The Best Bike Trails in Miami: A Local Rider's Guide

One of the best things about running a bike shop in Coconut Grove since 2008 is that we've ridden pretty much every trail in Miami-Dade at this point, usually testing bikes before they go on the sales floor. People ask us constantly where to actually ride, so we put together the routes we send customers to most, depending on how far they want to go and what kind of ride they're after.

Miami's flat terrain makes almost every route here approachable, whether you're on a road bike, a rental cruiser, or an e-bike. Here's where to go.

Commodore Trail — Best for a Short, Scenic Ride Near Coconut Grove

If you're starting from our Coconut Grove shop, the Commodore Trail is the easiest option and one of the prettiest. It runs through South Miami Avenue, South Bayshore Drive, McFarland Avenue, and Main Highway, passing five parks, tree-canopied streets, and the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens. Parts of it are paved trail and parts run along sidewalk, so take it easy through the downtown Grove section where it gets busier with pedestrians and cars.

It's a good pick if you're short on time, new to the area, or just want a relaxed ride to test out a bike you're thinking about buying.

Old Cutler Trail — Best for a Longer Weekend Ride

Old Cutler Trail runs about 13.5 miles from Ingraham Park in Coral Gables down to Cutler Bay, and it's probably the most popular longer route in the county. Along the way you'll pass Matheson Hammock Park, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Pinecrest Gardens, and the Deering Estate. The trail was recently repaved and is well-marked the whole way, which makes it a good route if you're building up to longer rides.

Because it's a straight 13.5-mile shot each way, this is a route where an e-bike genuinely helps — you get to actually enjoy the gardens and estates along the way instead of running out of steam halfway. If you're weighing whether an e-bike makes sense for rides like this, we cover motor classes and range in our Miami e-bike buying guide.

The Underline — Best for an Urban Ride

The Underline is a 10-mile linear park being built under the Metrorail, running from the South Dadeland Metrorail Station up to SW 8th Street downtown. It passes the University of Miami, Dadeland Mall, and Brickell Avenue, and it's part of the larger East Coast Greenway network. It's paved with separated bike lanes in the completed sections, which makes it one of the more comfortable urban routes if you're not used to riding alongside traffic.

This is also a good stand-in for what your daily commute might look like if you're considering an e-bike for getting to work in Brickell or Dadeland.

Rickenbacker Trail — Best for Water Views

The Rickenbacker Causeway connects the mainland to Key Biscayne and has bike lanes running on both sides, passing Crandon Park and the beaches along the way, plus the William Powell Bridge, which is the highest point in Miami-Dade County. It's one of the most scenic rides in the city, but it also carries a fair amount of car traffic, especially on weekends, so stay alert and stick to the marked lanes.

South Beach Trail — Best for a Casual, Tourist-Friendly Ride

Running about 4.2 miles from Southpoint Pier up to Indian Beach Park near 46th Street, the South Beach Trail (also called the Atlantic Greenway) is a mix of paved trail, cobblestone, and boardwalk sections, with bay and ocean views and plenty of restaurants and shops along the way. Bikes aren't allowed on the wooden boardwalk sections, so you'll need to walk the bike through those stretches. It's an easy, low-effort ride, which makes it a solid option if you're renting a bike for a day and just want to see the city.

A Few Others Worth Knowing About

If you're riding further north or south of the city, a few other routes are worth having on your list:

• Black Creek Trail (about 8.5 miles) runs from Black Point Park west toward Larry and Penny Thompson Park and Zoo Miami, through natural habitat with good birdwatching.

• Biscayne Trail connects to Black Point Park and Marina, with wide paved sections and a decent chance of spotting manatees and pelicans along the water.

• South Dade Trail runs alongside the South Miami-Dade Busway from the Dadeland Metrorail area down to Florida City — useful if you're covering ground in South Dade, though it crosses a lot of intersections, so it's more of a functional route than a scenic one.

• Snake Creek Trail (about 6.5 miles) links North Miami Beach to Miami Gardens along the canal, shaded most of the way, with a few parks and fitness stops built in.

A Few Tips Before You Head Out

Miami heat is no joke, especially between May and September. Ride early morning or closer to sunset if you're doing anything longer than an hour, bring more water than you think you need, and use sunscreen even on overcast days — the reflection off the water on routes like Rickenbacker and South Beach adds up fast.

If you don't own a bike, or you're visiting and don't want to bring one, we rent everything from cruisers to e-bikes and carbon road bikes out of our Coconut Grove shop, with helmets, pedals, and baskets available too. It's an easy way to try a few of these routes before deciding whether to buy. Details and pricing are on our bike rentals page.

And if it's been a while since your bike has seen a tune-up, it's worth getting it checked before tackling something like the full Old Cutler Trail — the last thing you want is a chain or brake issue 6 miles from where you started. Our service page has details on tune-ups and repairs.

Bottom Line

If you've got an hour and want something scenic, start with the Commodore Trail right from our door in Coconut Grove. If you want a real ride, Old Cutler Trail's 13.5 miles is the one locals actually do on weekends. And if you're new to Miami or just visiting, the Underline and South Beach Trail are the easiest ways to see the city on two wheels. Come by the shop if you want route advice tailored to what you're riding and how far you want to go — we ride these same trails ourselves, so we're not guessing.