This route runs through the western part of Miami-Dade County, connecting Sweetwater, Doral, and Medley, three communities whose development was closely linked to the industrial, commercial, and transportation expansion of the Miami metropolitan area. The urban landscape is dominated by warehouses, logistics centers, and wide roadways that replaced former agricultural lands and wetlands.
Sweetwater and Doral reflect the accelerated growth of recent decades, driven by proximity to Miami International Airport and by the conversion of land to industrial and residential uses. Medley, for its part, consolidated as a predominantly industrial enclave, with a small permanent population and a strong presence of heavy infrastructure.
The itinerary culminates at Madden’s Hammock, one of the few preserved natural spaces in this highly altered area. This small hardwood forest offers a stark contrast with the surrounding industrial environment and allows observation of remnants of the original ecosystem that once characterized the interior of southern Florida.
The route highlights the tension between economic development and environmental conservation in one of the most transformed sectors of Miami-Dade County.
The complete route and its historical context are part of Discovering Florida – Volume 2.
