Virginia Key Mountain Bike Trail

Have a decent mountain rig? Have a helmet and gloves? An itch for some adventure? If you answered «YES!» to all three then what are you waiting for? Get out there and make these trails your beach! [It’s on an island… puns are fun!]
After checking out the big 3 mountain biking trails in dade it was obvious that each one focused on different aspects of riding. VKT is the shortest, easiest to navigate /​ride and most beginner friendly IMO. If you’re looking to get into trails then this is where you should start. You should always ride at your level though. Even though they might be «Easy» in comparison to the more technical trails, there are still some painful surprises out here.
On my most recent visit the trails were in need of some TLC. Signs were down, obstacles were broken, the maintenance box seemed like it was ganked and some hoodrats decided to make their own stupid obstacle — leaving behind a mess. Still a great trail non the less, especially when it’s at it’s full potential. Always take bug spray out here, the mosquito situation is quite precarious. Key Biscayne mosquitoes are like vampire zombies and really don’t give a flying fox about anything. So if the bugspray isn’t working then I suggest that you don’t stop peddling. This is worst during the summer (duh?).
Trail riding is really fun and can be an awesome workout if you push yourself. Always make sure to inspect your bicycle before riding. A loose component or crapped out brakes could lead to a crapped out face or worse. If you like being active outdoors then it’s definitely something that you have to try at least twice.

This is one if my favorite trails to ride. For me it is right up there with Markham. Its also great to bring family abd barbeque after riding by the water.

This is my go to trail! Love everyone that is a part of this trail, and my Honies! I would come everyday if I lived close by. Great workout and beautiful scenery:))

I went today for the first time and it has become one of my favorite places in South Flordia trail riding on a small island is amazing!

A group of 5 of us have been going here for a couple of months and we love it. It’s a 45 minute drive for a couple of us so after dealing with Miami traffic and paying the $ 6 park entry fee (I miss Ohio’s free parks) you’re ready to hammer some trails. After making a right at the fork, you park next to a sewage treatment plant. Some days it can smell worse by your car than the one porta potty that’s available with no «TP for your b*nghole» (insert Beavis voice). We get there at 8am so the trails are pretty empty. Once you’re familiar with the flow and the trails you like it’s a really good workout challenging yourself to push a little harder than last time. I recommend good bug spray because the mosquitos here are aggressive!!! One stop in the middle of a trail and they attack in clusters even through clothing.
The one thing that could improve is rider consideration particularly the road bike riders on the access road. We’re ALL riders so we understand you want 3 feet of space but that doesn’t mean you have to ride 6 across in each direction blocking the road for 4 wheeled vehicles. 2 abreast please!

Ah, Virginia Key. That effervescent gem hiding so close to Miami, yet unsullied by its traffic or crappy attitude, offering visitors a pristine vision of what this paradise can offer. Deep in the bowels of this park lies a hidden forest where the adventurous take on nature with a bit of metal and plastic between their legs (gigitty) and a lot of guts, intermixed with a whole lot of insanity.
South Florida doesn’t have a shortage of MTB trails, be they Oleta, Amelia, Markham, Quiet Waters or Virginia Key. Each one offers something different. Amelia is designed for speed, shooting up hills and speeding down mega drops. Markham is designed for skill, where your brains and guts have to work together to ensure you can make it safely through this treacherous, technical and fun obstacle course. Oleta has… um… roots. Lots of them. And they test the strength of your arms and the toughness of your taint!
Virginia Key is a strange anomaly amongst these MTB parks. It is a relatively short trail that can be covered in less than 30 minutes. It zigzags through the marsh, goes through the heavily congested forest, spins around the beach and loses you in the gravel. It can be ridden fast and furious, as most of the trails are beginner and intermediate, which can be navigated with enough effort to make them worthwhile. There are some great man-​made Advanced trails that are hella fun with bridges, stairs and harrowing corners, as well as seesaws, berms and ramps which can truly make your nutsack shrink with its terrifying sharp turns, rocky climbs and «WTF am I doing!!!» drops. Yes, the trails are fun and there is always room for self-​improvement while on two wheels.
So why only 3 stars? Well, as great as this park can be, there are some drawbacks. For one, you have to pay to get into the Rickenbacker and then pay again to get into the park. Kind of a bummer. Also, adding to the list of obstacles, this place is where the Great Mosquito Army trains and prepares for its daily invasion of mainland in the summer. Seriously, the mosquitoes here can run into you and knock you down with their size and ferocity. Forget OFF, bring a bazooka! Finally, this park is filled with sand and gravel, making traction the stuff of dreams and minor falls exercises in appreciation of the intricacies of the human anatomy through giant gaping wound-​windows.
But for the MTB’ers of South Florida, VKMTB Trails offer some aggression relief and are close enough that can be accessed at any time before sunset. And lest we forget, once you have been thoroughly bruised, scraped up and bitten by mosquitoes, you can take some time and relax by the Virginia Key beach and soak your wounds in the forgiving waters of the Atlantic with the most spectacular views of the ocean.

