Arch Creek was a Native American settlement in what is now present day Miami. Tequesta Indians…read morethrived here until the early 16th century when European settlers arrived. The name Arch Creek comes from a natural limestone bridge that spanned the creek and was once part of an important Native American trail. The bridge collapsed in 1973 after trees with roots likely holding the bridge were removed. This area includes Arch Creek Memorial Park and the Arch Creek Environmental Preserve. Arch Creek Environmental Preserve is a 13 acre nature preserve with a mangrove forest and coastal estuary. Mangroves are important because they help reduce erosion and they filter pollutants out of the water. It is a vital wildlife corridor between two major state conservation areas, Oleta River State Park Annex and the Biscayne Bay Aquatic Preserve. Some of the diverse wildlife you may see here includes manatees, saltwater crocodiles, wood storks, great-horned owls, egrets, herons, pelicans, ospreys, swamp rabbits, squirrels, raccoons, possums, box turtles, land crabs, ghost crabs, eagle rays, mullet, snapper, snook, grouper, and more. Arch Creek Environmental Preserve was designated as an Environmental Preserve in perpetuity by the City of North Miami in 2007. The Urban Paradise Guild has worked for years on habitat restoration projects such as removing invasive plants like Australian Pines and planting mangroves. There is limited parking at the start of the trail and the trail ends at the campus of Florida International University. The preserve includes a butterfly garden and the paved exercise trail used by walkers, runners, cyclists, bird watchers, and nature lovers. This was an enjoyable place to take a walk and enjoy nature in the middle of urban Miami. Whether you're looking for a quiet stroll, a safe place to exercise, or simply somewhere to unwind outside, Arch Creek Environmental Preserve offers a welcoming and accessible haven for nature enthusiasts.

I lived across the street from Arch Creek East for 10 years and somehow missed paradise hiding in…read moreplain sight. It took a global pandemic, endless doomscrolling, and one long walk to realize there was a slice of untouched Florida literally across the street from me the whole time. COVID-19 gave us a lot of things -- paranoia, banana bread obsessions, and, for me, the gift of finally discovering this little Eden. Arch Creek East is where Miami sheds the neon and noise and quietly reminds you what existed before developers paved paradise into condo parking lots. It's part of the ancient hammock ecosystem, sitting on what was once a Tequesta Native American settlement. Spanish explorers passed through here centuries ago, and if you close your eyes long enough, you can almost hear the whispers of history in the mangroves -- or maybe that's just the ibis arguing with the egrets. This place is wild Florida at its best. Winding trails, shaded canopies, and a breeze off Biscayne Bay that feels like nature hitting the reset button. You'll spot herons, manatees if you're lucky, and the occasional kayaker who looks way more coordinated than I'll ever be. During lockdown, this became my sanctuary -- my daily escape from cabin fever and bad news cycles. Arch Creek East isn't just beautiful, though; it's peaceful in a way Miami rarely is. There's no blasting reggaeton, no condo noise, no traffic screaming at you -- just water, wildlife, and sky. Pro tip: bring bug spray, a camera, and your curiosity. And if you've been living nearby for nearly two decades without visiting, do yourself a favor -- don't wait for a pandemic to stumble into paradise like I did.

North Beach Oceanside Park was originally established in the 1950s when the city purchased and…read moredemolished a series of dilapidated villas on the site. Today, it's one of Miami's largest parks, stretching from 78th Street to 87th Terrace. For years, the 28-acre site was left largely to nature. In 2017, the city approved a $6 million renovation, with Calvin, Giordano & Associates as project manager and West 8 leading the redesign. The renovation focused on preserving the park's natural beauty, including large palm trees, sea grapes, and its dune ecosystem, which protects against rising sea levels, while improving both aesthetics and functionality. Today, the park offers beach access with lifeguards on duty and plenty of space to spread out and enjoy the sun. Amenities include outdoor showers, restrooms, a dog park, picnic tables and grills, a sand volleyball court, three rentable picnic pavilions with grills, swings, a playground, and trails with a self-powered outdoor fitness course. Parking is available in the municipal lot on 83rd Street and along Harding Avenue. I especially enjoyed walking the trails--the park is much quieter than nearby South Beach, which you can also reach via the paved 8-mile bike trail. It's a peaceful, well-maintained spot for a day at the beach or an active outdoor outing.

15 years Miami and never had I been to this park up until today. And the reason why I ended up here…read moretoday is I was having breakfast close by and we wanted to find the closest dog friendly beach. Well Google and website says bark beach is here however upon arrival there were signs everywhere of no animals allowed however we saw there was dogs on the beach and went for it too. very beautiful park however i feel its only purpose is people coming here to barbecue as its one after the other. paid street parking only

This little park is a soothing oasis on the middle of the glass and glam that is Brickell. We had a…read morelovely walk in November and we stopped by the building where they hold events. We met someone who worked there who pointed out to us that because of all the construction on several sides of the little park, they have temporarily lost their parking. We had walked from our hotel so that wasn't an issue for us. It's a great little chance to immerse to yourself in nature in the middle of the city!

a cozy spot with a relaxed vibe and friendly service. The food was fresh and flavorful, though the…read moremenu is a bit limited. Overall, a nice place to grab a casual meal .

