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Nature/ Wildlife Areas in Miami

THE 5 BEST Miami Nature & Wildlife Areas

Nature & Wildlife Areas in Miami

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What travellers are saying

  • BarryM
    Melbourne, Australia336 contributions
    Different
    A different look at wild life. You are in the cage and the monkeys are on the outside. Highly recommend a visit.
    Review of: Monkey Jungle
    Written 7 August 2019
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Taylor B
    Chicago, IL8,393 contributions
    Estate of Charles Deering, not James Deering
    Don't be confused. It took me a little while to figure it out. The Charles Deering who established the Deering Estate was the brother of the James Deering who built Vizcaya Museum and Gardens. Two Miami landmarks, two millionaire brothers/industrialists/philanthropists. Charles Deering was the son of William Deering, founder of Deering Harvester Company. After graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy and serving as an officer in the Navy until 1881, he became secretary of his father's company, which merged with McCormick Harvesting Company and became International Harvester in 1902. He died at the age of 75 at his estate at Cutler. He lived on the 444-acre property for five years, from 1922 until his death in 1927. Located at 16701 Southwest 72nd Avenue in the Cutler neighborhood of Palmetto Bay, the estate, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, consists of a three-story wooden house built in 1900, known as the Richmond Cottage, and a three-story stone mansion. The grounds include what is thought to be the largest virgin coastal tropical hardwood hammock in the continental United States. The Richmond Cottage was built as a family home at the end of the 19th century, converted into a 22-room hotel in 1900, then purchased by Charles Deering in 1916 and used as his residence until his Mediterranean Stone House was completed in 1922. It has 18-inch poured concrete walls, oolitic limestone, coffered ceilings, copper clad and brass doors, an elevator and a wine cellar. Deering intended the house to be used as a showcase for his art collection and books. Two other must-see attractions on the property are the Cutler Burial Mound, one of the few surviving prehistoric mounds in Miami-Dade County, and the Cutler Fossil Site, a sinkhole that was discovered in 1979 that was found to contain bones of Pleistocene animals and bones and artifacts of early humans.
    Review of: Deering Estate
    Written 19 February 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Ron S
    Weston, FL1,137 contributions
    What a great place for a walk in nature.
    We were at FIU for a dance competition and had some spare time and decided to take a walk though here.

    Well, we didn't want to leave. It was absolutely bucolic in there and a quiet respite and enclave in the city on this lovely campus.

    Lots of ways to go and things to see.

    Enjoy yourself and take a walk in nature.
    Review of: FIU Nature Preserve
    Written 17 January 2016
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Manatee4Me
    Charlotte, NC311 contributions
    Update - Guided Walks on Weekends
    I was pleased to learn that the Simpson Park now offers naturalist-guided walks on the weekends. I think this is a great way to see the park. It was hurt by last year's Hurricane Irma, but is still worth seeing (especially for the price - it's free!).
    Review of: Simpson Park
    Written 5 September 2018
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • MrMiamiExplorer
    Miami, FL1,288 contributions
    Hidden Natural Florida
    I had not visited this preserve in a long time, and was eager to see if it has changed. Parking and admission were free. At the front entrance there are fields for recreation as well as a butterfly garden, and a small 1 room nature center. From the outside you may expect that the nature trail is short, but I was pleasantly surprised when I was still hiking an hour later. Be very careful not to get lost while hiking and always keep an eye out for the orange paint markings on the trees to help navigate your way out as the main trail sometimes disappears and other non-marked trails split off. I followed the paint markings on the trees and still ended up going in a circle at one point before I noticed familiar surroundings. Hiking boots are best as much of the trail is touch terrain of tree roots and jagged rock. There are is also a deep solution hole that you don't want to fall into. It is amazing to think that this escape from civilization is surrounded on all sides by farms and plant nurseries. As I walked through the ancient forest I could almost imagine encountering Native Americans or the Blair Witch. We observed a lot of wildlife during the 1 hour hiking the preserve including: zebra longwing and sulfur butterflies, mockingbirds, mourning doves, grackles, red bellied woodpecker, brown & bark anole lizards, gray squirrel, cottontail rabbit, golden silk spiders, pearl spiders, tree snails, ground snails, and unfortunately lots of mosquitoes. We will return.
    Review of: Castellow Hammock Preserve and Nature Center
    Written 23 June 2016
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • MrMiamiExplorer
    Miami, FL1,288 contributions
    In Need of Care
    Though I do appreciate and admire every park, natural area, and green space in Dade County, unfortunately not a lot of care has been put into Modello Wayside Park. It is very similar to nearby Seminole Wayside Park in that it doesn't even have a parking lot or official entrance. You have to literally pull off US1 and jump the curb to park under the trees themselves. Residents that live nearby can however walk there. Just like Seminole Wayside Park, there are shaded areas for picnicking, but also trash in need of removal and homeless folks lurking about. There were also no restrooms, so the trees themselves must serve this purpose.
    Review of: Modello Wayside Park
    Written 27 November 2015
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • jrboynemd
    Jacksonville, FL1 contribution
    Playing with Lemurs was on my bucket list
    I love nature so any attraction that takes me outdoors is usually a win. This destination seems to be a work in progress, some attractions being added, some under construction, some not yet opened. Lemurs are my favorite animals and I never thought I would get to touch one. The lemur encounter was well worth the price of admission and the extra charge but unless you were a crazy lemur lover you may not agree.
    Review of: Jungle Island
    Written 13 March 2020
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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