East Greynolds Park

North Miami Beach, Miami-Dade County


maule lake
16700 Biscayne Boulevard
North Miami Beach

Website

Overview The pooch park might be one of the main attractions of East Greynolds, operated by Miami-Dade County, but for the more nature-minded among us, there are places to explore with or without Fifi and Fido. Maule Lake and the Oleta River, for instance.

Greynolds Park, one of the oldest parks in Miami-Dade County, is split in two, with the main section on West Dixie Highway and East Greynolds on Biscayne Boulevard. East Greynolds sits on Maule Lake and the Oleta River. Oleta River State Park is just to the south. There are mangrove forests on the watery eastern edges of the park that attract a variety of wading and shore birds. There is a platform where you can fish or just take in the scenery. If you want to take to the water, there's a paddleboard/canoe/kayak launch and paddleboard and kayak rentals through PADL.

One of the things that stood out to us was the "beware of crocodiles" sign posted along the waterfront. Yes crocodiles. East Greynolds is far enough south that it's possible that one of the saltwater-loving reptiles might show up. Odds are long, of course, but this is Florida and rule No. 1 when you approach any body of water is use caution and common sense.

There's also a protected hardwood hammock on the portion of the park that borders Biscayne Boulevard predominantly filled with gumbo limbo trees and other tropical hardwoods, including poisonwood. Parking is plentiful and there are restrooms.

History: Greynolds Park is one of the oldest in the Miami-Dade system and one of the oldest in all of South Florida, dating back to the 1930s. Dade County commissioners at the time realized the need for a park in the northeastern corneer of the county, and through land swaps and donations assembled nearly 250 acres of land. The biggest contribution came from one A.O. Greynolds, owner of the Ojus Rock Co., who donated 110 acres to the county on the condition that the park be named after him.

What You'll See: There are hammocks on the western and eastern sections of East Greynolds Park. The park lacks nature trails through these hammocks but you can walk long their margins for tropical hardwood trees and woodland birds like the bluejay seen below. The waterfront is the major attraction; explore the mangroves, the water and the sky for birds. The grass fields shouldn't be overlooked; we found a few interesting bugs like the banded bee fly also shown below.

Amenities: East Greynolds Park has plenty of parking, a dog park, fishing pier, kayak/canoe launch, picnic facilities, restrooms and drinking water. There are no trails but you can stroll along the Lake Maule shoreline and view it through the mangroves.

Nearby: Greynolds Park proper is about a mile-and-a-half to the north on Dixie Highway, and Oleta River State Park sits to the southeast less than a five-minute drive away. Also nearby, perhaps within a 10-minute drive, are Arch Creek Park and neighboring Enchanted Forest Elaine Gordon Park.

Links: Both the Great Florida Birding Trail and the Institute for Regional Conservation have pages for Greynolds Park, but neither is specific to East Greynolds. The GFBT page; the IRC page.

Of Note: East Greynolds Park is open 8 a.m. to sunset every day of the year. Parking is $2 per hour as of this writing (March 2025). Check the park website for any changes in the fee schedule. Also note that the website above is for Greynolds Park generally. For information specific to East Greynolds click the "Facilities tab."

Cover Photo: Water is the major natural attraction at East Greynolds Park. This is a view of Maule Lake through palms and mangroves lining the shore.
Virtual Tour


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Getting There ...
DIRECTIONS: The simplest route from the north or south would be to take I95 to 163rd Street and exit. Head east to Biscayne Boulevard and turn left (north). Drive a half-mile and the park entrance is on your right. A faster option from the north might be to exit I95 or the turnpike at Ives Dairy Road and head east to Highland Lakes Boulevard juts past the I95 interchange and turn right. Follow for 0.3 mile to NE 199th Street and turn right again and follow for 0.3 miles where it bends to the left and becomes NE 18th Boulevard, which eventually becomes NE 19th Boulevard. Follow south to 163rd Street and turn left. Follow for a half mile to Biscayne Boulevard. Turn left and follow for another half mile to the park entrance on the right.

Photo Gallery for East Greynolds Park

Click on the photograph to see an enlarged image. Click on the name to read more about the species.



Published by Wild South Florida, PO Box 7241, Delray Beach, FL 33482.
Photographs by David Sedore. Photographs are property of the publishers and may not be used without permission.