Get Outdoors on Miami’s Best Biking Trails

Miami is known for beautiful weather year-round, and it’s also known for its spectacular outdoor activities, including great places for biking. From novice trails to technical obstacles, Miami is an ideal biking destination that will take you on the ride of your life. Whether you’re just trying out the sport for fun or conquering that challenging trail for bragging rights, options abound! So snap on your helmet and check out these cool routes to get your blood pumping.

Oleta River State Park

An oasis away from the hustle and bustle of the big city, Oleta River State Park is located on Biscayne Bay in North Miami Beach. It is Florida’s largest urban park with 1,000 acres of land. The park is renowned for its 15 miles of off-road cycling trails, from smooth terrain to rocky grounds with plenty of tree roots, so you will certainly get your sweat on.

Most routes provide a nicely shaded area and take you either along a path with glittering bay views or urban city views. For the more experienced cyclist, the challenging Gilligan’s Trail offers rough grounds to put your skills to the test. This trail can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 1.5 hours, depending on your expertise. This trail is for adventure seekers experiencing what Miami looked like when it was true wilderness.

Oh, and don’t be surprised if you see native wildlife along your path. Oleta Park is home to cottontail rabbits, gopher tortoises, white-tailed deer and even some snakes. They’re all part of the rich wildlife scenery. It’s also a popular spot for kayaking and canoeing, and with nature trails overlooking the shoreline, it’s perfect for a sunrise or sunset hike.

Insider tip: This is a very family-friendly park, so weekends are packed with bikers. If you're a beginner, it’s recommended you go during the week. Bike rentals are available through Oleta River Outdoor Center on a first-come, first-served basis. The park is open from 8 a.m. until sundown.

Amelia Earhart Park

Amelia Earhart Park is full of activities for the outdoor enthusiast, including miles of cycling trails. Named after the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean, the park offers a bit of everything, including 3.8 miles of fun bike trails for both beginners and advanced riders. Located in Hialeah, this is a great park for beginners and the perfect place to get a feel for mountain biking.

The trails include single track, preferred by serious mountain bikers because they’re usually designed specifically for the sport with climbs, downhills and banked corners. You’ll also find fire road trails that are double-track. Some of the roads are smooth and flowing, others are more challenging. Amelia Earhart’s cycling trails are considered moderate and, therefore, are suitable for the beginner to intermediate rider. Bike rentals are available from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends and holidays.

Virginia Key Beach North Point Park

Virginia Key Beach North Point Park, just north of Key Biscayne, may be considered one of the best biking trail options in Miami. The mountain bike trails are situated on the north end of the key and were built to allow all levels of cyclists to enjoy the thrills of mountain biking while being surrounded by nature and water. There are three distinct levels of trails: novice, intermediate and advanced. Each trail has a qualifier, which basically means that if you can maneuver your way through the first 20 feet of a trail, you should not have any problems with the rest of it.

The novice trail is flat and perfect for practice riding. The intermediate trail has climbs, drops and moderate elevation changes with beamed corners meant to test your balance. However, if you want to test your skills, the advanced course offers technical climbs with fast descents. You’ll encounter bridges, exposed rocks and hairpin turns. The Purple Haze bike trail has .6 miles of an adrenaline rush. A wooden wall, rock garden, overpass with obstacles, drops and bumpy terrain are sure to challenge even the most-expert rider.

Key Biscayne

Key Biscayne, the southernmost barrier island on the Atlantic coast, is just a short drive across the Rickenbacker Causeway from Downtown Miami. The island features gorgeous beaches, a nearby coastal barrier reef and an underwater archaeological trail. Although the island is known for its underwater marvels, there’s plenty to see on land, too, and bicycling is a perfect way to explore.

The gem of the island for bicyclists is the nearly 9-mile Rickenbacker Trail, which stretches the length of Key Biscayne. You’ll be rewarded with views of Biscayne Bay and Downtown Miami’s skyline as well as fine beaches and lush island vegetation. Park at Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park or Crandon Park to access the trail. There are also bike trails in Crandon Park, which features two miles of oceanfront beach. Bill Baggs State Park has a 1.5-mile paved bike path and unpaved service roads to explore.

At Bill Baggs, visitors can rent solo or quad bikes from the concession stand near the Lighthouse Cafe.

A number of vendors, including Bluepoint SUP, rent bikes for use on Key Biscayne.

Shark Valley

Riding a bike through the Everglades might sound a bit scary, but in reality, it’s far from that. Round up the family and head to Shark Valley in Everglades National Park, an hour’s drive due west of Miami. There you’ll discover a family-friendly outing that will introduce everyone to the magic of this vast wetlands preserve.

At Shark Valley, follow the self-guided bike tour along a flat, smooth 15-mile loop that reaches the observation tower around the halfway point. The ride will take two to three hours, mostly because you’ll want to keep stopping to look for gators, turtles, roseate spoonbills and other showy shorebirds.

You can ride your own bike or rent one from Shark Valley Tram Tours. The rentals are single-gear bikes with coaster brakes, adjustable seats and baskets so you can carry plenty of water. Children’s bikes and adult bikes with child seats are also available.

Neighborhood Bike Rides & Events

One of the prettiest neighborhood bike rides is the stretch along Old Cutler Road from Sunset Drive to Matheson Hammock Park in Coral Gables. There's also a trail off Snapper Creek starting roughly at SW 57th Avenue and Kendall Drive, right off of Dante Fascell Park in South Miami.

You can find a comprehensive list of trails, as well as information about group rides, courtesy of The Miami Bike Scene, the group that organizes Miami’s Critical Mass bike ride. Usually held on the last Friday of the month, Critical Mass is a bicycling event that’s a way for cyclists to ride through the city as a group and get to know the local cycling scene.