Parks & Recreation

Southern Glades Trail

• Unstaffed linear recreation corridor
• No restrooms or facilities

The Miami-Dade County Parks and Open Space System Master Plan vision includes a system of parks connected to neighborhoods by greenways and multi-use trails.

Southern Glades Trail is a 12.6-mile long compacted limestone path that travels north and south along the C-111 Canal right-of-way, from Ingraham Highway/State Road 9336 to U.S. Highway 1/South Dixie Highway.  Signage is provided along the right-of-way of Ingraham Highway at SW 227th Avenue and along U.S. Highway 1 to direct users to the trail. 

Southern Glades Trail is an attractive destination for nature viewing, hiking, fishing, off-road cycling, and outstanding bird watching opportunities.  Canoe and kayak launch areas are available at either end of the trail.  The Ernest Coe Visitors Center at the southern entrance of Everglades National Park is located less than two miles west of the trail, along Ingraham Highway.  Three greenways and trails are proposed as connections to Southern Glades Trail - the Biscayne/Everglades Trail, the Everglades Trail, and the Keys Trail.

Southern Glades Trail is located along the eastern edge of the 25,886-acre Southern Glades Wildlife and Environmental Area, managed by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, which provides habitat for seven endangered animals: the Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow, American Crocodile, Bald Eagle, Peregrine Falcon, Wood Stork, Snail Kite, and Florida Panther.  More commonly spotted animals include waterfowl and birds, small amphibians and mammals such as rabbits, otters, raccoons, deer, and bobcats.  The plant communities visible from Southern Glades Trail include sawgrass marsh, cypress stands, and hydric hammocks with mixed hardwoods.