Snapper Creek

Remnants of the original Snapper Creek streambed wind through a series of small ponds in the lower gardens. The braided channel is the last bit of the Creek that has not been altered by development. This hydrological heart of the Gardens features the sculpted forms of karst and pinnacle rock formations shaped by rain and flowing water over many thousands of years. The porous limestone, so noticeable in the landscape, was used extensively as part of the Gardens’ building material. The streambed flows as much underground as it does above and includes a network of small caves and fissures. A large solution hole, carved by the surface and subterranean flow, is a notable feature of aquatic habitat that supports colorful crabs, prawns, fish, turtles, and other fauna that have become scarce in urbanized Miami.