Kick start the summer with a pleasant family hike though the undemanding Kendall Indian Hammocks Park trail system (if I can do it so can you!). The trail is newly restored, and enhancements included opening 1.5-miles of trail corridor, trailhead improvements, new directional signage and newinterpretative trail markers that designate trees, plants and wildlife native to the tropical hardwood hammock preserves. 
The recently completed trail system improvement effort was funded by a $15,000 Great American Trails grant from the Darden Foundation and the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA). Miami Dade County Parks is one of eight communities in the U.S. that were awarded the 2013 grant for trail refurbishments and enhancements. Local parks and trails are important community resources supporting conservation and environmental sustainability efforts. These improvements have provided further opportunities for our community, including the expansion of the NAM/TERRA (Environmental Research Institute's Environmental Academy of Kendall) living laboratory and improvements to allow Miami-Dade Parks to host regular bird-watching trail excursions at the park.
Volunteers representing Longhorn Steakhouse of Kendall in conjunction with high school students of TERRA joined NAM in restoring portions of the trail system that were previously inaccessible. The two groups offered their time and labor during volunteer workdays held in May and April. Their efforts included removing debris, overgrown brush and invasive plants from the trails, as well as adding native plants and mulch around the trail head.
After exploring the trails, spend the rest of the day enjoying the 116.5 acre Kendall Indian Hammocks Park which also boasts five pavilions, a picnic deck, barbeque grill pits, a skateboard court, three softball fields, a High School baseball field, two 18-hole disc golf courses, two soccer fields, three playgrounds, a vita course and walking paths.
The Kendall Indian Hammocks Park is located at 11395 SW 79 Street, Miami, FL 33173. For directions to Kendall Indian Hammocks Park, visit www.miamidade.gov, or call 305-596-9324.
