This the only tropical botanical garden in the United States of its kind. This 37 acre public park has over 500 varieties of fruits, spices, nuts, herbs and vegetables. The includes 70 varieties of bamboo, 75 banana varieties, and 150 mango varieties. You will be invited to taste some at their tasting counter inside the Park Store.

Please check out the following list of up coming events:

The Great Green Family Festival
November 13, 14, & 15 from 10 am to 5 pm
Admission: $6 (Children under 11 are free)
A new festival showcasing “Eco-Friendly” living including: local & organic farmer’s market, alternative energy, vehicles & fuels, medicinal herbs, oils & teas, natural foods, and culinary plants. Live musical entertainment, lectures & children’s activities. Services to include: Aromatherapy, yoga, tai chi, reiki, and chair massage. Sponsors: Redland Evening Society and the Fruit and Spice Park.

Mark your calendar for FREE – FREE days this year:

August 14-15, 2010
September 25, 2010
(Public Lands Day)
November 11, 2010
(Veterans Day)

http://www.nps.gov/findapark/feefreeparks.htm

Flip around with qualified instructors. Classes for
Beginners and frequent flyers
Wednesday through Sunday
Try ‘n’ Fly: – $10
Two-hour class: – $40
Bayfront Park
301 N. Biscayne Blvd.
Miami, FL 33132
786-239-8775

1200 S. Crandon Blvd
Key Biscayne, FL
305-361-5811

Florida state parks are open from 8:00 AM until sundown 365 days a year.
Admission Fee:
$5.00 per vehicle, including up to 8 visitors.
Single-occupant vehicle = $3.00.
$1.00 each per bicycle/individual walk-in.

Picnic Pavilion Fees:
The park has 18 picnic pavilions that may be reserved up to one day in advance by paying the required fee at the park entrance station. All visitors attending a picnic or party are still required to pay the park entry fee. The rental fees are as follows:
We have 15 pavilions with 6 picnic tables that accommodate 40 people. These rent for $100.00 plus tax per day.
We have 3 large pavilions with 10 tables that accommodate 80 people. These rent for $150.00 plus tax per day.
Electricity is available for $15.00 per day, only at the large shelters.
There is a $50.00 cleaning fee that may be assessed if the shelter and immediate vicinity is not cleaned prior to the group leaving. The group is responsible for leaving the pavilion and grounds in the same condition as it was when received.

GUIDED TOURS OF THE CAPE FLORIDA LIGHTHOUSE
Thurs. – Mon., 10 AM & 1 PM
Situated on the tip of Key Biscayne, the Cape Florida Lighthouse is the oldest structure in Miami-Dade County. Cultural displays depicting early island life may be seen in the lighthouse keeper’s cottage. A video presentation is shown in the former cookhouse. Pets are not permitted in the lighthouse compound. (Due to the large number of school groups accommodated for tours, please contact the park to determine tour availability.)
Call (305) 361-5811 for more details.
Welcome to Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park
Cape Florida is the home of a historic lighthouse built in 1825 and reconstructed in 1846, the oldest standing structure in Miami-Dade County. Visitors come to the park to sunbathe, swim, and picnic on over a mile of sandy Atlantic beachfront. Biking and kayaking are also popular activities. Anglers can throw in their lines from the seawall along Biscayne Bay for some of the best shoreline fishing in the region. Guided tours of the lighthouse and lighthouse keeper´s cottage are given twice daily, Thursdays through Mondays. The Boater´s Grill offers casual waterfront dining, or picnickers can reserve a pavilion and grill their own dinner. Bicycles, beach chairs, and umbrellas are available for rental. Overnight boat camping is allowed in No Name Harbor, and a primitive campsite is available for organized youth groups. Located at the southern end of Key Biscayne off the Rickenbacker Causeway, south of downtown Miami.

The Bill Graham Farm Village
Old McDonald had a farm–but it sure wasn’t like this one! “Bill Graham Farm Village” is a fancifully re-created Miami-Dade County homestead combining features of pioneer farms from the turn of the century with some pleasant modern additions such as an air-conditioned Country Store and a Demonstration Hall. The Farm Village was created to provide today’s urbanized children an opportunity to learn about Miami-Dade County’s agricultural past by visiting a replica of the kinds of farms that once dotted three-quarters of the region.
Park patrons can enter the farm through a bougainvillea-covered trellis and head over to the Barn with its petting area. Once there you can pet live cows, horses, ponies, goats, chickens, pigs, sheep, geese and a donkey or two.
The Demonstration Shed is the place to go to see such typical farm activities as horseshoeing, cow milking, livestock judging and sheep shearing.

Earhart Hall is a large meeting room for lectures, exhibits on early farm implements and other displays, home canning classes, organic gardening and the like. To the left of Earhart Hall is the Crop Area, where more than two acres are planted with a variety of vegetables and over-sized sunflowers.

Beyond the Hall is a boiling shed and a sugar cane press that processes sugar cane syrup, the kind our grandfathers refined into molasses and brown sugar.

Follow your nose to the Smokehouse, which turns out fragrant hams and savory smoked turkey. It’s right next to the Farm’s own Babbling Brook.

The pony ring, on the side of the Barn, is equipped with benches for weary parents to sit and rest while watching their kids ride a pony, jump into a big haystack or “drive” an old tractor.

The Country Store is surrounded by a shady welcoming porch and is stocked with lots of goodies. It even has its own post office. Then there’s the old Fishing Rock, where you can cast a line into a freshwater lake stocked with big, fat bass.

Old McDonald would be amazed, but right at home. “Bill Graham’s Farm Village” — a real place, only better!

Bark Park
The five-acre Bark Park is completely fenced and offers a separate section for smaller dogs. Amenities include paved walkways, benches, shade trees, waste dispenser stations, and specially designed drinking and spray fountains for dogs and their owners. Bark Park admission is free.
The Bark Park is part of the regional Amelia Earhart Park.

http://www.geocities.com/ameliabarkpark/

Picnic Shelters
4 Regular with BBQ
1 Large Corporate Size
2 Rain Shelters

Junior Sailing Program
Children ages 9-15 can become experienced sailors by joining the Junior Sailing Program at Amelia Earhart Park.
Administered through the United States Sailing Association, the national program provides hands-on boating instruction, including navigation, docking, sail trimming, knot tying and safe boating practices.

Mountain Biking
Sunrise-Sunset. Monday-Friday. $4 parking per vehicle on Saturdays and Sundays. Mountain bike trails for beginners, intermediate and advanced riders.

Volleyball Courts
Located at Corporate Shelter Area East Court and Corporate Shelter Area West Court, sand courts, no lights.

3400 N.E. 163rd Street
North Miami, FL
305-919-1844

Florida state parks are open from 8:00 AM until sundown 365 days a year.
Park Fees
Please call the Park for information at 305-919-1844.
Welcome to Oleta River State Park Florida’s largest urban park, Oleta River is located on Biscayne Bay in the busy Miami metropolitan area. Although it offers a variety of recreational opportunities, the park is best known for miles of off-road bicycling trails, ranging from novice trails to challenging trails for experienced bicyclists. Along the Oleta River, at the north end of the park, a large stand of beautiful mangrove forest preserves native South Florida plants and wildlife. Canoeists and kayakers can paddle the river to explore this amazing natural area. Swimming from a 1,200-foot sandy beach and saltwater fishing are also popular activities. Picnic tables and grills are available. Nine pavilions can be rented for a fee. All have water, and the largest one has electricity. Visitors can rent kayaks, canoes, and bicycles. The park has a loaner system for bicycle helmets.