Walk with ghostly footsteps: SouthFlorida.com

Tucked and hidden among the high-rise condos in North Miami lies Arch Creek Park. A secret to many, the park's defining feature is natural limestone bridge that spans Arch Creek. Used by ancient Tequesta Indians, then Seminoles, then pioneering Miamians, the bridge was considered one of the great sites to see in Miami for years before the area actually became a park. In 1973, just one day after Arch Creek was officially declared a park, the bridge collapsed -- apparently through coincidence, not foul play. Now, park visitors see a replica of the bridge when they visit.

But the real attraction of Arch Creek is that it is thought to be haunted. Ghost Tours take place every Wednesday from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Park naturalists lead groups around the park, and tell stories about campers disappearing from the grounds, strange footsteps being heard in the dark, and perhaps the souls of the doomed Tequestas still roaming there.

Many park workers claim they have heard footsteps in the park's nature museum and seen faces of people in the windows. Allan Scott, a park naturalist, has had some firsthand experience with the supernatural. "We hear it all the time, there's footsteps all through [the museum]. I'll be sitting in the office and I'll hear footsteps and I'll get up and I'll look all around and nobody's even around," Scott says. "It's pretty spooky if you're here by yourself."

Besides the Ghost Tours -- which are really more fun and educational than scary -- the park holds family barbecues, nature walks and special events on the weekends. The well-forested park has chickees, benches and shelters along the trails where families can take a break from an expedition and have a picnic. The trees provide plenty of shade, making nature walks a little more bearable in the South Florida heat.

Children also can be archaeologists for the day and dig up Tequesta arrowheads and other artifacts at the park's designated excavations site. The Arch Creek museum offers visitors a chance to travel back in time and learn about the history of the area. Objects such as old photos, Tequesta Indian artifacts, and settlers' goods from the 1800s can be seen in the museum.

And if the kids get weary of all that nature, the Enchanted Forest Elaine Gordon Park is right next door with playgrounds and pony rides.

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