Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park

I have a love hate thing with this park… I will start off by talking about a past experience… in 2013 me and my wife got married here and it was a beautiful little wedding. It was just us two the photographer and the person marrying us. We wanted it small because we aren’t ballers. For decoration in the pictures and video we had rose pedals on the ground… there she was looking gorgeous. I’m looking my wife in the eyes about to say my vows and suddenly I hear a gas golf cart approaching us… the guy (African American) gets out of the golf cart and comes right up to the ceremony and proceeds to tell us that when we were done to pick up the rose pedals… who does this? This guy had to of been dropped on his head. I couldn’t fathom what had happened… its 2016 and I have never been back mainly because it was a far ride to get there. Me and my wife recently moved and now we are closer so I went yesterday to take some photos of some scenery and it was great… I didn’t see this guy but I really hope he does not work there anymore… if you wonder how I remember what he looks like it’s because he is in our wedding video.

We loved it here. The friendly animals were great. The lighthouse was so beautiful and the water was clear and calm. Loved our visit there so much!

Located at the end of Key Biscayne, Bill Baggs is a nice but not great beachfront park.
I came here to explore the lighthouse, which you can tour Thursday through Monday at 11am and 1pm. The guide who was on duty the day I went was not super informative, and had his American history a little confused. The view from the lighthouse is pretty, and the ascent not too difficult.
I found the beach here to be dirtier than some of the other area beaches, and the water gets deep pretty quickly.
One cool aspect of the park is that there are more birds and lizards than you see at the busier beaches.
Unless you’re interested in lighthouses, though, I suggest skipping this beach. North and South Beach in Key Biscayne are far better.

On a beautiful 80 degree day we decided to explore a bit, and while our initial trip was supposed to be at Miami Seaquarium (it was overpriced and they charged for parking!), we decided not to go there but explore the Key Biscayne area nearby. Glad we did as we saw Bill Baggs on our Unilocal map and it was an amazing park. Clean, well-​kept, and scenic. Check out the lighthouse for some awesome pictures, then take an hour at the local café. Watch out for those pesky racoons, but they don’t bother you.

This park has a lot of amenities but it seems to attract a less than civilized crowd. My favorite beach was closed due to an event, so I headed down to Bill Baggs for some beach time. I was really disappointed with my visit here.
Between getting run over while sunbathing by fools playing football on the beach (real smooth, guys) and fighting the ants for some space in the sand, there was no time to relax and enjoy the sound of rolling waves and seagulls laughing. Trash was strewn all over the beach. :*(People here seem to be rowdy and not very polite or careful of nature. There also isn’t very much beach at high tide. It probably isn’t fair, but I added a star to my review for the hot umbrella guy because watching him frolic up and down the beach on his ATV was, sadly, the most enjoyable part of my Bill Baggs trip. I’ve never seen someone rock itty, bitty man-​shorts so hard. That guy never skips leg day…
This park could be really great, if the staff wanted to clean up (literally and figuratively): There are many bathrooms throughout the park, the lighthouse (and the umbrella guy) for sightseers, a little food stand near beach access 6, lots of parking, picnic tables.

This place is absolutely beautiful!!!
It’s a state park with a nominal fee which is totally worth the price. ($ 8 as of June 2015) I wanted to go to a place that I could get some good photo ops at and this is the place! If you have never been anywhere tropical i.e. grew up in a landlocked state this is the place to go! It’s not over run by people just some locals trying to catch some dinner. We walked along the footpath to the lighthouse and got to peek inside after the ‘showing hours’ I guess you can request a «private» showing of the light house and go up or something –do some more research if you’re interested. The part I didn’t really enjoy was when the park ranger BARKED at me while I was trying take a quick photo of the inside while standing feet away outside of the lighthouse door –sternly informing me the nice couple reserved it and have wait to go inside another time –dude I just wanted to take a photo real fast and get out of there. I didn’t even care about going up or inside. I’m sure he deals with pushy tourists all the time and he thought I was trying to steal their moment with the damn lighthouse. Whatever man.
I didn’t want that to ruin the rest of the time here but man sometimes people that work with the public just don’t know how to treat people.
The public restroom was clean and not as scary as I thought it might be. There are several place to sit and enjoy the surroundings. Near the lighthouse there is a lightkeeper house and some information about the area.
We didn’t check out the beach since it was so humid but I’m sure it just as awesome as the rest of the park.
I will definitely revisit next time we are in Miami.

