The best parks in Miami for fresh air and outdoor fun

This sprawling green space is used for sports, exercise and all sorts of outdoor pursuits. It’s a popular park and a great place to get physical or just be lazy. Aside from the dog park and bike trail—this park is also home to one of the tastiest Miami summer treats around: the frozen lemonade of A.C.’s Icees.

Home to one of the most popular marinas and boat ramps in the city, this waterfront park also has plenty to do for those who don’t own a boat. You can bike, paddleboard and enjoy the artificial atoll pool and green space. Sounds like a good afternoon, right?

Florida’s largest urban park has so much to do, both in the water and on land. Oleta is a bit north, but well worth the trip and an easy place to kill an entire day. This park is perfect for the active outdoorsman. Kayak, paddleboard, off-road bike and even spend the night at cabins and camp spaces. It’s the sort of pristine Florida wilderness we don’t see much in South Florida. Expect to pay $2 to $6 depending on if you arrive on foot or via car. 

A favorite of tourists and natives alike, Bill Baggs is a state park that offers both green space and ocean access. Aside from being beautiful, the park is home to a super cool historic lighthouse that was built in 1825. Guided tours are available if you want to see inside (10am and 1pm, Thursday through Monday). Admission to the park is $8 for a vehicle of two or more people.

Comprising a couple of gorgeous miles of white-sand beaches, Crandon Park is probably the best place to take a dip in Key Biscayne. At this fabulous family park, there’s a ton of parking at just $7 per vehicle, barbecues, volleyball and a lot more to ensure everyone goes home nice and tired.

This park boasts 30 acres of pineland, tropical hardwood and hammock habitats with no shortage of wildlife (like parrots and other tropical birds). The park offers regular birdwatching tours and nature walks. Over at the observatory, the Southern Cross Astronomical Society will help you stargaze on weekend evenings and during special celestial events.

Barnacle is the most beloved park in Coconut Grove, a city that loves its green space. The historic Barnacle Park shows you what life was like in that area back in the 20th century. Tour the former home of Coconut Grove pioneer Ralph Middleton Munroe. Start at the slim stretch of hammock-enclosed trail and end at the beautiful waterfront space dotted with giant old trees.

This eight-acre Edgewater gem might be on the smaller side, but it’s packed with basketball, tennis and beach volleyball courts, picnic tables and walking trails with panoramic views of Biscayne Bay. Single and looking to scout a like-minded boo? Located behind several high-rise condos along the bay, Margaret Pace Park has no shortage of active young professionals working up a sweat or walking their adorable dogs after work. Talk about a breath of fresh air!

At this Hialeah locals' favorite, you can wakeboard, play soccer, ride a pony and go for a hayride. The park also has a 91-acre lake, which you can kayak or paddleboard in.

Here's a park with a catch: Approximately 95 percent of it is covered by water. Obviously, you’ll need some sort of vessel to enjoy this one. But even if you don’t own a boat, Biscayne National Park offers plenty of guided tours or rental opportunities so you can take in the diverse ecosystem the way it was meant to be seen.

This lovely park's main attraction is a beautiful coral reef teeming with a small city of sea life. See it from a glass bottom boat or—the best way, in our opinion—jump in the water on a snorkel tour and paddle around for an hour. Get up close with barracudas (they won’t bite) and the famous 4,000-pound statue of Jesus, which stands 25 feet underwater.

Want a green space that’s equidistant for everyone? Head to Tropical Park! This is classic Miami, and every local can tell you they’ve been here for a kid’s birthday party or a softball game at least once in their life. There are pavilions and grilling areas sprinkled throughout (be sure to reserve), however, if you want an indoor reprieve, the Mary Abreu Community Center has an outdoor grilling area. Tropical Park also boasts an equestrian center; basketball, tennis and racquetball courts; nature trails and a no-leash bark park, because Fido needs to work up an appetite for all the scraps.

This lovely and underused stretch of pristine beach is lined with sea grape trees, sand dunes, a boardwalk, a Vita exercise course and amenities such as changing rooms, picnic tables and barbecue pits. In fall and winter, the leaves of the park’s many trees actually change colors just like they do up north. Bring your pooch for a stroll through the winding trail to the large dog run, one of the shadiest and cleanest around.

This expansive, dog-friendly park is tucked into the back of Miami’s lush Morningside neighborhood. Cookouts and field games are common on the weekends and the park has a great view of Biscayne Bay, too. Morningside is ideal for a nice walk with your dog or just by yourself. Tennis courts, paddleboard and kayak rentals are available as well. Head out to one of the tiny islands just offshore and have yourself a picnic.

Explore Brickell Backyard, the first half-mile completed phase of the planned 10-mile Underline. Similar to New York’s High Line or Chicago’s 606 Trail except on the ground, Miami’s Underline Park utilizes the path carved by its legacy public transportation lines to create an innovative urban park and trail. Opening in phases through 2025, visitors can already enjoy amenities like a free weekend yoga series, a dog run and separated biking and walking paths along the Miami River.

Is that…could it be…a park? In Brickell? Yes! It is, admittedly, a very small park (7.8 acres) but a park nonetheless. A stroll through Simpson Park Hammock offers a quiet, cool and lush respite from the bustle of the city. Plus, this park and nature preserve is basically the only remaining proof of what Brickell used to look like before all these buildings and people arrived and many native plant species are protected here.