Day Trippin' › Florida › From Miami › Best hikes
Our picks for the best hikes within 3 hours of Miami: 24 places, 3 under an hour away, 13 between 1 and 2 hours and 8 between 2 and 3 hours, counted by road time from ZIP 33130.
We put first the places with a real photo, a well-known name, a family-friendly note and an official site, then list the rest by drive time. The closest is Oleta River State Park, 25 min northeast of Miami.
Under 1 hour 1 to 2 hours 2 to 3 hours
Photo: Mathisen, Jim (USFWS), Public domain
#1 · Wildlife · 2 hr 46 min west
Drive, bike or walk a four-mile loop on Sanibel past roseate spoonbills, pelicans and wading birds.
Heads-up: Visitor center 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., closed Fridays and federal holidays. Best at low tide. Sanibel causeway has a toll.
Photo: Everglades National Park Photo, Public domain
#2 · National park · 46 min west
Bike or take a tram along a 15-mile paved loop with gators everywhere, and climb the observation tower at the halfway point.
Heads-up: Parking often fills by 10 a.m. in season. Pets only in the parking lot. Only snacks for sale. Children under 16 need helmets.
Photo: Antonio Chaves, CC BY-SA 4.0
#3 · National park · 1 hr 6 min west
Huge cypress swamp along the Tamiami Trail with boardwalks, gators by the road and very dark night skies.
Heads-up: Hot and buggy May-Oct. Stay 25 feet from wildlife.
Photo: US Fish and Wildlife Service, Public domain
#4 · Wildlife · 1 hr 31 min west
Two short trails into panther country near Immokalee. You will likely not see a panther, but the habitat is rich.
Heads-up: Trails open daylight only. No pets, no bikes. Most of the refuge is closed to the public.
Photo: Daniel Di Palma, CC BY-SA 4.0
#5 · Bike trail · 25 min northeast
Florida's largest urban park, with miles of mountain bike trails, paddling and a calm beach.
Heads-up: Trails close after heavy rain.
Photo: Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 3.0
#6 · State park · 40 min north
Green escape across from Fort Lauderdale Beach with paddling, trails and a lagoon.
Heads-up: Tunnel under A1A leads to the beach.
Photo: Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 3.0
#7 · Hike · 1 hr 3 min south
Quiet trails through rare tropical hardwood hammock in north Key Largo.
Heads-up: Mosquitoes in summer. Hours.
Photo: User:Johnskate17, Public domain
#8 · Wildlife · 1 hr 10 min north
The northern Everglades near Boynton Beach, with a cypress boardwalk, marsh trails and a canoe trail.
Heads-up: Headquarters area 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Visitor center 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pets only on the perimeter levee.
Photo: Hillebrand Steve, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Public domain
#9 · Wildlife · 1 hr 39 min west
A one-mile Marsh Trail with a two-story observation tower over the marsh, near Marco Island.
Heads-up: Small 18-space lot near mile marker 31 on US 41. Leashed pets only. No rentals.
Photo: Stephen B Calvert Clariosophic, CC BY-SA 3.0
#10 · State park · 1 hr 39 min north
Big park on the Loxahatchee River with a river boat tour, hiking, biking and a lookout tower.
Heads-up: Boat tour schedule.
Photo: Miguel Vieira from Walnut Creek, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0
#11 · Hike · 1 hr 44 min west
Wild swamp famous for orchids and panthers, with the Big Cypress Bend boardwalk and the Janes Scenic Drive.
Heads-up: Very buggy in summer. Janes Scenic Drive is gravel.
Photo: Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 3.0
#12 · State park · 1 hr 45 min west
Mangrove forest park with a paddling trail, a hiking trail and a historic walking dredge.
Heads-up: Mosquitoes in summer. Campground status.
Photo: Yinan Chen, Public Domain
#13 · State park · 1 hr 53 min southwest
Oceanfront park with a paddling trail through mangroves and an observation tower.
Heads-up: Status after storms.
Photo: Sharon Hahn Darlin, CC BY 2.0
#14 · Hike · 2 hr 13 min southwest
Trails and boardwalks through tropical forest, historic houses, a bird center and a museum in Marathon.
Heads-up: Hours.
Photo: State of Florida, Public domain
#15 · Hike · 2 hr 16 min northwest
Quiet trails across salt flats and pine scrub to views of Estero Bay. Good birding.
Heads-up: Little shade. Trails can flood in summer.
Loop Road Scenic Drive (1 hr 11 min), Kirby Storter Roadside Park (1 hr 13 min), Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse (1 hr 31 min), Turner River Road Loop (1 hr 52 min), Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center (2 hr 7 min), Barefoot Beach Preserve (2 hr 17 min), Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve (2 hr 20 min), Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge (2 hr 35 min), Calusa Heritage Trail (2 hr 59 min)
Our top picks are J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge (2 hr 46 min), Shark Valley (46 min), Big Cypress National Preserve (1 hr 6 min), Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge (1 hr 31 min) and Oleta River State Park (25 min). The page lists 24 places in all.
24: 3 under an hour away, 13 between 1 and 2 hours and 8 between 2 and 3 hours, by road from ZIP 33130.
Oleta River State Park, about 25 min northeast of Miami.
5 need no pass or fee, including Big Cypress National Preserve, Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge and Kirby Storter Roadside Park. Fees change, so check each place.
17 of the 24 list themselves as open year-round. Places with a season say so on their card; check hours before you go.
Drive times are by road on a typical day from ZIP <class 'zip'> (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner); places under 25 minutes away count as in town. Facts checked against official sites; passes and hours change, so check before you go.