After going to Crandon Park the day before and being incredibly underwhelmed with the dirty water and consistent sewage smell we decided to spend the next day here. It’s like a whole different world just a few miles down the road! The water was crystal clear and there rock wall by the lighthouse allowed me to get a lot of underwater shots of all of the reef fish!

Not my lucky day? On approaching the entrance many cars were stopped or in the act of turning around, because of a yellow flag and a purple flag. At the entrance, we were told «dangerous marine life.»
Once in the park, we found it very crowded with lots of people in the flagged waters. Too crowded for my taste.
Maybe I’ll give it another try, but we barely spent an hour here.

A natural oasis in an otherwise Babylonian landscape.
Go here to break off from it all.
Highly recommend taking mountainbikes on the trail and making it to the top of the lighthouse.
Beautiful.

Bien situé et facile d’accès. Un lieu de piqué nique et de baignade loin du bruit de la ville

Was just here two weekends ago and had a great time. It had been a couple of years since I came over this way (an hour or a bit more from home) but we had family from out of town and planned a whole day here. They have plenty of picnic tables with lots of shade and small charcoal grills to bar b q. If you get there early enough you can use their shelters for free, which have 6 picnic tables. That was quite nice as we were a big group and were celebrating a birthday. Trash cans near by and they have people who come by to take out trash and put new bags in. Shelters and picnic tables are not right next to the beach, you have to take a little walk over a trail. Bathrooms available and showers outside. Beach isn’t the nicest as far as clean sand and clear waters but it’s still an enjoyable experience.

Another of Florida’s great State Parks! This is definitely a unique gem at the south end of Key Biscayne (a short drive from Downtown Miami). Entrance fees may vary depending on number of occupants in the car (from $ 4 to $ 8). Plus you also have to take the toll road to get here (Toll-​By-​Plate or SunPASS).
Walking trails were awesome and endless (seems like it goes on and on for miles). Beautiful and fairly clean beaches, though I did notice some litter scattered here and there. The lighthouse that is a part of the state park was fabulous as well, though I didn’t go inside or take the tour. Quieter than Miami Beach, that’s for sure.

Love this place! Entrance is a well spent $ 8! The rangers are friendly as long as you are doing what you are supposed to do. This park is kept clean and the rangers are constantly going around throwing the trash away. You can bring a dog as long as it is on a leash and not on the beach. They also have 2 handicap water wheelchairs which is great! The beach is usually clean. They do have a restaurant on site which I have never been to and an overpriced little store. They do Lighthouse tours which are good. Great for family BBQ. The bathrooms were recently redone and very clean! This place never disappoints.

This place is worth the $. Very nice, clean and great beach. Perfect for families esp those with smaller children. There were no spring break partiers here either which was a huge relief this time of year. Highly recommend and will return!

One of South Florida’s most valuable treasures !!!
Love visiting State Parks? This one is could probably be in the top 5 most beautiful given the geography the park offers scenery like no other and a unique history.
Some of the attractions this park offers is colonization tours including the famous light house. A beautiful beach is also on site perfect for those who like an ocean with some strong current as I do!
Designated fishing areas are available for the fisherman in you and from what I saw seems like its a great spot with great potential of coming home with plenty of fish.
And for you grill masters grills are found throughout the park with benches as well. This is a great place to have a gathering among family and friends and in case it’s a large group large shelters are available to reserve for your party.
Alongside the trail you’ll see one South Florida’s most beautiful scenes (specially on a sunset). Local yachts pass by and pelicans as well as a view of Stiltsville that date back to the 1920’s.
A café is open for snacks as well as regular and two seater bikes available for rent. Although if you’re looking for some where to dine nearby within the park try Boaters Grill which a great place for seafood.
There is an $ 8 entrance fee to the park but for what you’re getting it’s well worth that small fee.