I absolutely love this park and there's always something to do. There's a children's playground…read morewith a lot of shade, a Chewy dog park and areas you can walk, ride a bike or skate by the water. Since it's near the water, you also feel a nice breeze that makes the Miami Heat bearable. The newly addition of the fountain with the water show elevated the space. I also like how it's close to Bayside, Kaseya Center and other parts of downtown; if you want to walk some more or find a place to eat nearby. Parking is also easy to find and affordable. If you want to spend some time outdoors with the family, including your dogs, this is a great place to come.

Great park with beautiful views! Bayfront Park is very clean, spacious, and easy to walk around…read more There are also several food trucks along the way, which is convenient if you get hungry while exploring. We stopped at Ricky's Frozen Drinks for a sausage and a lemonade. It was okay, probably a 2.5/5, but honestly, I was hungry so maybe that influenced my rating LOL. There are different parking lots around the park, but you do have to pay for parking. We also saw security driving around a couple of times, which made the area feel safe and well monitored. Overall, a really nice place to walk around, enjoy the views, and spend some time outdoors. Would definitely visit again!

This is a park located in the Spring Garden neighborhood of Miami. The park is on Wagner Creek…read morewhere the Miami River meets the Seybold Canal. Spring Garden is one of the oldest residential neighborhoods in Miami. It was settled in the 1840's by William English who built a coontie starch mill. Coontie was used like flour in the Seminole diet. They passed it on the settlers and it became known as Florida's arrowroot. The land Spring Garden Point Park sits on used to be a tourist attraction called Alligator Joe's. In the early 1900's. Warren Frazee also known as Alligator Joe staged an alligator wrestling show for tourists visiting Miami. During the summer he would take alligators and other Florida mammals on tours to northern states. While displaying animals at the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exhibition he contracted double pneumonia passing away shortly after at the age of 46. Adjacent to the park is another historic piece of land, the former estate of John Seybold, a German immigrant who came to Miami in 1896. He became a successful baker and bought the property where Alligator Joe's once sat on the Miami River. He developed the neighborhood of Spring Garden named after a spring on the southeast corner of NW 11th Street and NW 8th Street and a garden of oak trees and palms. The Seybold family lived in the neighborhood for more than 20 years. Spring Garden experienced significant growth from 1910 to the 1940's. Spring Garden Pointe was created in 1999 when the Spring Garden neighborhood partnered with the Trust for Public Land. This is a passive park where people from the neighborhood like to walk their dogs. There are trees, a paved path, and a couple of benches including an interesting stone one. I enjoyed reading the historic signs and watching the boats as they sailed down the Miami River. This park is on the Miami River Greenway, a 6.2 mile trail that begins at Bayfront Park and ends at NW 24th Ave. The trail links neighborhoods, businesses, cultural attractions, historic sites, and 9 public parks along both banks of the historic Miami River.

This is a super sweet spot, and probably not that well known, maybe until now! (oops sorry). It…read moredefinitely could do with a spruce up. But never the less it has its own charm - it is a small triangular park tucked away in a nice pocket in this area, right on the water. It offer a sweet, old school style atmospheric/ Coral Gables style bench as you enter which unfortunately, (or fortunately depending how you feel about it ) a bin for doggie waste. This bin was over flowing with doggy bags - which in essence is wonderful to see as it means the pooches owners clean up (they were all a lilac colour btw!). However, the stench was b a d, therefore NOONE would ever sit on that bench. I met a lovely couple who owned their own designed property quite close, who kindly told me some history about the place. It IS being spruced up, a new river wall is being built and they are discussing what to do, even talking about a kayak launch. To be honest you could kayak from there already and local people in the know apparently do, but it is essentially NOT on the map YET for this. If the grounds were in a better condition ie no evidence of rubbish, over flowing smelly bins I would give 5 stars... Still if you want a slice of quiet, to watch the ebb and flow of boats slip by you amongst the Miami River, I will see you there!!!!

Yesterday we stopped by this lovely little waterfront park in Miami's Upper East Side, known for…read moreits views of Biscayne Bay and a large red and white domino sculpture. It offers a peaceful and relaxing experience with walking paths, playgrounds, and picnic areas, and is a popular spot for families, pet owners, and photographers seeking scenic views IG shots. It is very well maintained and shows pride by the neighborhood. It wasn't very crowded on a Monday. Note: there are no restrooms at this park. There is some street parking around the neighborhood.

