• Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Florida Hikes logo

Hike Bike Paddle Camp Florida with authors Sandra Friend and John Keatley as your guides

  • Trails
  • Maps
  • Guidebooks
  • Search
  • Hike
    • Scenic Hikes
    • Loop Trails
    • Dog-friendly Hikes
    • Hikes for Kids
    • National Parks in Florida
    • Florida State Parks
  • Bike
    • Major Bike Trails
    • Paved Bike Trails
    • Off Road Biking
    • Biking Articles
  • Paddle
    • Canoe & Kayak Rentals
    • Paddling Destinations
    • Paddling Articles
  • Camp
    • Cabin Rentals
    • Car Camping
    • Primitive Camping
  • Florida Trail
    • Plan your Hike
    • Best Scenic Hikes
    • Best Backpacking
    • Section Hiking
    • Thru-Hiking
    • Trail Updates
  • Travel
  • Hike
    • Scenic Hikes
    • Loop Trails
    • Dog-friendly Hikes
    • Hikes for Kids
    • National Parks in Florida
    • Florida State Parks
  • Bike
    • Major Bike Trails
    • Paved Bike Trails
    • Off Road Biking
    • Biking Articles
  • Paddle
    • Canoe & Kayak Rentals
    • Paddling Destinations
    • Paddling Articles
  • Camp
    • Cabin Rentals
    • Car Camping
    • Primitive Camping
  • Florida Trail
    • Plan your Hike
    • Best Scenic Hikes
    • Best Backpacking
    • Section Hiking
    • Thru-Hiking
    • Trail Updates
  • Travel
Wild coffee in Miami

Matheson Hammock Trails

One of the wilder places showcasing a remaining piece of the ancient Miami Hammock, the Hammock Trails at Matheson Hammock Park immerses you in a tropical forest.

Matheson Hammock Park  |  Miami
( 25.682117, -80.271600 )      1.4 miles

553 shares

The Matheson Hammock Trail lays claim to time travel, a portal into a remnant of an ancient wilderness that once edged Biscayne Bay.

To take this hike means a visit to Matheson Hammock Park, a popular swimming and picnic destination around an atoll along the bay.

The remnant hammock and hike is west of Old Cutler Road atop the rugged limestone karst of the Atlantic Coastal Ridge, punctuated with deep solution holes and crowded with tropical trees.

The 1.4-mile natural footpath can be tricky to follow, but is well worth a walk in the woods to see this rare habitat. Future plans by the county include a boardwalk atop the present trail route.

Coral rock pavilions Historic coral rock pavilions along the East Hammock Trail


Resources

Resources for exploring the area

South Florida Explorers Guide book cover 50 Hikes in South Florida book cover Hikers Guide to the Sunshine State book cover

Disclosure: As authors and affiliates, we receive earnings when you buy these through our links. This helps us provide public information on this website.


Overview

Location: Coral Gables
Length: 1.4 mile loop and round-trip
Trailhead: 25.682117, -80.271600
Address: 9610 Old Cutler Rd, Miami
Fees: Free for West Hammock, fee for East Hammock
Restroom: At Matheson Hammock Park
Land manager: Miami-Dade County
Phone: 305-665-5475

Leashed dogs welcome. Please honor signage and construction-related closures as the trail and trailhead are under renovation (Jan 2022).

Matheson Hammock Park is open sunrise to sunset. Given the tropical forest canopy, it gets dark along this trail more quickly.

If you park within Matheson Hammock Park, there is a $5 weekday/$7 weekend parking fee. The park includes picnic pavilions, swimming beaches, and an acclaimed restaurant.

Trail in tropical forest


Directions

 
From US 1 in Dadeland, north of Coral Gables, take SW 88th St (Kendall Rd) 2.2 miles east to Old Cutler Rd. Turn south. The Matheson Hammock Trailhead is on the right, and the park entrance is on the left. Both are immediately north of Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden.

Hike

The trail is in two parts: The East Hammock Trail and the West Hammock Trail, on opposite sides of Old Cutler Rd.

To find the East Hammock Trail inside Matheson Hammock Park, look for the kiosk at the parking area nearest to the park entrance.

From the kiosk, follow the paved path back past the picnic area and restrooms. Turn right and walk through a short stretch of tropical hammock.

Picnic tables and path East Hammock Trail in the picnic grounds


This trail ends at Old Cutler Rd. Carefully cross the road and continue across to the trailhead for the West Hammock Trail.