One of my favorite Miami-​area parks. Cape Florida has an iconic historic lighthouse, beautiful white sand beaches, dozens of picnic pavilions, a natural harbor, native flora and fauna, and views of the houses of Stiltsville. Along the shore of Biscayne Bay near No-​Name Harbor you can watch amazing sunsets unlike anyplace else in the Miami Area. They’re open sunup to sundown. Great place to take a bicycle.

Very cool park. It closes at sunset, and if you come close to closing the entrance fee is waived!
We missed the lighthouse because they lock it up pretty quick as the sun sets. The walking trails and amenities are great here. It seemed like it was great for fishing too!

This is a wonderful beach in a nice part of Miami that is much more quieter than South Beach.
This area was ravaged during the time of Hurricane Andrew and so many trees were destroyed. Since then it has basically been put back together sort of the way it was before. If you’re in mainland Miami this place is sort of quiet for a reason. It is out of the way. You have to pay a toll to go to Key Biscayne and then you have to pay to get into the park. Both are not much but it’s also a good drive if you’re in downtown.
This park is really wonderful though. They do have equipment that you can rent like most of the beaches but this one is quieter and much less crowded than Miami Beach.
This is the kind of park you can feel good about taking your kids along.
There is however not much around this area so bring your cooler, snacks or eat before you come etc. The lighthouse is a nice part of the scenery around here as well.

**In my review, I will be reviewing the hiking trails, as I have not had a chance to visit the lighthouse yet, though I plan to eventually.**
As some of you may know, I love hiking and being in nature. I love exploring nature preserves, parks, national parks, birding trails, etc. Though I have seen all or pretty much all of the ones in Miami-​Dade County, Bill Baggs was one of the ones still on my list. The appeal was not only the fact I had read about its nature trails, but also, that it is named in the Great Florida Birding Trail.
Bill Bags State Park anchors the southern tip of Key Biscayne, a barrier island just south of Miami. After Hurricane Andrew leveled 98 percent of the trees (mostly nonnative Australian pine) in the park in 1992, a massive native habitat restoration effort was launched to recreate beach dune, coastal strand, maritime hammock and freshwater and tidal wetlands.
Wildlife such as plovers, ruddy turnstones, sanderlings, willets and other species on the beach can be observed. Wading birds and marsh rabbits are common in the freshwater wetlands. Butterflies and dragonflies are found throughout the park.
The park is named in honor of Bill Baggs, editor of The Miami News from 1957 until his death in 1969. He worked to protect the land from development, to preserve some of the key in its natural state, and was also a civil rights activist.
The park has more than a mile of sandy Atlantic beachfront, where snorkeling and swimming is possible. There is a paved bike path for those wanting to bicycle (and bike rentals), camping, canoeing, kayaking (and kayak, hydrobikes, as well as paddleboard rentals), the historic lighthouse, which is the oldest structure in South Florida (tours available only at 10 and 1 Thursday through Monday), a picnic pavilion, and a playground.
Nature trails are located on the west side of the park. Though there are 2, I only hiked one. Entrance to the park is $ 8.00, and the Key Biscayne toll is $ 1.75. Though the parking at Bill Baggs was pretty full and picnic tables around had music blaring, I was glad to get away once I entered the nature trail. It winds around the park, away from civilization. Cellphone reception was fine for me, but not for my friend. The voices of the people suddenly faded and all you could hear were birds or lizards running in the bushes. I observed a lot of zebra butterflies, though they would not sit still to photograph, and some nice flora. A cardinal or 2 were also spotted. The path is easy, and if you turn around, you will see the lighthouse from there, which is nice.
As we continued down the path, toward the left, it led to the seawall, with some wooden decks overlooking the water. Here, boats bobbed up and down on the water while fishermen stood on the decks trying to catch fish. It was uncharacteristically hot on this day, 90 degrees according to various sources. We stopped briefly to enjoy the faint breeze, and saw Stiltsville, a controversial historic settlement in the water, home to many illegal activities. Stiltsville has been featured on Miami Vice as well as Bad Boys II. We got back on the path and continued straight, while seeing lots of fan palms that had been burnt. We are not sure if these were contained fires purposely set to halt the plants’ overtaking nature, or if they were the result of lightning, or some neglectful person throwing a cigarette.
Although it was very hot and I was not dressed appropriately, I still enjoyed this quiet time. I am looking forward to returning and seeing the other path. Because the lighthouse tours are only twice a day, it’s been difficult to get there, but I am hoping to do so and post some great photos. I did not walk on the beach so I cannot say whether I recommend the beach, nor do I have photos of it to share, but if you’re looking to take a nice, quiet, isolated walk, the nature trail is a good place to do so.

