Miami Riverwalk and Miami BayWalk - The Most Amazing Views of the Miami River and Biscayne Bay
It all started more than 10,000 years ago with the earliest humans arriving in South Florida. The earliest version of Miami was the Tequesta village found where the river meets the bay starting around 5 B.C. At the time, the waters of the Everglades flowed into the bay. It was a natural place for indigenous people to gather and build their settlements. There was fresh water and access to both the Everglades and the waters of the bay. They thrived there until the Europeans arrived.
The City of Miami was incorporated in 1896. At that time, the railroad had made its way down to the new city. The city has grown over the years and decades. Today, a giant metropolis stretches between that same bay and the Everglades, which has been pushed back through development many miles to the west. The bay and river will always be the heart of Miami.
If you want to get a real feel for what Miami is all about, then you have to take in the views of Biscayne Bay and the Miami River from the Miami Riverwalk and Miami Baywalk. You can imagine life in those earliest villages or what is was like when Miami was just starting out.
There are a number of great walking/jogging paths at the water's edge. You'll see the people going to and from work, tourists on vacation, the skyscrapers, the working river, the cruise liners across the bay at the port, strollers being pushed, dogs being walked, and people out for strolls or jogging or biking.
The Riverwalk and the Baywalk are alive with the pulse of Miami. There are many places to see the bay and the beaches in Miami and Miami Beach, but here we will cover several of the most vibrant and popular locations in the downtown Miami and Brickell area. Enjoy the view and fire up that Instagram feed.
Miami Riverwalk and Baywalks
Click the tab at the top left of the map below for more information. You can zoom in or out to get a better view.
- Miami Riverwalk to the PAMM (PURPLE)
- Miami Riverwalk - West - South Miami Avenue to the Knight Center (PINK)
- Baywalk - Miami Circle to Brickell Key Bridge to Brickell Key (LIGHT BLUE & DARK BLUE)
- Baywalk - Brickell Bay Drive to Brickell Waterfront (GREEN)
- Baywalk - Alice Wainwright Park to Key Biscayne (RED)
- * NOTE: There is a break in the Miami Riverwalk (Purple & Pink) due to construction, but you will be able in the future to walk from S.W. 2nd Street to the PAMM art museum in the future. However, it is easy enough to use the downtown sidewalks in the construction areas to go around the construction and continue on the Riverwalk path.
- The same applies to the Brickell Bay Drive and Brickell Key Baywalk (Green & Red). Simply use Brickell Bay Drive to connect the two. You could also go one more block to Brickell Avenue and use it to connect the two. Brickell Avenue is always a favorite of joggers and people out for walks.
Miami Riverwalk to the PAMM Museum
(Purple - 1.9 miles)
This path will take you from the mouth of the Miami River, north through Bayfront park, and then on through Bayside Marketplace and the MIAMarina at Bayside, and ends at Museum Park (see the next photo). At the mouth of the Miami River, you will see a steady stream of boat traffic entering and leaving the river.
As you turn north, you will walk through the 32-acre Bayfront Park right on the bay. Behind the park towers a large section of the Miami skyline.
The park itself contains a large paved walkway lined with palm trees, benches, large lawns, a playground, a giant fountain, an amphitheater, and a smaller performance pavilion. The main attraction, however, are the views of the bay and the towering skyline.
Continuing north on the waterfront path is the Bayside Marketplace and The MIAMarina at Bayside. Bayside is home to the 176 foot tall Sky Views Miami - Observation Wheel. Your walk next takes you between Bayside's shops and the marina, until you exit on the north side of Bayside and head under the Port Blvd bridge.
Once you clear the Port bridge, you will walk around the FTX Arena (formerly the American Airlines Arena & still the home of the Miami Heat) and around the Museum Park Marina/Boat Slip.
You finish the path at the 21-acre Maurice A. Ferré Park (formerly Museum Park). The park is home to the Perez Art Museum Miami and the Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science. The park is on the bay at the cruise ship turning basin where you can sometimes watch the giant ships turning to head back out to sea.
Previous Three Photos: ©Picture Works Inc / Roldan Torres-Moure - Miami - Bottom Right Photos: ©Picture Works Inc / Emily Torres - Miami
Miami Riverwalk West - SW 2nd Avenue to the Knight Center
(Pink - .72 miles)
Previous two photos - ©Picture Works Inc / Roldan Torres-Moure - Miami
Baywalk - Miami Circle to Brickell Key Bridge to Brickell Key
(Light Blue - .55 miles and Dark Blue - 1.10 miles)
This path runs from the Miami Circle on the south edge of the Miami River to the Brickell Key Bridge and then circles around the entire Brickell Key Island. You can access it from Brickell Avenue through Mary Brickell Park between S.E. 5th and S.E. 6th Street (next to the First Presbyterian Church). From there you can head north to the Miami Circle at the Miami River before circling back toward the south end at the Brickell Key Bridge.
Be aware that the Brickell Key Bridge pedestrian path is fairly narrow. The Baywalk path goes around the entire island and there is a small green space at the southern end of Brickell Key.
Miami Baywalk - Brickell Bay Drive to Brickell Waterfront
(Green - .5 mile)
While this is a short walk, it is popular and provides plenty of opportunities to take in bay views. The path is tucked in behind the area's condo towers, and there is a nice open plaza and fountain area toward the north end.
If you are walking or jogging down Brickell Avenue, this is a great detour you can access at Brickell Bay Drive and on S.E. 13th Street on the north end, or at S.E. 15th Rd. on the south end.
Baywalk - Alice Wainwright Park to Key Biscayne
(Red - 2.85 miles)
South Florida terrain is pretty much flat. However, if you want to jog or bike uphill, look no further than the Rickenbacker Causeway. Aside from the obvious challenge, it happens to be one of the most scenic views of Biscayne Bay there is.
Starting in front of Alice Wainwright Park, you can head east and immediately turn at the Miami Seaquarium onto the Rickenbacker Causeway. The skyline is across the causeway to the north. The bay view is amazing from the bridge.
This is a very popular destination for walking, jogging, and cycling alike. Be cautious cycling and stay well within the path. Traffic runs a fairly fast pace alongside the cycling lane. Walkers and joggers are in a separate lane behind a short barrier.
These are a select few places that are popular and offer views of the bay near the downtown and Brickell areas. This is a very partial list of a multitude of places to walk or jog and enjoy Miami's outdoor spaces.
We'll cover many others in the future including the Miami Beach Boardwalk, South Pointe Park, Matheson Hammock, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Gardens, Tropical Park, the Hollywood Beach Boardwalk, Shark Valley, and Old Cutler Road to name a few.
Remember this is South Florida. Stay hydrated, wear your sunscreen, keep an eye out for sudden summer showers, and stay safe.