Park Summary for Print - Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park

Cape Florida Lighthouse framed by coconut palm trees.

Welcome to Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park

Cape Florida is the home of a historic lighthouse built in 1825 and reconstructed in 1846, the oldest standing structure in Miami-Dade County. Visitors come to the park to sunbathe, swim, and picnic on over a mile of sandy Atlantic beachfront. Biking and kayaking are also popular activities. Anglers can throw in their lines from the seawall along Biscayne Bay for some of the best shoreline fishing in the region. Guided tours of the lighthouse and lighthouse keeper´s cottage are given twice daily, Thursdays through Mondays. The Boater´s Grill offers casual waterfront dining, or picnickers can reserve a pavilion and grill their own dinner. Bicycles, beach chairs, and umbrellas are available for rental. Overnight boat camping is allowed in No Name Harbor, and a primitive campsite is available for organized youth groups. Located at the southern end of Key Biscayne off the Rickenbacker Causeway, south of downtown Miami.

Contact the Florida Park Service Information Center for general inquiries.
For Information about Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park, please call 305-361-5811.

Hours of Operation

Florida state parks are open from 8 a.m. until sundown 365 days a year.

Driving Directions

Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park is located on Key Biscayne. From Miami, take I-95 to the Rickenbacker Causeway, all the way to the end.

Park Fees

Admission Fee:

$5.00 per vehicle, including up to 8 visitors.

Single-occupant vehicle = $3.00.

$1.00 each per bicycle/individual walk-in.

Picnic Pavilion Fees:

The park has 18 picnic pavilions that may be reserved up to one day in advance by paying the required fee at the park entrance station. All visitors attending a picnic or party are still required to pay the park entry fee. The rental fees are as follows:

We have 15 pavilions with 6 picnic tables that accommodate 40 people. These rent for $100.00 plus tax per day.

We have 3 large pavilions with 10 tables that accommodate 80 people. These rent for $150.00 plus tax per day.

Electricity is available for $15.00 per day, only at the large shelters.

There is a $50.00 cleaning fee that may be assessed if the shelter and immediate vicinity is not cleaned prior to the group leaving. The group is responsible for leaving the pavilion and grounds in the same condition as it was when received.

Activities at Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park

	Canoeing & Kayaking You may launch a canoe from No Name Harbor by lowering it off the sea wall. There is no boat launch ramp. You must portage your canoe by hand from the parking lot at Boater's Grill to the sea wall in front of the restaurant. You may not land your canoe on the beach, or tie up to the fishing platforms anywhere in the park.
	Concessions The "Boaters Grill" offers visitors casual oceanfront dining in a relaxed open-air setting. The concession offers a variety of rentals including bicycles, beach chairs and umbrellas.
	Facilities
	Fishing Some of the best shoreline fishing in the region is available from the seawall located along Biscayne Bay. Saltwater fishing licenses are required in Florida. Do you need a Fishing License?
	Guided Tours Tours of the Lighthouse are available at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., Thursday through Monday.
	Hiking/Nature Trails Nature trails are located on the west side of the park. To the north, is a trail through the mangrove wetlands, beginning 100 feet north of The Boater's Grill parking area. A trail through the coastal strand runs from 100 feet east of The Boater's Grill parking area and travels south ending in Area D.
	Pavilion The park has 18 picnic pavilions that may be reserved up to one day in advance by paying the required fee at the park entrance station. All visitors attending a picnic or party are still required to pay the park entry fee. The rental fees are as follows: We have 15 pavilions with 6 picnic tables that accommodate 40 people. These rent for $100.00 plus tax per day. We have 3 large pavilions with 10 tables that accommodate 80 people. These rent for $150.00 plus tax per day. Electricity is available for $15.00 per day only at the large shelters. There is a $50.00 cleaning fee that may be assessed if the shelter and immediate vicinity is not cleaned prior to the group leaving. The group is responsible for leaving the shelter and grounds as it was received.
	Pets All pets must be on a 6-foot leash and well behaved at all times. Pets may not be left unattended. Pets that are noisy, vicious, dangerous, or intimidating to other persons, or damage park resources, will be asked to leave the park with their owners. Pet owners must pick up after their pets and properly dispose of all droppings in trash receptacles. You may walk your pet in the picnic areas, along the sea wall, bike trails, and hiking trails. Pets are not allowed on the beach, wetlands, playground, Youth Camp, lighthouse, keeper's cottage, Lighthouse Café or Boater's Grill. Guide and Service animals are excluded from the above restrictions.
	Picnicking 18 covered pavilions provide shaded picnicking overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay.
	Playground A children's playground can be found in Area A featuring swings, slides, and monkey bars.
	Showers Cold showers are available outside restrooms in Areas A, B, & C.
	Swimming A mile and a quarter of Atlantic beach is open to swimming. There are no lifeguards, so swim at your own risk. The beach is accessible from access points in Areas A, B, & C by making any left turn once you enter the park. During the winter, please watch for Portuguese Man-of-War Warnings posted at the Ranger Station.
	Wildlife Viewing Birds may be seen along the sea wall and the nature trails, depending on the season, weather and migration patterns.
	Youth Camping Organized groups may access the Youth Camp by contacting the Assistant Park Manager at (305) 361-8779 to apply for a permit. Fees include entrance for all vehicles and the permit. Groups may have the fees waived in exchange for providing volunteer service to the park.

