Oleta River State Park

Oleta River State Park
The beach at Oleta River State Park
Type	State Park
Location	North Miami, Miami, Florida, United States
Area	1,043 acres (4.22 km2)
Created	1986 (1986)
Operated by	Florida Department of Environmental Protection
Website	The Barnacle Historic State Park

Oleta River State Park
IUCN Category Ib (Wilderness Area)
Nearest city	North Miami, Florida
Coordinates	25°55′08″N 80°08′24″W / 25.91889°N 80.14°W / 25.91889; -80.14Coordinates: 25°55′08″N 80°08′24″W / 25.91889°N 80.14°W / 25.91889; -80.14

The Oleta River State Park is a 1,043-acre (4.22 km²) Florida State Park system on Biscayne Bay in the municipal suburb of North Miami in metropolitan Miami, Florida. Adjoining the Biscayne Bay Campus of Florida International University, park contains one of the largest concentrations of Australian pine (Casuarina) trees, an invasive species in the state park system.

Facilities

The central feature of this park is the mouth of the Oleta River, for which it is named. The river has drawn human inhabitants to the area since about 500 B.C, when its shores served as a campground for Tequesta Indians. It was used by U.S. troops (who called it Big Snake Creek) in 1841 during the Second Seminole War, and further explored in 1881 by Naval Captain William Hawkins Fulford, whose ventured inland to what is now the city of North Miami Beach. The area became more heavily settled in the 1890s and in 1922, developers changed the name from Big Snake Creek to the Oleta River.

The river itself no longer flows to the Everglades, but remains a popular area for canoeing. The park also boasts some of the best wilderness bike trails in the country, and is a frequent host for triathlons and other extreme sports events. There is a beach on Biscayne Bay, kayak rentals, and primitive cabins. Oleta River State Park is also the headquarters to one of the state's five AmeriCorps Florida State Parks chapters.

Health concerns

Oleta River State Park is adjacent to Munisport landfill, a former superfund site. However, no health issues at Oleta River state park have been linked to the landfill.^[1]

Gallery

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  Night Heron on the Oleta River

External links

• Oleta River State Park at Florida State Parks
• Oleta River State Recreation Area at Absolutely Florida
• Oleta River State Recreation Area at Wildernet
• Oleta River State Park Mountain Bike Trail at Dirtworld.com

References

1. ^ "Public Health Assessment, Munisport Landfill, North Miami, Dade County, Florida". http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/HAC/pha/munisport/mlf_p1.html. Retrieved 2007-07-28. 

"Public Health Assessment, Munisport Landfill, North Miami, Dade County, Florida". http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/HAC/pha/munisport/mlf_p1.html. Retrieved 2007-07-28.