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Nature hikes, guided tours at Deering Estate in South Dade

Enjoy wildlife viewing, bay vistas, self- and staff-guided access to museums, plus other activities.

Deering Estate is part of the Biscayne Bay IBA (Important Bird Area) and Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail, a 2,000-mile, self-guided trail traversing 500 sites located throughout Florida and selected for their excellent bird watching, wildlife viewing and educational opportunities.

The property sits atop the geological formation known as the Miami Rock Ridge, most prominent and visible in southern Miami-Dade County. During the day, it offers eco adventures like birding and nature walks among the tropical hardwood hammocks.

The site offers many activities, including but not limited to, birding, hiking, moon-rise viewings, photography, self-guided and staff-guided tours, picnics, car shows, concerts and much more. See a 360-degree panoramic view HERE.

Guided Bird Walks are offered on the 2nd Saturday of the month October-May. The cost is included general admission to the estate and museum, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. 

Guided Butterfly Walks are offered on the 4th Saturday of the month June-Sept. The cost is included general admission to the estate and museum, 11 a.m. to noon. 

Hike through the Deering Estate’s protected natural areas. Along the way, learn about native plants and animals and the Cutler Burial Mound.

Staff Guided Nature Preserve Tours are offered once daily at 12:30 p.m., October through May.

All guests, including Deering Estate Foundation Members, are required to sign-up at the Main Gate before the tour begins in order to ensure their space. Space is limited and will be filled on a first-come, first- serve basis.

The Nature Preserve Tour is also included after paying the general admission, $15 for adults (ages 15+); and $7 for children (ages 4-14), and free for Foundation Members (who must show membership card at the Ticket Booth on the day of their visit).

Visit Deering Estate by the bay:

  • Check out the new app-based audio tour available now for only $2 (headphones or ear buds required). Because streaming wifi or cellular service may be limited indoors, please download the audio tour on CloudGuide before arriving from the App Store or Google Play
  • Pack a picnic and enjoy a day by the bay. You can also purchase food from the food truck outside the main gate before you enter the park.
  • Join the naturalist staff for a hike through the Deering Estate’s protected natural areas on a Nature Preserve Tour at 12:30 p.m. Along the way, learn about native plants and animals and the Cutler Burial Mound.
  • Enjoy a photographic installation of “Gabriela Gamboa: New Topographies, Mapping the Territory from Venezuela to Miami” that builds a new topographic map connecting these two geographical points through the use of archives, memory, erosion and personal mythology.

Courtesy, DeeringEstate.org

WHERE: Deering Estate, 16701 SW 72nd Ave., Miami. Call 305-235-1668.

Free parking is available in the Visitor Center parking lot located on SW 168th Street, just west of 72nd Avenue.

Operating Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. (no admission after 4 p.m. when gates close. Open every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas. 

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More free and cheap nature events at parks and venues:

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Saturday, March 30, 2024

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Free film: Sea Turtles of the Palm Beaches

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2:00 pm | FREE | Manatee Lagoon, Palm Beach

Night sky viewing with telescopes in west Broward

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Sunday, March 31, 2024

Free admission, Gumbo Limbo Nature Center, Boca Raton

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Free film: Sea Turtles of the Palm Beaches

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1:00 pm | $10.00 | Sandoway Discovery Center, Delray Beach

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Outdoor Marine Aquarium Feeding, daily, Boca Raton

12:30 pm to 12:50 pm | FREE | Gumbo Limbo Nature Center, Boca Raton

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Free admission, Gumbo Limbo Nature Center, Boca Raton

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12:30 pm to 12:50 pm | FREE | Gumbo Limbo Nature Center, Boca Raton

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Live Music at Doral Yard

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Saturday, March 30, 2024

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Tuesday, April 2, 2024

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Wednesday, April 3, 2024

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Mary Lou Cruz

About Mary Lou Cruz

I worked at the South Florida Sun Sentinel for 21 years, as an Advertising Special Sections Writer; Editorial Systems Editor in Technology; and Editorial Assistant in the Newsroom. Before my newspaper career, I worked in the airline and travel industry and I have lived in Brazil, Puerto Rico and vacationed in more than 25 countries. Originally, I'm from Maryland. I moved to Florida in 1984 and raised my daughter in Miami. Email: events@SouthFloridaOnTheCheap.com.

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