Crandon Park

Nice beach with many facilities and very quiet. A lot of parking lot for $ 7. Beach chairs and umbrellas ($ 25 2 chairs and umbrella).

nice beach. much more relaxed compared to South Beach. family friendly. calmer water. 5 dollar entrance. the sand is littered a bit with plastic.

Admission is $ 7 on the weekend and on holidays. Tables and grills are available. The beach smelled of faint urine. I hope this is not a usual thing. The palm trees on the sandy beach are very nice. The concession stand needs updates, badly. This is a good place to ride your bicycle or skate alongside the beach. Ibis birds and ducks roam freely. I would recommend this as a place to spend with your family on a nice day.

Did you know that there is more to Crandon park than kite-​boarding, grilling and a dirty beach? Twenty something years and i just recently discovered what was tucked away at the ends.
Most people visit Crandon for the same reasons i have in the past, the beach and spacious /​clean /​shaded greens that are excellent for group gatherings. I personally don’t understand why the beach is so popular though. I can’t say which one is worse, the beach at crandon or Hobie (another Key Biscayne spot). I understand that Key Biscayne is about that «natural habitat» life, but damn, would it hurt to have someone comb through the shoreline and pick up all the trash that’s tucked into the weeds? Bottles, ropes, cloths, steering wheels, parts of destroyed Transformers (yeah, the robots) — you name it and you’ll probably find it if you walk down the beach. Not to mention all the weeds or seagrass. Again, i get it, it’s natural but it isn’t my cup of tea.
You can get lessons on and rent kite-​boarding equipment on the north side of the beach. The park /​beach usually doesn’t have rowdy patrons because we all know rowdy people won’t spend $ 5 – 7 on entrance to a park when that can buy them another 6 pack. Best days to come here are non-​holiday weekdays if you’re one of those lucky people that have a weekday off. Weekends are usually pretty busy as they are on any other Florida beach. If you do something INSANE and get here around 10am then you shouldn’t have any issues finding some land — even under the beloved cocunut trees. Believe it or not, the sun is out that early too, bum. If you’re looking for a workout, there are usually a bunch of crossfit nerds and runners all over this place on weekends.
The green [grassy] aspect of the park i really like though, especially after recent exploration. There are plenty of pavilions which can be reserved (check the Crandon site for info), lots of park grills, picnic tables, tree coverage and clean restrooms on the main strip. On the north end of the park you have Bear Cut Preserve (has it’s own page) and on the south end you have Crandon Garden which is also known as the «Old zoo». I recently checked these two out and it’s what bumped this place up from it’s «Meh. OK» 3 stars.
The garden isn’t anything fancy but it has some alluring picnic /​stroll sites. There is typically an abundance of winged animals, iguanas and critters here during the morning hours and most of them don’t seem to be very camera shy. They might even greet you as some ducks /​ibis did me. Peacocks on the other hand… don’t talk to them, they’re d-​bags. They think that everyone else has to play by their rules because they’re beautiful. You’re lame, peacocks. The mosquito situation isn’t as bad here as it is in other parts of the park, but if you are planning a picnic then I’d suggest you wait until the 3 weeks of SoFla winter. The trails are paved so you can bike /​blade but it makes for a much nicer walk since the garden isn’t all that big.

My favorite beach in Miami, however the guy running the concessions that rents the umbrellas and beach chairs is a complete d**k. Rented a couple of chairs an umbrella for my wife and kid and my sister and her kid who arrived 10 to 15 minutes after we did after being there for a couple of hours I left with my wife and child and my sister and her kid stayed behind. the guy proceeded to kick my sister and her kid out of the beach chairs saying they were non transferable rental which is crap cuz my sister arrived shortly after we did and we rented it for all of us that is no way to treat people especially somebody with a kid that is just seeking shelter from the Sun

We went here on Saturday, paid 7 dollars, stayed 15 minutes and left. We could not find any bathrooms and the water STUNK so bad. It was like dead fish stink. The water was also covered in seaweed and very gross mushy feeling on your feet. Very unpleasant. We even walked down a ways to see if it was better, but no. We went to Bill Baggs park down the street and it was infinitely better. Fresh, clean water with a pleasant current that made the water so clean and clear. Maybe its not always like this but it was so disappointing I would not go back. The only reason I give it two stars is because it was a beautiful looking beach and if it wasn’t for the fact that the actual water was awful it would have been a nice place.

