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Print Friendly MapThe 13.5-mile Old Cutler Trail goes through some of the most beautiful neighborhoods in the greater Miami area under the cover of magnificent fichus trees and banyans. Popular stops along the way include Matheson Hammock Park, Fairchild Tropical Garden, and Pinecrest Gardens.
The trail is best-suited for individuals and families who enjoy a leisurely walk or ride. Although inline skating is permissible, much of the route is rippled with tree roots.
The northern trailhead is located at the traffic circle at the convergence of Old Cutler Road, Sunset Road, and LeJune Road in Coral Gables. The southern trailhead is located at the junction of SW 87th Avenue and Old Cutler Road in Cutler Bay. From its southern end, you can connect to the 2.7-mile Biscayne Trail, which provides a pleasant route down to the Biscayne Bay. A spur along 216th also connects to the Black Creek Trail.
At the northern end of the trail, parking is available at the Cocoplum Circle, a traffic circle where Old Cutler Road, Sunset Road, and LeJeune Road intersect. A little further south, you'll also find lots in Matheson Hammock Park (9610 Old Cutler Road, Coral Gables).
Pavement quality is atrocious. I guess its OK for jogging but pretty bad for bikes. There is a gravel part that goes to water. Pretty sad state of the trail considering locals live in 7-8 figure houses, jog on it and yet don't care.
If you are training for a marathon, this is one of the best long run trails. It’s clearly split so there isn’t ever really any traffic, it’s shaded about 80-90% of the time, and the views are lovely. People actually say “hello” versus on the beach where I usually run, people look at you like you’re nuts. Parking at the north entrance is easy, 2 hours free from 8am to 10am. Downsides: There weren’t any restrooms or water fountains anywhere. If you are running anything over 6 miles, bring a hydration vest and make sure that you don’t have to use the bathroom
We have done this ride 3 times, twice the entire length. Unbelievable parks, housing and landscaping. Coffee shop about halfway if you want to relax and food at the south end after navigating the one stretch of very busy drive crossings. This ride will also easily connect to another trail for added length with a small amount of street riding. In three rides combined we may have seen 25 bikers, 10 runners and 10 walkers…… very low usage.
My wife and I enjoy biking while visiting new areas. We drive to a public park and took our bikes out along this paved and well-maintained path through a residential area. While it followed the busy road, there was always distance between the road and the path and safe crosswalks when they intersected.
My wife and I and our autistic son had the pleasure of riding the old cutler trail today. We started on the north end and rode to within a a mile or so of the southern terminus. An overall fantastic time. I read some of the comments about tree roots, but we didn't have any major issues. There was one section where the trail could use a bit of work but we found it to be in very good order. It was a great way to spend an afternoon.
Bumpy
We enjoyed the trail.
This is a nice ride and the beautiful homes accents the journey. But for such nice neighborhoods one rolls down, the trail needs maintenance. Tree roots are breaking through the pavement and makes for a bumpy ride at times. Yet, all things considered, a fun roll. One can also connect to other routes, which can extend the ride. Fun!
A few bumps but what trail doesn’t have bumps. I roller blade and it’s fine for me. Very long
We started at the North End near the Commodore Trail entrance and rode south. There are a dozen or more free-parking spots around the circle. The trail on this end is bumpy due to large tree roots, which slows you down. Once you pass Matheson Park, (the Trail goes into/thru the park for about 2-3 blocks distance, turn into the park, stay to the right, and pick up the trail on the right), after you exit from the park you must cross the road (we missed the sign) then turn right, into a gated community onto Snapper Lane/105th Street. Having missed the trail sign, we backtracked, then stopped at the gate house to asked the gate keeper if she knew where the Old Cutler Trail was. She said she is asked that question "all the time", then directed us thru the gate she opened for us, told us to go straight for a quarter mile, then on the right, go thru an opening in the black fence where the trail resumes. From then on the trail (is very well marked) has less shade the further you go, but the surface is smooth. It crosses several intersections. with heavy road traffic. Maybe because it was a Sunday, there were lots of cars, trucks pulling boats, jet skis, etc. It was getting late (6pm) so we turned around about a mile or two from the end, stopping at a shopping center to get something to eat/drink. Overall, trail was nice, we felt safe the whole time, you pass thru some upscale neighborhoods, you never felt isolated, and if you stop at Matheson Park for awhile, you can rent a kayak or paddle board or swim. Made for a nice afternoon to cycle the trail and get some exercise, but i doubt this was a former "rail" converted to a "trail". If you are looking to cover some distance, ride to get your heart rate up, and be alone with mother nature, this would not meet that goal. The trail seems more like a shared bike/walk trail that connects all the neighborhoods along Cutler Road.
Nice trail overall that goes through some great neighborhoods. It’s a little noisy as Cutler is a very busy street, but at least one is safely on the path. I’m from the Northeast and hate riding the streets in Miami since drivers are very distracted here and not respectful of bikers compared to other parts of the country. This trail is a good way to still enjoy cycling here. I would recommend a ride to the Pinecrest farmers market on Sundays. There’s a lot of great street food there!
All the complaints here use to be true but they just completed a total overhaul of the entire trail. It has brand new, smooth asphalt, no root incursions and they even painted little yellow lines for the fools that dont grasp the concept of lanes (warning, some still dont, lines and all). This trail is a real gem of Miami.
This could be a great trail, but there is so much plant debris for you to twist your ankle on while running and HUGE lumps that would definitely be ball busters on a bike. Nearly the entire 3 miles or so of the northern portion of the trail are like this and I suspect at least an additional 2 miles to the south are similar. I couldn't look around or be aware of my surroundings because I had to keep my eyes glued to the ground ahead of me at all times to avoid the hazards. The trail also narrows very abruptly at several points due to huge trees growing into the trail. I always wondered why most cyclists ride in the road rather than using this "nice" trail. Now I know.
There are a lot of driveways and streets that cross this bike "trail", but most motorists are quite good about anticipating pedestrians/bicyclists. The only exception is the Matheson Park entrance. There must be dozens of close calls with boat-towing drunks daily on this trail.
Most of the trail had good shade and the area seems relatively safe during the day. For a good portion of it, you are running/biking pretty close to the road. Not good.
The trail is beautiful, but it is very bumpy due to the tree roots lifting up the asphalt. You do not want to ride a bike with thin tires on this. Even my hybrid bike wasn't too comfy for the bumps on this ride. You can not go super fast because of the bumps.
Excellent scenery & good shade here. Quite a few tree root bumps, so it's more mountain-bike friendly. There's a few real narrow points that're one-lane-only, but not marked.
So it's a very fine trail, but soitenly not for the speedy type.
nicely shaded trail...beautiful neighborhood with nice view of Florida's vegetation.
I take my dog and he loves it too.
It's safe! Wide and spacious that I get to push my girls In their jogging stroller without interfering with other runners/walkers and/or bikers. Besides you have good shade and that helps dealing with humidity/heat.
Went walking with my dogs just recently and I loved it so much that we will frequent this trail, without a doubt! The gardens aren't pet friendly so if you're planning to visit those, then leave your furry ones at home. Bring your own water and waste bags.
Lovely ride alongside of old cutler road winds past matheson hammock park, fairchild tropical gardens, pinecrest gardens and more. Mostly shaded route, provided by large banyan trees. Been riding this route since 1970's and never bored with it.
Contrary to the description, this trail is not for inline skating. It is often wet and very slippery, and is more suited to running or biking. There are also many rough patches with holes to trip and fall in. If you have to use this trail, go when it isn't going to rain and start further south. This will give you the best chance of staying on your feet. Wear a helmet!
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