I have been going to these trails for over 3 years now. It is a great local park and even listed as a top ten of Florida on
. It has a little something for every type of rider. Kids trails, easy green level ones for everyone, blue level for the step above a day rider, and a few black trails for the advance riders. There are log jumps, berms, ramps, stairs, a teeter tot (currently down for repairs), a few jumps, and some fire roads.
The club members are also very friendly.
I love that this place is just 15min from home.

Hi, my name is Melissa and I’m a MTB addict!!! Yes I’m completely obsessed with this sport. I just started MTBiking about 2 months ago and I wish I would have started earlier.
I’ve had my MTB for a year but was dating a guy that scared the shit out of me. by telling me that people were going to scream at me and it was very dangerous!!! SOOOOO Not true… one reason I’m not dating the guy. lol
The sad thing about this sport is that there isn’t a whole lot of places to go :(VKMBT is pretty close to me and I feel safe when I go there. I usually go with my brother to different trails, but when I’m alone I ALWAYS go here. The trails flow and you definitely don’t get lost. At other parks, I must say I get a bit lost and forget where the trails I like are located. This place is perfect because it’s pretty much a big circle.
Other riders have been very nice and don’t scream at me or intimidate me when I’m riding… yes I’m NOT super fast, but hey who gives a sh*t. I’m having an amazing time.
There is various type of trails, but compared to the other ones I think this one is GREAT for beginners or intermediate level riders.
You do have to pay $ 6 + $ 1 for additional riders/​bikes … If not park in the public parking in front of VK and get a nice warm up before hitting the trails.
Best time to go. early early early morning :) It’s absolutely perfect!!! After about 10 a.m. it does get crowded on the weekend.
Afternoon after 4 is good too. During the week: if you go at 3−4p.m. you might have the trails all to yourself.
Some Advice girls:. Pee before you head over there… NOOOO bathrooms only one port-​a-​potty in the front that is probably beyond disgusting. You boys have it easy! Urgh!
Happy riding :)

This is a great way to release work stress! There are trails for all levels and is a cheap way to have fun for several hours.

although a new park, virginia key offers beginner to advanced trials without the hassle of driving to oleta, markham, or amelia.
it does cost to get here, key biscyane entrance fee, if you are driving. i believe bikes enter the park for free.
i’ve ridden all the mtb trials in florida and virginia is definitely not the most technical or difficult by any means but the scenery, ambience, and people are what make it a cool place.

These are fun trails to ride within a little forest shade and filtered sunlight with nearby ocean. Finally somewhere to ride in Miami. Don’t have to travel far to get to them and you have choices of circuits from novice to intermediate to advanced. Watch the you tube videos before you go so you’ll have your bearings and get more out of it:
The video shows a rider on the intermediate circuits, as this was shot in April of 2011 right after they were built. The intermediate ride is plenty workout and the advanced circuit is thrilling but not real dangerous if you are an experienced rider. Kudos to the volunteers who got the city to cave and finally get these trails built.

