Get off your couch and go hiking on this old Florida trail — wagons once rode there

On Jan. 1, 2020, I officially became a minimalist. I’m collecting experiences, not stuff.

I figured that the less I own, the more I can travel, even though traveling has been curtailed over the past year. I still need my dose of travel, though.

While international travel has been suspended, people have come up with virtual traveling ideas. The Vatican Museum, the Great Wall of China, the Taj Mahal — all are in virtual tours that can be done from home.

Cool, but my idea of traveling involves getting up from the couch, so I embarked on a new kind of journey. I researched the Miami trails and their histories, grabbed my water bottle and began exploring.

Since I enjoy the writing as much as I love the hiking, here is my little contribution to encourage you to learn more about our community. In this pandemic, my passion for traveling has led me home.

Old Cutler Trail dates to the 1800s

Cocoplum Circle in Coral Gables marks the junction of Commodore Trail and Old Cutler Trail. Old Cutler Trail goes south along Old Cutler Road through beautiful historic neighborhoods. Old Cutler Road is historic itself, being one of the first roads in Dade County connecting Coconut Grove with Cutler, an old farming community.

The trail follows a natural limestone ridge along Biscayne Bay and was referred to by the pioneer settlers as “The Reef.” Then it was widened to become a wagon trail and declared a public road in 1895. I can almost see myself on top of those wagons wearing a flower hat. The Florida Legislature declared Old Cutler Road a historic road in 1974.

Walking down Old Cutler Road is a delight. It’s shaded all the way to Matheson Hammock Park/Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden by beautiful old banyan trees and charming Floridian-style houses. The trail is also a bike trail, so watch out for bikes coming from behind.

Right across from Fairchild is a parking lot that leads to a forest protection area within Matheson Park. It’s not part of the trail but it’s worth the exploration.

Birdwatching, photography and nature appreciation are the activities permitted here. It is truly a forest within the neighborhood and in the middle there is an open space where other paths meet. We took the one going south and eventually found the Old Cutler Trail again.

A little south of Fairchild Tropical Garden, the trail goes through a gated community. To follow the trail you have to cross the street and go to Snapper Creek Road. At the other end of Snapper Creek Road, you leave the community and cross the footbridge to Red Road to continue on Old Cutler Trail.

Not far from there, at Southwest 110th Street, you will find the entrance to the old Parrot Jungle. It opened in 1936 and quickly became a tourist attraction with a signature structure.

After Parrot Jungle, now Jungle Island, moved to Watson Island, the Village of Pinecrest purchased and restored the building . Rechristened Pinecrest Gardens, the site now has a lush landscaped park with a farmers market, children’s activities, an amphitheater for outdoor concerts and year-round events.

After Pinecrest Gardens, Old Cutler Road follows the coastline. It curves from 57th Avenue to 67th Avenue and at the Y junction at 135th Street, you must go left to continue the Old Cutler Trail on Deering Bay Drive. One block after the Y junction, it’s Chapman Field Park.

You don’t have to enter the park to continue on the trail, but we did. There’s a trail within the park with a big loop that starts and ends at the canoe dock. Canoers paddle through the canal into open sea while dog walkers let their dogs run without a leash.

There are few shaded areas from Chapman Field to the Deering Estate, so wear a hat and sunglasses and don’t forget a water bottle.

The Deering Estate, on Southwest 168th Street in Palmetto Bay, is an oceanfront historic site and museum with beautiful grounds. It is part of Miami-Dade Parks, and an admission fee is charged. Outside of the estate, you may visit the historic Chinese Bridge and kayak or canoe to open water from the People’s Dock.

A gem of a park in Palmetto Bay

Just across the bridge, on 173rd Street, you will find the Thalatta Estate. I can’t describe how lovely this place is. It was purchased by the Village of Palmetto Bay and is also part of Miami-Dade Parks, admission free. Its charming Spanish architecture, turquoise water pool, perfectly maintained grounds with palm trees and all kinds of flora, and the breathtaking view of Biscayne Bay make it perfect to host the most romantic wedding. Thalatta Estate is my favorite site along Old Cutler Trail.

The Palmetto Bay Public Library on 176th Street at Ludovici Park is worth mentioning. With an amphitheater, a two-story community center and a bike path loop, it must be the highlight of this community. I will certainly be in the lookout for events at this location when this pandemic permits it. Next to the library there’s a stable, most likely private. Horses are such beautiful animals.

Cutler Bay starts on 184th Street. It was designated as Tree City USA in 2009 by the Arbor Day Foundation. Although beautiful and shaded with trees, you can notice the change in the neighborhood. It’s newer, not historic and not grand. Old Cutler Trail ends where 216th Street, 87th Avenue and Old Cutler Road converge in a circle.

From Cocoplum Circle at Southwest 72nd Street to the south end of the trail at 216th Street, there are 13.5 miles of asphalt trail that wait to be conquered. It’s at this point where Biscayne Trail starts, which I will cover in a future post. Eat seasonally, love locally … or love your local trails.

Miami Stories

The Miami Stories initiative collects stories about Miami’s past, present, and future. Through this oral history project, HistoryMiami Museum documents life in the Magic City through written stories, video submissions, and audio recordings, which are preserved in the museum’s archive, and shared online and through local media outlets. For more information on the Miami Stories project or to share your story, please visit www.historymiami.org/miamistories .

This story was originally published March 31, 2021 at 6:00 AM.