Green Cay Nature Center and Wetlands

A Nature Trail right in the backyard

Allmost all South Florida is as flat as the palm of your hand so that if your prefer climbing to the top of the mountain, you can climb a tree or go somewhere else.

However, nothing is more characteristic of the Florida mainland than the so called "wetlands", where there is more water than dry land and where the wild life thrives.

There are many nature parks at a Roseaire short-ride distance. Some of them have convenient walkways. One of the best is Green Cay Nature Center and Wetlands, just five miles NW of Roseaire, barely 10 minutes driving!

Green Cay offers 1.5 miles of elevated boardwalk that takes you through 100 acres of constructed wetland. The trails are wheelchair and stroller accessible, and there are benches on the boardwalk and around the outside of the Nature Center for those that would like to sit and enjoy the beautiful scenery and abundant wildlife. Visitors do not have to pay admission to Green Cay Nature Center to enjoy this boardwalk.

If possible go early because that is when the animals are more active.

Practical Tips:

Distance from Roseaire: 5.2mi, 10-15 min drive. Map

Schedule: Boardwalk open daily: 7 am - sunset

Elapsed time: 1-3 hours

Check the Visitors Center schedule. They offer an orientation to the wildlife and the landscape you’ll encounter here.  

Admission: Free

Photo Album Here

Start your walk at the nature center by heading right to walk counterclockwise around the outer loop. The boardwalks pass over waterways of various depths, and this particular section is deep. You might see an alligator drifting along the surface. At the first boardwalk junction, keep right—the boardwalk to the left creates a short loop back to the nature center.

Deering Estate at Cutler

Deering Estate belonged to Charles Deering. It's a nice place to visit although it lacks the grandeur of his brother James Deering's Vizcaya mansion. Its a rather quiet Mediterranean style villa by the bay with a relaxing water view.

Both Charles and his younger brother James (1859 – 1925) passionately amassed works by the old masters as well as painters of their own day. James collected 15th to 19th century art for Vizcaya, also located in Miami, Florida. Charles preferred to fill his mansions in Sitges, Spain and also built the Stone House to house works of the Spanish masters such as El Greco, Diego Velasquez, and Rembrandt. In total he amassed more than 4,000 pieces of art and had one of the largest collections in the world. His art collection was appraised at $60 million dollars in 1922.

Upon his death, Charles Deering heired his collection to his two daughters, Marion Deering McCormick (Mrs. Chauncey, 1886–1965) and Barbara Deering Danielson (Mrs. Richard, 1888–1982). The women donated many works to the Art Institute of Chicago in the decades following their father’s death.

After Charles Deering's death in 1927, his daughters owned the Estate for more than half a century. The property was put up for sale after the last heir - Charles' daughter, Barbara Deering Danielson, passed away. In 1985, the Nature Conservancy brokered the deal that allowed the State of Florida and Miami-Dade County to purchase the property.

As said, much of the art collection is now in Chicago. Only a few pieces of furniture and paintings copies remain in the Stone House. Also noticeable are some old devices from the early XX century outside the house, like a gas pump and a concrete mixer. The panoramic views of the sea and the Stone House as a background make Deering Estate one of the favorite places for wedding photo shootings.

Practical Tips

Distance from Roseaire: 76 mi. Approximately 1 hour and 20 min. Map. It's a bit far away to go specifically to see this place, so you may want to combine it with another place nearby.

Hours of Operation
10:00 am to 5:00 pm (last ticket is sold at 4:00 pm)
Open every day except Christmas and Thanksgiving

General Admission
General admission to the Deering Estate at Cutler in 2016 is $12 for adults and $7 for youth (ages 4-14).

Official website: Click Here

Photo Gallery