Went on a Monday afternoon. The beach was sparsely populated, along with having sparse amenities. Would have hoped for more snack stands and showers/​bathrooms. Also closes early. No waves, lotsa seaweed, soft golden sand. If you want to be «part of the action» this place is not it. Good for a beach with space. $ 5 to park today; looks like it’s a little more on weekends. Note: to get here you have to go over a toll bridge (only way).

Came here for years as a kid. Lovely beach and trails to walk or bike.
they charge to park here — so be aware of that.
bring your beach gear and plenty of sunscreen and stay for the day.

I was a bit disappointed in this beach due to the lovely visit from hundreds of man o war spread all along the shore and that kept washing up with every wave! The beach is absolutely beautiful and very peaceful but my boyfriend and I left when we noticed a little girl got stung and my boyfriends foot was bit by something as soon as he went in the water. $ 5 parking is not bad for bring able to enjoy a full day here. Maybe one day I’ll come back because it is very nice, maybe due to the cold weather they are hanging around.

My review will be similar to others. I love the tranquility of it. Where we were the beach area, sand area was very slim. Kept the sitting on top of one another down, but we did go on a tuesday. The water was the most clear and beautiful water ive ever seen! Lots of people were exercising. You can also rent bikes. It would be a great place for a family to go and explore. The wildlife was also very cool! Hoping to go further down to the keys next year!

This place is like the total opposite of South Beach… meaning it’s not overly crowded with tourists, expensive parking, and dress to impress expectations. Key Biscayne in general is so calm, beautiful, and clean. The beaches are family friendly with parks, walking trails, water equipment rentals, food stands, public restrooms, and plenty of parking.

Crandon Park is a great beach. Very tranquil and almost empty during the week. On the weekend there are more people but still not as much as Miami Beach. There are bbq grills all around so bring burgers and churrasco. You do have to pay a toll to get in to Key Biscayne and then again to park but at least there is always parking.

Calm. Tranquil. Soft sand. Plenty of parking. Lots of palm trees on the beach for shade. Many times it feels like you have the entire beach to yourself… North Beach is outstanding. Bring your snacks and your chair lounge — this is the 305 lifestyle!

Ive been going to Crandon Park since I was a little in miami, Its the perfect getaway from the miami beach scene & a great beach for families, especially if you have kids youll see more kiddies at this key biscayne spot… its much less crowded & a perfect place to relax, they even have grills and benches so its picnic and bbq friendly…
You do have to pay for parking but thats everywhere here…
Theres also a surprise back near where the original miami zoo used to be lots of exotic birds and peacocks & jesus lizards running around some foresty pathways…
Take the family or go exercise and have fun!

I have been to Crandon Park/​Beach twice, long ago before Unilocal existed. At first I thought it was ok, a park with a beach, shelters, restrooms, and bbq areas. Great deal, right? One would think places such as this oasis are all over the place. Well, not really.
After being in SoFla for over a decade, I am glad I ‘rediscovered’ this park/​beach. You can either reserve a shelter for $ 100 in advance OR — wait for it — go the day of your event and pay $ 50 — 50% discount for same day rental. Awesome deal! Granted, saturday and sundays may be really difficult to secure so take this suggestion carefully and proceed with caution.
While the beach is not the prettiest I have been to, it was clean and sandy with some seaweed here and there. Sand is important as I hate rocks, pebbles. Water was clear and cool; the perfect temperature to refresh you on warm days.
Parking is $ 5 which is standard for any county park.
PS: you cannot bring your own kayak, paddle-​board since they rent them onsite. Apparently there is a conflict and some of us were disappointed. Other than that, happy beachin’