Ein wirklich lohnendes Ausflugsziel von Miami aus, ist Key Biscayne. Den meisten ist dieser Ort durch das Tennisturnier geläufig. Aber es gibt dort auch den wunderschönen und sehenswerten Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park.
Man muss lediglich über die Brücke vom Festland Rickenbacker Causeway (gebührenpflichtig), den ganzen Weg bis zum Ende durchfahren. Der Park befindet sich am südlichen Ende von Key Biscayne. Der Eintritt beträgt 8 $.
Wenn man den schönen Strand betritt hat man einen Blick auf den historischen Leuchtturm Cape Florida Lighthouse, der im Jahre 1825 gebaut und das älteste noch stehende Gebäude in Miami-​Dade County ist. Zu gewissen Zeiten kann man den Cape Florida Lighthouse auch erklimmen und hat eine gute Aussicht (machen wir beim nächsten mal).
Der Strand wird auf Platz Nr. 10 auf der Liste der «Top 10 Strände in America» geführt und ist wirklich traumhaft. Hier können auch Liegen gemietet werden.

Abseits vom Strand gibt es schöné überdachte Picknickplätze, die auch gerne von den Waschbären aufgesucht werden. Darüber hinaus gibt es einen Spielplatz, Duschen und Campingmöglichkeiten.
Ich kann einen Besuch nur empfehlen.

If you are tired of all the crowding and personas of the city, head down here to get away. We needed to kill some time before our flight left from MIA airport, and saw this state park.
You have to pay a cause-​way fee (only one way) to drive there, but you get to see some great views and neighborhoods.
Check out the lighthouse for some history of the area, or walk along the natural sand beaches. These aren’t like the beaches up north. These are more natural and you have to cross sand dunes to get to the them.
There is a good bit of wildlife around the area, so stay vigilant. We watch a guy pull in a 8ft bull shark while doing a walking loop to the very south. Check the pictures for a look at it.

This was the very last thing I did on my vacation before heading to the airport and I am SO glad I used my last couple hours to come check this place out, but also SO bummed I didn’t discover it until the end when I couldn’t spend more time here.
This was probably the most perfect beach I came across during my entire trip which included beaches in Ft. Lauderdale, Miami, Key West, Key Largo and all the Keys in between.
Park entrance is a few bucks (I think they charge per person) and the park itself is pretty vast. There’s a campground at your first left after the gate and the second left is the way you’ll want to go to get to the beach/​lighthouse.
Plenty of parking available and you’ll already be just a skip from the sand once you park. I saw a rabid-​looking raccoon in the parking lot so watch out for him… he gave zero shits about humans/​cars/​noise.
Walk the little path to the beach and you’ll find a gorgeous stretch of pristine… ness. This beach was so perfect to me because there’s plenty of sand, not just a thin strip like the rest of the beaches I saw in Florida, not only that but the sand is that soft, white, perfect sand and the water was turquoise, warm and absolutely beautiful.
To your right is the lighthouse which you can climb for a pretty spectacular view on all sides. The beach has permanent umbrellas and chairs, but I’m not sure if they need to be reserved or what… there are plenty of them so I’m sure it’s not an issue.
Next time I come to Miami, I won’t even bother with South Beach, I’m coming straight here. Take your kids here for the day, you won’t have to worry about a rocky break or heavy tide or just come to relax and lay in the sun, you will be glad you did.
This is about a 15 minute drive from the main land of Miami; you take a short toll bridge that had moderate traffic, but it was well-​worth it.