Reservations for
Florida State
Parks are now
made through
Reserve America,
toll free, at
1-800-326-3521
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OLETA
RIVER STATE RECREATION AREA
 At 993 acres, Oleta River State Recreation Area is the largest urban park
in the state. Located on Biscayne Bay in northeast Dade County, the most
prominent natural feature of the park is the Oleta River, for which the
park is named.
HISTORY
The beauty of the river has drawn man to its banks for centuries. As early
as 500 BC, the river was home to the Tequesta Indians who camped along the
river's shore. The estuary provided them with a rich and varied diet. When
Spaniards first visited the area they encountered bear, deer, panthers,
bobcats, wolves, alligators, manatees and numerous birds and small animals.
In 1841, the river was named Big Snake Creek and was part of the route
used by Federal troops in the Second Seminole War to travel south from
Loxahatchee.
In 1881, Captain William Hawkins Fulford explored the river and settled
further inland in the area known today as North Miami Beach. Once "discovered",
other settlers ventured north from Miami and by the 1890s, pineapple and
vegetable farms had sprung up along the river in the newly formed town
of Ojus. The river linked the Everglades with Biscayne Bay. An Indian
trading post was established at what is now Greynolds Park. In 1922, Big
Snake Creek was renamed the Oleta River by developers.
NATURE
Today, the Oleta River no longer flows north into the Everglades but its
beauty and splendor lives on. Waterbirds feed along the mangrove-lined shoreline
and the endangered West Indian manatee finds refuge from south Florida's
crowded waterways.
RECREATION
With miles of bicycle and canoe trails, a sandy swimming beach, shaded picnic
pavilions and a fishing pier, Oleta River State Recreation Area offers visitors
an outstanding, outdoor recreational experience within the confines of urban
south Florida.
Recreational activities including picnicking, swimming,
fishing, canoeing, paddle boating, bicycling, mountain biking and
jogging.
Seven covered picnic pavilions are available on a first-come,
first-served basis or may be rented by reservation.Contact the park
office for fees and availability.
Oleta River State Recreation Area is located at 3400 N.E. 163rd St, off I-95 in Miami.
For more information:
Oleta River SRA
3400 N.E. 163rd Street
North Miami, FL 33160
305/919-1846.
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