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This is another semi-urban trip, but you're out in the open in Biscayne Bay. The grass flats still have stuff for the nature-minded. I've paddled right next to manatees off Vizcaya and rays are common. There are huge mansions just south of the Rickenbacker causeway and some less huge ones south of Peacock Park. The derelict and semi-derelict vessels around Dinner Key are kind of interesting in their own way. The water here is clean enough to jump in when the weather is hot. 100 years ago the fresh water springs in the area bubbled right up into the bay so that you could even grab a bucket of spring water in a few spots inside the bay. Those springs are long gone, however.
Directions: Find South Bayshore Dr. in the Grove- multiple routes in. Just south of the Coconut Grove exhibition center and Dinner Key Marina, you will see Monty's Bayshore Restauraunt and Marina on the east side of the road. Turn in here and then go to the right away from Monty's. There is a nondescript parking lot and a small kayak concession run by the city of Miami.
Entrance fee/parking: Free
Facilities: There is a rental concession.
Put-in/Take-out: Floating dock or a cement boat ramp.
Route: Head north to Fair Isle, Mercy Hospital, Vizcaya and the expensive mansions, then Brickell Ave and the fancy condos, all the way to the Miami River if you're adventurous. Head south past the semi-derelict live-aboards to Peacock Park, the barnacle and a bunch of nice houses. Past the point is the Coral Gables Waterway. Current- the Coral Gables Waterway, the big Rickenbacker bridge and the area near the Miami River/Brickell Key all have fairly strong tidal currents of 1 mph or more. Bear Cut (between Virginia Key and Key Biscayne) has about a 1/2 mph current, but this is quite manageable in a kayak.
Wildlife: Pelicans, cormorants, stingrays and if you're lucky, a manatee or two. Mergansers and other ducks come down for the winter.
Alternative put-ins: Other sites for Biscayne Bay include the entire Rickenbacker Causeway ($1.50 toll), Crandon marina (a $4 fee to use the ramp- there is a perfectly good beach put in with a "no trespassing" sign) and Virginia Beach ($3 or $4 entry fee; beach put-in). Pink squares mark the spots.
After your trip there are plenty of outdoor cafes in the Grove where you could eat while damp. Parking is tight.
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Put-in floating dock is the pink circle. There is a cement boat ramp just south of the dock. Monty's marina is the next dock to the east. The sandbar between the 2 halves of Dinner Key is navigable except at low tide.
Crandon Marina lot (above). Kayak parking is at the south end of the lot on the grass next to the trees. To use the master meter press the green button to start, then press the YELLOW BUTTON to reduce the fee to $4 from $12, then put in your money.
Maps from Mapquest.com
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