The Oleta River in Miami holds a special distinction of being is the only non-channelized, free flowing waterway in the county.
An oasis for wildlife within an urban jungle, this mangrove-lined river flows for seven miles from Highland Oaks Park to Biscayne Bay.
The park offers a community center, sports facilities, a playground, and an asphalt-topped loop trail.
Birding is popular here, owing to the abundance of trees and open water. Watch for alligators and crocodiles sunning along the water’s edge.
American crocodileResources
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Overview
Location: Aventura
Length: 1.1 miles
Trailhead: 25.964222, -80.151972
Address: 20300 NE 24th Ave, Miami
Fees: Free
Restrooms: At the community center next to the parking area
Land manager: Miami-Dade County
Phone: 305-932-2164
Open sunrise to sunset. Leashed dogs allowed. Crocodiles are common in this area.
Directions
From Interstate 95 in North Miami, head east on Ives Dairy Rd for 0.8 mile, before turning left where a large sign indicates the entrance to the park. The parking area is a short distance down the entrance road.
Hike
Beginning near an accessible parking space in front of the community center, follow a concrete pathway leading through a breezeway between two buildings.
The surface transitions to asphalt while heading northward, weaving between oaks accompanied by strangler figs in different stages of enveloping their host trees.
Community centerA dense thicket of pond apples lines the walkway in a quarter mile as it cuts through thriving wetlands surrounding the river.
A wooden bridge spans mangrove-lined banks. Turn left at the next intersection to begin the loop portion of the trail.
Pond apple forestSigns indicate the presence of crocodiles along a path through a grassy landscape dotted with gumbo limbo, oaks, and cabbage palms. Pass a playground along the way.
The trail curves eastward after crossing a second bridge flanked by cypress trees near the half mile mark, opening to a gentle slope along the water’s edge.
Gallinules and white ibis frequent the pond at the center of the park, where a resident crocodile might be sunning next to the shoreline, especially in the cooler months.
Water crossingDistinctive calls of red-winged blackbirds and grackles echo across the water, adding a pleasing layer of natural soundscapes to the low drone of nearby traffic.
The trail continues its circumnavigation around the pond, lined with various exercise equipment and a handful of shaded benches.
Closing the loop near 0.8 mile, turn left to follow the path back across the river and past the sports complex, returning to the parking area in another quarter of a mile.
North side of the pondTrail Map
Explore More!
Video
Hiking Highland Oaks Park
Nearby Adventures
Oleta River State Park Camping cabins and mountain biking in Miami? You'll find them along with the expected beautiful beaches and paddle launches along the north shore of Biscayne Bay.
Arch Creek Park An oasis of natural tropical hammock in North Miami, Arch Creek Park hugs the eastern edge of its namesake creek, which once had a natural limestone bridge used by indigenous peoples and pioneers. 
Simpson Rockland Hammock Preserve A stone's throw from downtown, this old-growth rockland hammock is a tiny remnant of a vast tropical forest that once covered where Miami now stands.
Greynolds Park Opened in 1936, one of the oldest parks in Miami-Dade County features a shaded paved loop under twisted oaks and strangler figs, passing picnic tables overlooking the Oleta River.
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