangoes, even got to have some red Jamaican cherry. Definitely a spot to come in the summer and to bring the little ones.

After a pleasant drive south from the Cocoa FL area we arrived at Larry and Penny Thompson Memorial…read morePark and Campground. The campground was suggested by our friends Bob and Lori. We're absolutely delighted to overnight in quiet Pod 5 site 1 which is a back in site with full hookup. Larry Thompson was a humor columnist for the Miami Herald for more than two decades until his death February 18, 1973. He is in the Florida Newspaper Hall of Fame. His wife Gladys "Penny" Thompson (née Rhodes), who died September 22, 1975, was a pioneer in women's aviation during the 1940s-1950s. She is in the Florida Aviation Hall of Fame and the Florida Women's Hall of Fame. She was the Florida chapter president of the Ninety-Nines, the women's pilot organization founded by Amelia Earhart. While in the Civil Air Patrol, she flew over the Gulf of Mexico searching for German submarines during World War II. Her plane was one of several hundred destroyed in a 1945 blimp hangar fire at the Naval Air Station Richmond, part of which was rebuilt as the park.

I love the layout of this park and the amount of trees!! The shelters are amazing for bday parties…read moreand if you get the ones by the lake then you're in for a treat for a beautiful sunset

Located at the same trail head as the Anhinga trail so plenty of parking with facilities…read more Although marked accessible, Gumbo Limbo trail is not as well maintained as the Anhinga. I would say this is not wheelchair accessible given the condition of some spots being cracked, pushed up by roots and having drop offs on the sides but it is a short hike and very flat. The tree canopy if this trail provides a full rainforest feel and some If the signage explains that. There's a nice pond overlook that is probably a good spot for alligator sightings and a neat stretch where the original Road to Flamingo was located. If you're stopping at Anhinga trail, this is a nice one to do in the same spot and a completely different experience.

It's a beautiful and readily accessible spot in the Everglades fairly near the entrance to the…read morepark. You'll be able to see water lilies and other flora as well as quite a few bird types along the boardwalks. The rustic trail is gorgeous and highlights just a glimpse of what the original Royal Palm Hammock was like. Great for getting a glimpse of the Glades.