Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park

Our take

By Matt Spaulding, Founder and writer

Bill Baggs works best as a slow half day. You pay at the ranger station on the way in, then drift between the sand, the flat 1.5-mile paved loop, and the lighthouse at the southern point. Plan on two to four hours for all three. The park doesn't publish a suggested visit length, so that's an estimate from the posted hours. Time your arrival around the tour. The guided walk through the 1825 Cape Florida Lighthouse and the keeper's cottage runs 10 a.m. to noon, Thursday through Monday, takes no reservation, and costs nothing beyond the gate fee. Guides cover the Underground Railroad and Black Seminole history tied to this cape, which is the part most visitors don't see coming. The catch is the gate. On weekends and holidays the park fills, and rangers close the entrance to everyone, cars, walkers and cyclists alike. The park's own notice says it stays shut for at least two hours after that. There's one road in, so a midday Saturday arrival can mean turning around on Crandon Boulevard. Get there early, or go on a weekday. Two more things to plan around. The 1.25-mile beach has no lifeguards, so it suits confident swimmers and parents who stay in the water with their kids. And the fishing piers have been closed for repairs since September 2023. Families wanting a calmer stretch of Atlantic than South Beach, casual cyclists and anyone who likes a good lighthouse all get their $8 worth.

Quick facts

How long

2–4 hours for the lighthouse tour plus beach and bike time. The park doesn't publish a suggested visit length, so that's an estimate from the posted tour hours and the 1.5-mile loop. A beach-only stop can be much shorter.

Best for

Beach days with kids, casual cyclists on the flat 1.5-mile paved path, lighthouse and history readers, paddlers using the kayak and canoe launch at Beach Access No. 1, and boaters day-tripping into No Name Harbor.

Getting there

1200 S. Crandon Blvd., at the southern tip of Key Biscayne. The only road in is the Rickenbacker Causeway, then south on Crandon Boulevard until it dead-ends at the park's ranger station. The causeway is tolled, and that rate is set by the county, not the park.

Parking

Included in admission, with no separate parking charge. Florida state parks bundle it into one per-vehicle fee at the ranger station: $8 for a car carrying two to eight people, $4 for a single occupant or a motorcycle, $2 if you walk in, bike in, or get dropped off. Boaters pay $8 per boat for day use at No Name Harbor and $20 per boat per night to anchor overnight, plus a $10 per night permit if a car stays onshore.

Included

Same-day run of the park: the 1.25-mile beach, nature trails, first-come picnic tables and grills, the lighthouse grounds (8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily) and the guided lighthouse tour. Not included: pavilion rental ($53.50 a day for the small shelter, $107 for the large, booked in person Monday to Friday), bike rental, and food at the Lighthouse Café or Boater's Grill.

Where it is

1200 South Crandon Boulevard, Key Biscayne, FL 33149

Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park FAQ