Until recently dogs were not allowed in any of Miami's parks but here and there a park is allowing dogs in now. There are quite a few dog parks in Miami, both official and unofficial.
One is a five-acre Bark Park with paved walkways, benches, shade trees, waste dispenser stations, and specially designed drinking and spray fountains for dogs and their owners at Amelia Earhart Park. This dog-friendly oasis can be found at 401 East 65th Street in Hialeah.
Fifteen minutes to the north, canine hikers can get on the trails at Oleta River State Park. Historically the river, originally called Big Snake Creek, linked the Everglades with Biscayne Bay and was an important transportation route. Pineapples and vegetables were grown along its banks. The river no longer flows north to the Everglades but many of its primoridal features can still be seen in the 1,043-acre park, the largest urban park in Florida.
There are more than ten miles of trails in dog-friendly Oleta River State Park, most of which are heavily used by mountain bikers. Many of the trails run along the Biscayne Bay. Some trails are posted as "bike only" but with the lack of general canine hiking in the Miami area, this is still a good place to bring your dog.
Oleta River State Park can be found at 3400 N.E. 163rd Street, off I-95.
Doug Gelbert is the author of over 20 books, including The Canine Hiker's Bible. To subscribe to his FREE Newsletter on hiking with your dog and receive a copy of Rules for Dogs in 100 of the Most Popular National Park Service Lands, visit http://www.hikewithyourdog.com In the warmer months he leads canine hikes for hikewithyourdog.com tours, guiding packs of dogs and humans on hiking adventures. Tours, ranging from one-day trips to multi-day explorations, visit parks, historical sites and beaches.
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