Mountain Biking in the Flattest Place on Earth

If you were asked to define Miami in three words, you would probably say Beach, Boobs and Booze. While Miami is surely all of those three things, it is also a mecca for outdoor enthusiasts. There is every sort of water sport you can imagine from kite surfing to para sailing, but what people don’t usually know about are the melange of land activities at your disposal. With the topography of a 10 year old girl’s chest (don’t report me) running, power walking, road biking and a slew of other sports are great ways to enjoy South Florida’s flatness and normally good weather.

What you don’t hear about often, or would even think about when visiting or living in Miami is…mountain biking. Just the name automatically sets Miami up to fail as the closest mountain is in another country. But, there are in fact some pretty awesome mountain biking trails in the area that are more man made than natural, but still blend seamlessly with the surroundings to offer a fun afternoon of hitting the “trails”. I hail from Pennsylvania where mountain biking is a pretty popular pastime, so when I decided to follow a tip about some newly created trails on Key Biscayne, I brought my bias.

I was very surprised at how well they were done, complete with jumps, graded burns, safety railings and well marked signs to help direct bikers through the courses. There are even separate trails for novice, intermediate and advanced riders.

I highly suggest you check out the trails on Virginia Key if you have a mountain bike and want to do something unique in Miami. There are also some awesome views of Fisher Island, downtown Miami and the massive and not well known water treatment plant that rests next to the trails. Below is a map of where you can park on Viriginia Key (connected to Key Biscayne) and where to gain access to the trails. The trails are free to use, but you have to pay $5 at the entry gate to Virginia Key, so make a day of it and chill out at the beach after going for a ride.