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.
Historic coral rock pavilions along the East Hammock TrailResources
Resources for exploring the area
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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.
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.
East Hammock Trail in the picnic groundsThis 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.
Swimming atoll at Matheson Hammock ParkTrail Map
Map of East and West Hammock Trails from kioskExplore More!
Learn more about Matheson Hammock Park
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 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
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
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.
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.