Albert Pallot Park is a small but unique spot right by the water. If you're driving on the I-195…read morefrom Miami Beach to Midtown, you'll easily spot the park thanks to the giant red domino pieces standing tall near the waterfront--definitely a cool design that makes for great photos. The park itself is well-maintained with clean pathways and a peaceful vibe, making it a nice place to take a walk, relax, or snap some pictures by the water. While the park is a gem, the surrounding area could use some improvement. Hopefully, as the city continues to develop and clean up, Albert Pallot Park will feel even more connected to the rest of the neighborhood. Overall, it's a nice place to visit, especially if you're looking for a quick stop to enjoy the view and take some cool photos. I'd definitely recommend checking it out!

This place is 5 stars for the history alone. It starts with the Tequesta Indians, goes through the…read morepioneers, the Seminole Wars, and Henry Flagler. This is a small park at only 9.4 acres but it has a huge history. When you pull in the lot you might not be that impressed. In fact right now they are doing an irrigation project that has the parking lot and entrance messed up. Don't be deterred by that however, with a little effort you can make your way in. I began my tour of the park with the small museum. That is where I met Aitch who was the most informative park employee I have ever met. I could have talked to her all day if it wasn't so hot in that museum. She told me all about the history of the park. The name of the park was taken from the limestone arch that used to exist there. It was an important trail for the now extinct Tequesta and later the Seminoles. During the 1800's this was the only bridge that provided passage between Fort Dallas in Miami and Ft. Lauderdale. It was used as a military trail during the Seminole Wars. Later on it became a tourist attraction when people would come over to picnic from Henry Flagler's railroad. In 1970 Arch Creek became the property of the Chrysler Automobile Corporation and they wanted to build a showroom on the site. In 1973 a group of citizens formed the Arch Creek Trust and went to Tallahassee to have the bridge preserved from future development. On the very night they succeeded to bridge collapsed and fell into the creek below. To this day people think that the bridge might have been sabotaged but nothing has ever been proven. The arch has been recreated out of concrete. The park is the site of one of six estuaries the Tequesta settled in around Miami county. The native people could fish and Arch Creek Bridge provided a highway into the Everglades. The Tequesta left behind a midden which is a garbage dump. Many important artifacts were found in it and you can see some of them in the museum. Aitch even let me hold a shell that was an actual Tequesta artifact! You can't do that anywhere else. You can see signs for the settlement on the nature trail that goes behind the museum although it is not directly marked. Aitch told me she could show me the exact site but I wouldn't see anything. It is buried beneath the ground like the Miami Circle. In 1858 the creek and bridge where used as a Coontie Mill. Coontie is a starch produced out of arrowroot that can used like flour. It was paved over but discovered in 1972. A historic military road leads from Arch Creek Park. The road was built during the Third Seminole War by the US Army. It ran from Fort Dallas on the Miami River up to Ft. Lauderdale. In 1892 the wagon trail became part of a county road crossing over Arch Creek Bridge. In 1915 it was renamed Dixie Hwy. In the 1900's Henry Flagler brought the railroad to Florida. You can see the tracks running right past the park. The railroad allowed a town to form that had train depot, post office, school, church, packing houses, and stores. Aitch has an actual Flagler railroad tie in the museum. I thought I knew a lot of history but I learned so much more here. My visit tied together a few other sites I visited like Fort Dallas in the Lummus Park Historic District. The park is always hosting events like a haunted tour with ghost stories in October. If you love history than this small park that has seen so much is a must stop in Miami.

This is one of Miami's hidden treasure filled with history of old Miami. If you're in North Miami…read moreor just in search of a quiet space, go there. Of course, there is the rebuilt arch over the creek, an old limestone bridge into town. There's the little museum filled with archeological material and historical evidence of early settlers. Then the trails, well kept and easy to meander around. It's worth your time and a nice escape from the busy city rushing by.

This pretty park is located in Coconut Grove next to the bay. We took a short walk along S…read moreBayshore Drive on a nicely paved walkway. We saw joggers, families and athletes working out. You can take a stroll to the bay to appreciate a marina and the boats as well as beautiful views of the Miami area. You can also jog, bike, push your baby in its stroller, or walk your dog. There are a couple of tall colorful metal sculptures of a giraffe, horse and a bull for kids to climb. All in all it's a nice, quiet park to explore. There are approximately 280+ parks in Miami-Dade county to enjoy.

We took a quick stroll to come and see the fountain. It was a small park with a lot of areas fenced…read moreoff. Not sure if it was in preparation of an event coming up or if it is always like that! There was a tall fence around the fountain where I was just able to get my phone high enough not to include in a photo, but wouldn't be able to get selfies or full body photos without the ugly fence. We sat by the water for a short time and enjoyed watching the boats and cruise lines coming back & forth. There was a shopping market happening across the street, so we ended up going there to kill more time before meeting the rest of our group.