The West Hammock Trail forms a loop through a shady tropical hammock, with thick foliage and outcroppings of limestone.

Watch for caves and sinkholes along the trail, where ferns grow lushly around their edges. Just imagine—this is what much of Coral Gables used to look like.

Improvements underway to this trail include an ADA-compliant boardwalk elevated above the existing rugged footpath, so expect closures for construction while this effort is going on.

Atoll beach Miami Swimming atoll at Matheson Hammock Park


Trail Map

Trail Map Matheson Hammock Map of East and West Hammock Trails from kiosk



Explore More!

Learn more about Matheson Hammock Park

Palms along an atoll

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.


Slideshow

See our photos of Matheson Hammock Park


Nearby Adventures

More worth exploring while you’re in this area.

Fairchild Tropical Gardens

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.

Pinecrest Gardens

Pinecrest Gardens

Established in the 1930s as a tropical tourist attraction, Parrot Jungle, this tropical forest in Pinecrest has deep roots, if you will, showcasing both native and exotic tropical species.

Bill Sadowski Park

Bill Sadowski Park

At the Bill Sadowski Park and Nature Center, the Old Cutler Hammock Nature Trail offers a glimpse of what Cutler Ridge, south of Miami, looked like before development.

Deering Estate homes

The Deering Estate

The Deering Estate at Cutler, a Miami-Dade county park, preserves both the historic buildings and a remnant of the Addison Hammock, a pine rockland along the old road following Cutler Ridge.

Official Website

Category: City Parks, Day Hikes, Hikes, Loop Hikes, South Florida, Southeast Florida, TrailsTag: Atlantic Coastal Ridge, Birding, Coral Gables, Geology, Matheson Hammock, Miami, Tropical Forests

Reader Interactions

Have an update? Contact us.

Primary Sidebar

SOUTHEAST FLORIDA

SOUTHEAST FLORIDA OVERVIEW
East Coast Greenway. Everglades National Park. Florida Trail

Big Pine Key. Biscayne Bay. Biscayne National Park. Boca Raton. Boynton Beach. Coral Gables. Davie. Delray Beach. Northeast Everglades Natural Area . Florida Keys. Fort Lauderdale. Fort Pierce. Hobe Sound. Hollywood. Homestead. Islamorada. Jensen Beach. Jupiter. Juno Beach. Key Biscayne. Key Largo. Key West. Marathon. Miami. Ocean to Lake Greenway. Overseas Heritage Trail. Palm Beach. Port St. Lucie. Redland. Sebastian. Stuart. Vero Beach. West Palm Beach

Our Newest Books

The Florida Trail Guide

The Florida Trail GuideOur definitive guidebook to planning backpacking trips on the Florida National Scenic Trail, now in its fourth edition. Full data charts and maps. B&W, 356 pages. $19.95 + tax & shipping.

Order Now


Florida Trail Hikes

Florida Trail Hikes 2nd edition coverFifty of the best day hikes, overnights, and weekend trips on the Florida Trail. Full hike descriptions and maps, full color. 376 pages. $24.95 + tax & shipping.

Order Now


Discovering the Florida Trail

Florida Trail mini coffee table book cover of trail into palm hammock
A visual journey the length of the Florida Trail, covering more than 1,500 miles from the Everglades to Pensacola Beach. Hardcover, 196 pages. $24.95 + tax & shipping.

Order Now
 


50 Hikes in Central Florida 3rd edition
Five Star Trails Orlando guidebook
Explorer's Guide North Florida & The Panhandle guidebook

Florida Trail Apps

Farout GuidesFarout Guides Comprehensive logistics and offline maps for the
Florida National Scenic Trail (1,500 miles), the Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail (108 miles), and the ECT Florida Connector (92 miles).

