Amelia Earhart Park
Outdoor Experiences
Situated in the northern stretches of Hialeah just south of Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport, Amelia Earhart Park is a sprawling urban outdoor sports and recreation complex with a fascinating history. The 515-acre park encompasses a soccer complex with four mini fields, a petting zoo, a disc golf course, bike trails, sand volleyball courts, an island playground and an enormous bark park. With multiple lakes, it’s also a one-of-a-kind destination for watersports boasting a state-of-the-art wakeboard park with courses and coaching for riders of all levels. With so much wide open green space, it’s also the perfect park for an afternoon stroll along winding pathways beneath trees and past lakes or to simply sprawl in the grass on a picnic blanket.
Aviation History
Developed in 1980, Amelia Earhart Park sits on land that was previously an undeveloped portion of a decades old Naval Air Station. The airport just north of the park was where Amelia Earhart, the famed female aviator who flew solo across the Atlantic Ocean, took off from in 1937 on her ill-fated final attempt to fly around the world. The park was named in honor of the pioneering, boundary-breaking aviator.
Wakeboarding
The biggest lake at Amelia Earhart Park is home to the Miami Watersports Complex, one of the largest cable wakeboard parks in the country. Whether you’re an experienced rider or a curious first-timer, the park offers a full menu of lessons and courses with onsite rentals available. With two full-sized cables – one including courses with kickers and transfer rails for advanced riders – and a wake boat, the park offers wakeboarding, wakeskating, water skiing and knee boarding. Newbies can start with the “Getup Guarantee,” a 15-minute coaching session that includes a four-hour cable pass once you’ve got the hang of it. Wakeboarding is easier than you may think and once you’re up, it’s a thrill that will keep you coming back for more!
Soccer and Mountain Biking
Amelia Earhart Park is also home to the impressive Soccer 5 mini-soccer complex with four lighted fields designed for five-, six- and seven-player games. While the complex hosts kids leagues and adult pickup games, the fields are also available for reservation for friendly recreational play seven days a week.
The park is also home to eight miles of bike trails, ranging from beginner to intermediate and advanced, with an onsite vendor open on the weekends providing mountain bike rentals. Both track and road trails are available and some feature elevation changes, banked turns and a few opportunities to get some air!
Family Recreation
In addition to the action-packed sports offerings at Amelia Earhart Park, it’s beautifully designed for relaxing family fun and outdoor recreation. The playground is set on an island in the center of one of the park’s smaller lakes, boasting fort-style tree houses, slides, swings and balance beams for imaginative play. With both a petting zoo and a farm village designed to teach children about Miami’s agricultural heritage, Amelia Earhart Park is a destination for hands-on learning and fun. If you’re traveling with your pooch, the onsite bark park spans five fenced in acres with a separate section for small dogs.