A protected natural area within Crandon Park, Bear Cut Preserve showcases a bounty of tropical landscapes along a series of connected trails.
Fronted by the Marjorie Stoneman Douglas Nature Center, the trail system can be accessed from a wooden ramp at the back of the building, or from the side if the nature center is closed.
Courtyard in front of the nature centerThe paved Fossilized Reef Bike Trail follows paved paths to a short trail and boardwalk with scenic views overlooking the ocean.
The Bear Cut and Tequesta Hammock Trails link together to explore a transition zone and maritime hammock, while the Osprey Trail follows along sandy dunes.
All of these trails are easily tied together to from a two mile loop hike across the preserve.
Pavilion along the paved bike trailResources
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Overview
Location: Key Biscayne
Length: 2.1 miles
Trailhead: 25.714722, -80.151472
Address: 6747 Crandon Blvd, Key Biscayne
Fees: $7 per vehicle weekdays, $10 on weekends
Restrooms: At the nature center
Land manager: Miami-Dade County
Phone: 305-361-6767
Open sunrise to sunset.
Directions
From the intersection of US 41 (Tamiami Trail) and US 1 (Brickell Ave) in Miami, drive south on US 1 for 1.5 miles. Turn left onto the Rickenbacker Causeway, the toll road to Key Biscayne. Once you’ve paid the toll, continue another 4 miles into Crandon Park. The preserve is at the north end of the North Entrance beach parking area on the left.
Hike
Starting the hike along a sidewalk on the beach side of the nature center, head north until the concrete ends at a sandy pathway under the shade of tall sea grape trees.
Cabbage palms, cocoplum, wild coffee, and dune sunflower flank the path as it follows a straight course paralleling the ocean.
Beginning of the trailA handful of side trails branch off to the east, crossing the dunes to provide beach access.
Iguanas skitter through the underbrush while hidden songbirds chirp in the trees and butterflies feed on the nectar of native lantanas.
Beach accessReaching a loop at the end of the paved trail in 0.6 mile, continue north across a small grassy marsh before reaching a boardwalk surrounded by a forest of mangroves.
Red, black, and white mangroves surround the wooden walkway commingling alongside bushy buttonwood trees.
Mangrove boardwalkFollow the partially shaded walkway to the end. An overlook provides spectacular views of a fossilized reef and the Miami skyline on the horizon.
From this point, head back to the bike path and stay to the right, following the pavement for a half mile to a junction with the Tequesta Hammock Trail.
Fossilized reefCountless sea grape leaves litter dark soils on the forest floor as the trail enters a deeply shaded tropical hammock.
Under a canopy largely consisting of sea grapes, lush clusters of thatch palms line the path alongside an occasional gumbo limbo or poisonwood tree.
Emerging from the forest at the end of the loop, follow the sidewalk southward to finish the hike at the parking area.
Tropical hammockTrail Map
Explore More!
Learn more about Crandon Park
Crandon Park With two miles of oceanfront on Biscayne Bay, Crandon Park melds a classic Miami beach experience with an immersion in nature.Video
Hiking Bear Cut Preserve
Nearby Adventures
Cape Florida State Park A popular destination for sun worshipers, Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park has a long strand of beachfront complimenting trails along Biscayne Bay and a historic lighthouse at the point.
Vizcaya Museum & Gardens The grandiose home of industrialist James Deering may be the star attraction, but the gardens of Vizcaya, set along Biscayne Bay, rival those of any formal estate. 
Matheson Hammock Park A tropical retreat along the coast of Coral Gables, Matheson Hammock Park has two distinct sides: a wild slice of the ancient Miami Hammock and a waterfront with a man-made atoll on Biscayne Bay.
Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden Established in 1938 as one of the world’s largest collections of tropical plants, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden is an integral part of the history of Florida botany and of Coral Gables.
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