Rejuvenation in a Rare Miami Ecosystem

If you’re taking a day trip to A.D. “Doug” Barnes Park, make sure you wear your bathing suit for a dip in the 25 meter 6 lane pool, bring your favorite picnic snacks and remember to pack your binoculars! Since the park’s opening in 1977, it has offered activities and programming that serve people with disabilities, as well as swimming lessons for children and water exercise classes for seniors.

Family Fun

Conveniently located in a bustling area of southwest Miami, right off the busy Bird Road thoroughfare, A.D. "Doug" Barnes Park is a 65-acre oasis of family-friendly green space with native forest habitats, a fishing lake, heated pool, jogging trails, picnic shelters, a playground and much more. Home to a 15-acre wilderness of native tropical hardwood hammock and pine rockland habitats, A.D. Barnes Park offers visitors a respite from urban life and many ways to connect to nature.

Hiking the Pine Rockland

The park includes an endangered dry ecosystem with 15 acres of limestone floors and beautiful pine trees. Home to majestic wildlife like white-tailed deer and zebra long-wing butterflies, the paved trail welcomes experienced hikers and beginners alike. Many species of birds can be spotted while hiking this Florida Birding Trail destination - noted by the Audubon Society as one of the best birdwatching spots in Miami, especially during fall and spring migration patterns. You might even spot a bald eagle. Stop by the Nature Center, where you can view the Miami-Dade County Fire Department’s anti-venom reptile collection, learn about native wildlife in the park or make a reservation to attend one of the guided tours operated by Miami Ecoadventures.

Leisure Access Camp

Weekend reservations for groups are available for campground use and cabin rentals. Two cabins are enclosed in the heart of the pine rockland forest, each furnished with ten twin beds and space for extra cots, sleeping bags or rollaway beds (occupancy load of 20 people per cabin). There are ceiling fans as well as central A/C and heat, and each cabin has two fully accessible restrooms with showers. The lodge and dining hall with a full kitchen area may also be reserved for meetings or special functions. To rent the leisure access center, call (305) 665-5319.