Oleta River
Encyclopedia
The Oleta River, situated north of Miami, drains the northern Everglades
into Biscayne Bay
, allowing freshwater to reach the Atlantic Ocean
. Today, it is the only natural river in Miami-Dade County that has not been dredged and channelized. Its seven miles (11 km) of shoreline are largely undeveloped, making the Oleta River Corridor a vestige of wilderness in a matrix of urbanization.
Between the Everglades and Biscayne Bay, over six miles (10 km) of trail have been developed for use by off-road vehicle
s: slightly more than a mile of expert singletrack, a half-mile of intermediate singletrack, almost three miles (5 km) of novice singletrack, and more than two miles (3 km) of paved pathway. They all connect in what is essentially an out-and-back, but various loops of different lengths and difficulties can be ridden off the main out-and-back.
The extinct Tequesta Indians
canoed the waters of the Oleta River over 400 years ago and today, a Tequesta village and midden site is preserved nearby as a reminder of the river's past human history. This area now represents one of the last wilderness areas available to wildlife
in northern Miami-Dade County.
Everglades
The Everglades are subtropical wetlands in the southern portion of the U.S. state of Florida, comprising the southern half of a large watershed. The system begins near Orlando with the Kissimmee River, which discharges into the vast but shallow Lake Okeechobee...
into Biscayne Bay
Biscayne Bay
Biscayne Bay is a lagoon that is approximately 35 miles long and up to 8 miles wide located on the Atlantic coast of South Florida, United States. It is usually divided for purposes of discussion and analysis into three parts: North Bay, Central Bay, and South Bay. Its area is...
, allowing freshwater to reach the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
. Today, it is the only natural river in Miami-Dade County that has not been dredged and channelized. Its seven miles (11 km) of shoreline are largely undeveloped, making the Oleta River Corridor a vestige of wilderness in a matrix of urbanization.
Between the Everglades and Biscayne Bay, over six miles (10 km) of trail have been developed for use by off-road vehicle
Off-road vehicle
An off-road vehicle is considered to be any type of vehicle which is capable of driving on and off paved or gravel surface. It is generally characterized by having large tires with deep, open treads, a flexible suspension, or even caterpillar tracks...
s: slightly more than a mile of expert singletrack, a half-mile of intermediate singletrack, almost three miles (5 km) of novice singletrack, and more than two miles (3 km) of paved pathway. They all connect in what is essentially an out-and-back, but various loops of different lengths and difficulties can be ridden off the main out-and-back.
The extinct Tequesta Indians
Tequesta
The Tequesta Native American tribe, at the time of first European contact, occupied an area along the southeastern Atlantic coast of Florida...
canoed the waters of the Oleta River over 400 years ago and today, a Tequesta village and midden site is preserved nearby as a reminder of the river's past human history. This area now represents one of the last wilderness areas available to wildlife
Wildlife
Wildlife includes all non-domesticated plants, animals and other organisms. Domesticating wild plant and animal species for human benefit has occurred many times all over the planet, and has a major impact on the environment, both positive and negative....
in northern Miami-Dade County.