Explore More

Our recent park & trail updates in this region

Blue waters and sea grape along beach

Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge

Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge
Pond apple tree

Daggerwing Nature Center

Daggerwing Nature Center
Trail through tall grass and pines

DuPuis Loops 1 & 2

DuPuis Loops 1 & 2
Hiker in a dry cypress strand

Florida Trail, Ocean to Lake: DuPuis to Corbett

Florida Trail, Ocean to Lake: DuPuis to Corbett

Footer

FIND A TRAIL OR PARK

NORTHWEST FLORIDA
Apalachicola. Apalachicola National Forest. Blackwater River State Forest. Blountstown. Bonifay. Bristol. Cape San Blas. Carrabelle. Chattahoochee. Chipley. Crawfordville. Crestview. DeFuniak Springs. Destin. Ebro. Eglin Air Force Base. Fort Walton Beach. Freeport. Gulf Islands National Seashore. Madison. Marianna. Milton. Monticello. Mossy Head. Navarre Beach . Niceville. Panama City Beach. Pensacola. Ponce De Leon. Port St. Joe. Quincy. Sopchoppy. South Walton. St. Marks. St. Marks NWR. Tallahassee. Vernon. Wakulla. Wewahitchka

NORTH FLORIDA
Alachua. Amelia Island. Baldwin. Branford. Bunnell. Cedar Key. Chiefland. Crescent City. Dowling Park. Ellaville. Fernandina Beach. Flagler Beach. Gainesville. Green Cove Springs. High Springs. Jacksonville. Keystone Heights. Lake Butler.Lake City. Live Oak. Mayo. Macclenny. Micanopy. Olustee. Orange Park. Osceola National Forest. Palatka. Palatka-Lake Butler Trail. Palm Coast. Perry. Salt Springs. St. Augustine. Starke. Steinhatchee. Suwannee River Wilderness Trail. Suwannee Springs. Talbot Islands. Timucuan Preserve. Trenton. Welaka. White Springs. Williston

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Vimeo

MULTI-REGION
Big Cypress Swamp. East Coast Greenway. Everglades National Park. Florida National Scenic Trail

CENTRAL FLORIDA
Apopka. Belleview. Brandon. Brooksville. Bushnell. Canaveral National Seashore. Christmas. Chuluota. Clearwater Beach. Clermont. Coast to Coast Trail. Cocoa Beach. Cross Florida Greenway. Crystal River. Dade City. Daytona Beach. De Leon Springs. DeBary. Deland. Deltona. Dunedin. Dunnellon. Frostproof. Geneva. Inverness. Kenansville. Kissimmee. Lake Mary. Lake Wales. Lakeland. Largo. Leesburg. Longwood. Melbourne. Melbourne Beach. Merritt Island. Merritt Island NWR. Mims. Mount Dora. New Port Richey. New Smyrna Beach. Ocala. Ocala National Forest. Ocklawaha. Orlando. Ormond Beach. Osteen. Oviedo. Palm Bay. Ridge Manor. Sanford. Silver Springs. Spring Hill. St. Cloud. St. Petersburg. Tampa. Tarpon Springs. Titusville . Walt Disney World. Weeki Wachee. Winter Springs. Withlacoochee State Forest. Withlacoochee State Trail. Yeehaw Junction

SOUTHWEST FLORIDA
Bradenton . Charlotte Harbor. Ding Darling NWR. Englewood. Estero. Fort Myers. Immokalee. Naples. Pine Island. Port Charlotte. Punta Gorda. Sanibel Island. Sarasota. Venice

SOUTH FLORIDA
Arcadia. Basinger. Big Cypress National Preserve. Big Cypress Seminole Reservation. Clewiston. Everglades City. Fisheating Creek. Lake Okeechobee. Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail. Lake Placid. LaBelle. Lakeport. Moore Haven. Okeechobee. Pahokee. Port Mayaca. Sebring. South Bay

SOUTHEAST FLORIDA
Big Pine Key. Biscayne Bay. Biscayne National Park. Boca Raton. Boynton Beach. Coral Gables. Davie. Delray Beach. Northeast Everglades Natural Area. Florida Keys. Fort Lauderdale. Fort Pierce. Hobe Sound. Hollywood. Homestead. Islamorada. Jensen Beach. Jupiter. Juno Beach. Key Biscayne. Key Largo. Key West. Marathon. Miami. Ocean to Lake Greenway. Overseas Heritage Trail. Palm Beach. Port St. Lucie. Redland. Sebastian. Stuart. Vero Beach. West Palm Beach

  • Trails
  • Parks
  • Beaches
  • Gardens
  • Springs
  • Ecotours
  • Attractions
©2006-2022, Sandra Friend & John Keatley | Disclosure | Site Index | Work with Us | Advertise with Us
Terms of Service and Privacy Policy | Florida Hikes PO Box 93 Mims FL 32754| Contact