Pine Tree Park

Love this park! I brought my dog with me for a week in Miami Beach and found this place on the first day. Thank goodness we did. It became our go-​to spot. No loud kids (my pup loves kids but I don’t like the distraction for her), very clean, great shade. There are a lot of dogs off leash but we only met one that really shouldn’t have been. People seem to use good judgement here and know their dogs and pick up after them. There are also really great trees and a community garden. I’m going to miss this park!

I come here all the time because this is the location of the community garden. I’m glad there are code compliance people writing citations. Too many people walk their dogs off leash. There is a fenced-​in area for off leash playing. It’s a beautiful park for quiet sitting, walking or launching a kayak into Indian Creek.

Love at first bark ! This park is gorgeous and most importantly, dog friendly. I’ve know. About this park for years, but hadn’t been here since 2001. It does not disappoint! The park is kept clean and had 2 different areas for dogs to be free, off the leash and ready to socialize! There’s water spouts for your pooch and areas with poop bags in the even that you ran out or simply forgot yours. I discovered they also have a community garden ! And to top it off, they have a kayak ramp and views of millionaire row. It’s a perfect picnic date kinda place. The free parking also makes this a place I now hold near and dear to my heart! Bring your dog and meet me there!

Love this park. Brought the dog here and played fetch and hula hooped; it was really nice and quiet. Lots of trees and room for him to run around. I liked that it wasn’t crowded, I only saw a few people. I wish I came here sooner! It’s nice to get away from south beach hustle.

I had noticed this park coming up on Unilocal when searching for places to visit while on my weekend morning walks. I decided to check it out since I normally walk toward the Holocaust Memorial and Beach High, so this time, I decided to head north. I crossed the intersection of Pinetree Drive, and walked by the JCC, and nestled among the lavish homes was Pinetree Park. It’s actually called the Pinetree Bark Park. Pinetree Bark Park, unlike most parks in Miami Beach, has its own parking lot, and the parking is free. On this Saturday, around noon, there were plenty of empty spots. I suspect most of the people who take advantage of this park are locals who would walk anyway, hence the empty spots.
Pinetree has plenty of trees. In fact, it’s mostly trees and grass. Don’t expect to see exotic trees or flowers. There are small paved paths as well as grassy areas. The park is very safe, so safe in fact, that a woman had left a purse on a bench and walked off and no one ever got near it nor tried to grab it. This is very unusual in South Florida, a place where people can’t even seem to leave their car doors unlocked while sitting at a red light. I walked for a good 30 minutes and never located the purse owner, but the purse sat there untouched. Impressive!
Like most parks, it has its perks and its drawbacks, so here is the breakdown:
PERK: since this is an actual dog park, something I was unaware of, dogs are king here. They have an enclosed gated area off to the right side of the park where dogs can be left to run wildly unleashed, while playing with other dogs and their owners. People were playing fetch. If you have a dog, this is a great place to let them run loose and socialize.
PERK: since this is Miami Beach and this area specifically is home to million dollar homes, people are considerate enough to clean up after their pets. Unlike Margaret Pace Park, which is full of dog poop, people here have enough pride in their local parks to clean up after their dogs. There are doggy water spickets at the fountains, and poop bags provided for free, as well as plenty of trashcans to dispose of the waste.
PERK: It’s right on the water, not on the beach, but right on Indian Creek, and across from the Eden Roc. This not only provides breeze, but a pretty view among the mangroves. You might be able to spot some iguanas, as well as some small fish in the water. Because of this, there is a great kayak launch site, though some people were also using it as a paddleboard launch site too.
PERK: This was actually my favorite thing — a community garden! I had never seen this before, I had read about this taking root (no pun intended) in other cities, but was unaware of the fact they had this in Miami Beach, and in this park, nonetheless. I love this idea, it’s great for people wanting to grow lettuces and fruits, which they would be unable to do from their condos, either because of the fact they don’t have a balcony or restrictions to space when it comes to growing fruit trees and other vegetables. There are 78 plots, and they’re gated and mostly shaded.
PERK: As I mentioned, free parking in a lot, close to Walgreens on 41^st (and little restaurants close by), and in a nice, posh, safe area.
DRAWBACK: Unlike most parks, there is nothing here for kids. Would it kill them to add a swing (and let’s face it, kids aren’t the only ones guilty of sitting on the swings, I know I have), or a slide? There is plenty of empty space, grassy lots without bushes or anything. They could easily fit a small playground here. I saw so many young couples with children coming here, and plenty of them walk around the area all weekend long, so obviously, it’d be put to good use.
DRAWBACK: No picnic tables. Yes, there are benches, but no tables. Yes, you could sit on the grass on a towel, but at the same time, you could risk some ants crawling on your feet, legs, or worse, crawling on to your food.
DRAWBACK: No pool.
DRAWBACK: No tennis courts.
DRAWBACK: No basketball court.
I don’t recall seeing any restrooms on site, so this could possibly be another drawback but until I verify it, I won’t list it as such.
If you’re wanting to speedwalk or run around an otherwise private park, this is the place to go. If you have a dog, this is a great place as well, but if you have children, you’re better off going to a park like Flamingo which does have tennis, a playground, a waterpark, and a pool, among other things. This is meant more as a haven for dogs than a proper park in the traditional sense with a playground area and picnic tables.

Cool Miami Beach park. It has a walking trail, dog park, large grassy area, and even a kayak launch site. Cool stuff indeed. It is nestled about 4 blocks north of 41^st street on Pine Tree Road. You can also rent space to have your own little garden to grow fresh fruits and vegetables.
This park is perfect for some fun in the sun, a day date, or even some alone time (cuz we all need this). Also there is plenty of free parking. So get off the couch and get a moving ppl.