Castellow Hammock Preserve & Nature Center — Attraction in Princeton

This is a special place.

At first, you will be fooled by the exterior. It looks like some tiny featureless park on an underwhelming plot of land. Easily ignored while driving through the Redlands. However, like some secret garden, this place holds a plot of awe and wonder. Do not make the error of leaving it undiscovered, for past its humble and folksy park building is tucked away 100+ acres of one of South Florida’s great natural playgrounds. A park employee told me it is the oldest of its kind. The remoteness and disarming nature adds further to its mystique.

One of the beautiful things about the Everglades is the interplay between the Pine rocklands, prairie marshlands, and hardwood hammocks. All three are very different ecosystems, yet you can find them transitioning within minutes from one another in the Glades (find the half mile 3-in-1 trail north of the Pine Key campground for context). Among them, the hardwood hammocks are my favorite. Why? Once you step into the shaded canopy, you truly feel like you’ve entered some moist, mushroomed wonderland. Upon entrance, the shade and vegetation provide rest and respite from South Florida’s harsh head.

In Miami—a land of grounded uninterrupted metropolitized horizons—the hardwood hammock is like stepping into another time and place. The ground is covered with decaying vegetation. The sun is blocked out by the overarching hammock’s canopy of gumbo limbo and white tamarind branches. Joining them are champion trees over 100 feet in height, whose ancient grip of the limestone have in some cases defeated Hurricane Andrew’s 150+ mph winds. In other instances, the woody corpses of defeated champions litter the floor. Roots and limestone battle below your boots for supremacy, as well as risk tripping the absent-minded traveler. After a fresh rain, diverse fungi blanket vegetated rot.

Among the diverse system are an assortment of fungi (explore decaying trunks!), and a number of flora. False tamarind, ”sunburned” gumbo limbos, mahogany, cocoplum, live oak, red maple, and more, block Miami’s harsh sunlight via a canopy that almost seems foreign for our beautiful city. Among the fauna, were you to close your eyes and silence your footsteps, you can hear the symphony of frogs, squirrels, and more.

Halfway down the path, you will find one of my favorite distinctives of a hardwood hammock: a solution hole. If you round it, there is a safe ramp downwards that allows you to peak into Swiss-cheese limestone, and a pool of tadpoles.

I took 6 kids with me, and we had only one scraped knee and ample memories. Put down your phone, and explore the LORD’s beautiful creation. The park is...

Excellent secluded park if you want to get away from the hustle & bustle to enjoy nature for a little. The park is located in Redlands in Southwest Miami-Dade County. As you walk through the park, you will see lots of butterflies and hear lots of birds chirping. The park has a self-guided nature trail that takes you through the many native trees of this 112-acre open space. Be careful on the trail though because it is easy to get lost if you wander off of the path. I would recommend walking it with a partner. At the welcome center, there are some nice displays and you can learn about the history of the park. There is usually a park employee on site during business hours as well. If you like to take pictures, you will find a lot of cool stuff to capture! There is no entrance fee and it also has restrooms onsite. Overall, just a nice place to take in the sights & sounds while...

This is a beautiful place to visit. There is a parking lot with plenty of spaces. The park has a nice, well marked trail through a natural Hammock. Flush toilet are located at the start of the trail. The trail is very shady and does not have much of a slope. However, many roots and sharp limestone rocks poke up through the trail, so wear hiking shoes or sneakers and watch your step! The trail is great for kids but I would not bring person that is not sure-footed. The trail is not long but the tree roots and stones make it seem longer. We went with two teenagers and they had a great time. We did not have any issues with mosquitoes or bugs on the trail but we did see several spiders. The trail is 1 person wide for much of the time. We will definitely visit...