I’ve been visiting and enjoying Crandon Park for many, many years. The place is filled with a tapestry of fond memories.
This is a huge, sprawling gem of a park located on an island (Key Biscayne) of all places.
The land Crandon Park occupies was once part of the largest coconut plantation in the United States, operated by William John Matheson and his heirs. In 1940 the Matheson family donated 808.8 acres of their land to Dade County for a public park. In return, county commissioner Charles H. Crandon promised that the county would build a causeway to Key Biscayne. World War II delayed construction, but the causeway opened in 1947.
At one time Crandon Park also included a 48-​acre zoo. The first animals in the zoo, including some lions, an elephant and a rhinoceros, had been stranded when a circus went out of business in Miami. Some Galapagos tortoises, monkeys and pheasants were added from the Matheson plantation. Other animals were added, including a white Bengal tiger. In 1981 the Crandon Park Zoo was moved from the park to a location south of Miami, and became the Miami MetroZoo, later renamed the Miami-​Dade Zoological Park and Gardens.
Key Biscayne is chocked full of great things to see, so pack a lunch and make a day of it.
Cabeza OUT!

This was our first foray into the Miami beaches per recommendation of my friend, a native here. I wasn’t sure if we were specifically looking for Crandon Beach but that’s the beach we found! Parking was plentiful and $ 5 a car which is reasonable compared to some places back home. We walked down to the beach and picked a spot under some trees, much like everyone else had done. There was a great breeze the entire time and the water and beach were pretty. We saw some cool animals (a big purple jellyfish! and a weird fishy brown tube looking thing??) and interesting birds. Lots of lifeguards on duty and not a very «messy» beach. I’d probably go back to this one. Definitely much less touristy than south beach — no bars on the beach or anything fancy. Relaxing!

What:
— Beach
— Wind-​surfing
— Biking
— Park nearby to see birds
— Play area for kids
More Info:
— $ 6/​car admission fee (Credit cards accepted)
— Restrooms inside the park
Crandon Beach is a hidden gem tucked away from the other crowded Miami beaches and is the perfect spot if you are looking to spend low-​key getaway on the beach.
Guess what we saw when we entered the Crandon Beach parking lot? Peacocks! And not just one, but a muster of these beautiful birds. After paying $ 6 for parking, we walked back near the ticket booth to take a closer look at the peacocks. These peacocks were tenacious; they didn’t seem to be frightened by our presence. The lady at the ticket booth said «Oh, it is so nice to see people who admire these birds. If you are interested in seeing more birds, you might want to go to the other end of the park». So we decided to walk to the park before hitting the beach. There they were, a number of peacocks, peahens and Canadian geese.
We then walked to the beach, which was calm and serene that day. I was a bit worried about the Florida beaches being crowded around Thanksgiving, but I guess the crowd was elsewhere. A handful of people were strolling on the beach and a couple taking pictures. A few were windsurfing on the beautiful ocean. The weather was perfect; sunny, neither too hot nor cold. We ambled through the beach sands for a couple of hours before heading out.

I’ve come to Crandon Park before with my sister to spend a normal day on the beach. Pay to park and you have your own private beach and picnic/​grilling areas you can reserve in advance. It’s nice for that more relaxing beach time compared to the packed and lively Miami Beach.
Boyfriend and I came on 4^th of July because we wanted to avoid the traffic/​SOBE madness but I guess alot of other people had the same idea too. Woman collecting money at the parking booth was the sweetest as she welcomed and wished everyone a happy 4^th! What a great american :) Parking lot was full and we drove around a while and over past a few aisles. Picnic and grilling areas were ALL occupied with lots of families and people. Walked over to the sands and laid on the beach. It was packed… not as packed as SOBE I’m sure but if you usually go to the beach at Crandon Park, you’ll know how it’s usually empty.
All in all, I love the beach splashed around in the clear blue waters, got my tan on, so I was a happy girl.

A beach park that offers a beautiful landscape for tanning, swimming, biking, jogging, sports field playing, and kite flying. There aren’t trails but you can get creative and enjoy the scenery offered around these parts. Peacocks roam and photographers shoot in this secluded piece of natural paradise on Key Biscayne. Accessible via toll bridges and a fun getaway for the whole family.