The Virginia Key Mountain Bike Trails can easily be considered a free replacement to therapy. The only issue that would ever make me remove a star from this place would be the fact that you have to pay to access Virginia Key, that is, if you come in by car. Isn’t the point of riding the trails not to drive a car? My point exactly.
Park outside of the Key and ride in for a good warm up, or better yet, ditch the car completely and ride all the way to the trails, either way, you’re in for a treat.
With Trails for everyone and every skill level, the Virginia Key trails will no doubt challenge your abilities and your cardiovascular system and the best part: it’s just you, the trails and bikes, it simply doesn’t get any better than this.
I have been here with friends and of course with my partner in crime sweet Carla L. a.k.a The Hammer, and we always find a level suitable to all participants.
The Novice trails afford the inexperienced an opportunity to ride off the road and still be able to seem some pretty cool sights of Miami, Fisher Island and the Port of Miami from a whole different standpoint.
Intermediate trails will warm you up for the advanced trails, but you haven’t really experienced VKMBT unless you have your heart in your throat while you are fully committed to a semi suicidal advanced trail bridge, stump jump or rock descent, extra points if you crash and extra extra points if you draw blood, after all isn’t life all about challenging our mortality?

I confess that I didn’t use a bike on these trails. We have been lucky to run them racing the Tarzan’s Cup trail/​obstacle series. Racing monthly May thru Sept we are treated to nice views, amazing trails and fun obstacles including water crossings. Check out
and come enjoy Virginia Key Park with the rest of us. :O)

The Virginia Key Mountain Bike Trails are now open and they are spectacular. The course designer, Bernard «Frenchy» Rivière and some volunteers built the course in less than 3 months with a small public investment and some donations including one from Mack Cycle and Fitness in South Miami.
From the course, you get spectacular views of Fisher Island and Downtown Miami. There are Novice, Intermediate and Advanced Trails. Helmets are mandatory and cycling gloves recommended.
My daughter and I checked out the course and started with a Novice Run. The course had a few steep bumps and some small deep patches of white sand which caused my back tire to slide a bit. I hadn’t ridden my mountain bike for a long time so after my first Novice Trail, I was ready for more.
Next, we tried an Intermediate Trail. Ugh, I use to think I was a Mountain Man from California but this trail is like a Double Black Diamond Ski Run. The next thing I knew, I found myself on the ground on the soft white sand. Even though I lowered my seat, you really need to be in the right gear and have momentum to attack the Intermediate Trail. After the first fall, I decided to take my time and walk my bike up and down some of the harder bumps.
The next Novice Course, I completed putting my foot down only once. I could probably do it again without ever putting my foot down. I had gotten some of my pride back after the aforementioned disaster.
I would recommend getting your Mountain Bike checked out before you check out The Virginia Key Mountain Bike Trails. All bike stores will do a tune up for you to ensure your bike is safe. You can’t always get the tune up in one day so some planning is required. I would also invest in a larger hand pump to make sure your tires are perfectly inflated. You should also carry a spare inner tube.
Directions by Car: To get to the Virginia Key Mountain Bike Trail, take the Rickenbacker Causeway to Virginia Key Park, Arthur Lamb Road. Take a left at Arthur Lamb Jr. Road. You will stop at the Park Entrance and pay a Day Use Fee. (If you are on your bicycle, there is no fee and you don’t have to stop.) Follow the Road keeping to right at the fork. Arthur Lamb Road will wind to the left, you will go past the Windsurfing Beach entrance and the Road will wind right with Jimbos on your right side and the Mulch Plant on your left. At the very end of the road, you will see the entrance to the Mountain Bike Trails. There are some picnic benches on your left (don’t go left to the Mulch Plant entrance).
Directions by Bicycle: You can also park in Brickell and take your bicycle over the Rickenbacker Causeway like we did. It will take about 30+ minutes by bike to get to the Virginia Key Mountain Bike Trail.
In summary, this is a great ride and workout.