Special Events for Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park

CHILDREN AND NATURE PROGRAM
Date: July 15 & 16, 9:00 AM & 11:00 AM

Description: This summer you have an opportunity to learn why the southeast coast of Florida is such a unique natural setting. As part of National Recreation and Parks month, your neighbors at Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park are offering four short guided nature walks through the hammock and toward the wetlands at 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, July 15th and Wednesday, July 16th. The tours will last about an hour, and begin at the Youth Camp near No Name Harbor. Rangers, at the entrance station, will direct you. Park entry fees will apply, but the tours are free. Please remember to bring sunscreen, insect repellent and drinking water. Be prepared to come away with a new appreciation for the environment you live in. So, pry those kids away from the T.V. set and join the new movement toward children and nature. And, learn more at Children and Nature.org.
Fees: Free with park admission.
Contact: (305) 361-5811

Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park Ranger Programs

GUIDED TOURS OF THE CAPE FLORIDA LIGHTHOUSE
Thurs. - Mon., 10 AM & 1 PM
Situated on the tip of Key Biscayne, the Cape Florida Lighthouse is the oldest structure in Miami-Dade County. Cultural displays depicting early island life may be seen in the lighthouse keeper's cottage. A video presentation is shown in the former cookhouse. Pets are not permitted in the lighthouse compound. (Due to the large number of school groups accommodated for tours, please contact the park to determine tour availability.)
Call (305) 361-5811 for more details.

Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park History

When Ponce de Leon led the first Spanish expedition in 1513 to the land he called Florida, he visited this area and named it the "Cape of Florida." It was an area of ferocious storms and uncharted waters. Hidden sandbars and submerged reefs, were a hazard to early sailors, causing hundreds of shipwrecks along the Straits of Florida. For this reason, one of the federal governments first actions when Florida became a U.S. Territory in 1821, was to plan for the extension of a network of lighthouses along the east coast of Florida.

In 1825, the Cape Florida Lighthouse was built to serve as an important link in this network of navigational aids. The lighthouse is the oldest building in south Florida. With the outbreak of the Second Seminole War in 1835, bloody encounters between the Seminole Indians and settlers to the area spread throughout the peninsula. By July of 1836, the threat of attack had caused the settlers to flee the mainland and take up temporary residence on one of the better protected keys to the south.

Late in the afternoon of July 23, 1836, the Cape Florida Lighthouse was attacked and severely damaged by fire. The Assistant Lighthouse Keeper miraculously survived and was rescued by the crew of a Navy schooner. His helper, however, was killed. The lighthouse remained out of service for the balance of the Second Seminole War which ended in 1842.

By 1846, Congress had appropriated $23,000 for reconstruction of the lighthouse. On April 30, 1847, Cape Florida Lighthouse was "re-lit" for the first time. In 1855, the height of the structure was increased from 65 to 95 feet and a 2nd Order Fresnel lens was installed. In 1861, Confederate sympathizers removed the lamps and burners and smashed the crucial center prism so it could not be used as an aid to Union sailors who controlled the surrounding waters. The lighthouse was repaired and re-lit again in 1866.

Finally, when nearby Fowey Rocks Light was placed into service in 1878, the lens and illuminating apparatus atop the lighthouse were removed and shipped to Staten Island, NY. One hundred years later, on July 4, 1978, the light was reinstalled by the U. S. Coast Guard to again serve as a navigational aid.

Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Site

Before the lighthouse was built, Cape Florida was a secret meeting place and port for runaway slaves and Seminole Blacks. Freedom seekers waited along its shores to rendezvous with sea captains or board dugouts for a passage to safety in the British Bahamas. Although the lighthouse was built to save lives and ships, its unflinching light brought an end to this avenue of escape. In September 2004, Cape Florida was designated as a National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Site.

Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park Volunteer Information

We welcomed over 18 million visitors to our 158 state parks last year, over 810,000 at Cape Florida alone. There is no way we could run our parks effectively without the 6,000 volunteers who provided over 1,000,000 hours of service to our visitors. This is the equivalent of 505 full-time positions. We welcome any assistance from our neighbors and visitors in participating in any of our scheduled history or nature programs, or in helping us improve the physical conditions of the park.

Are you interested in history and public speaking? Cape Florida boasts a 178-year-old lighthouse and we are in need of lighthouse tour guides. Walking through the massive cast iron door into the cool, brick-lined tower, immediately takes you back a century in time. The unobstructed view of Biscayne Bay, and the gateway to the Keys, from the summit of the tower is unsurpassed. The lighthouse is rich in history, and one can argue that the reason Miami exists here today is because of the light, established 70 years before the city itself.

We welcome new lighthouse tour guides, and we are looking forward to having several guides working together to provide more tours, or to keep the lighthouse compound open to the public for several hours during the day. If you have two hours a week to spare, and a talent or desire for public speaking, we will supply you with the background historical information and training to make you an effective tour guide.

Next year, we will begin limited guided tours through the park's recently restored mangrove wetlands. So, if you have a background or interest in conducting these tours, and two hours a week to spend at the park, we would love to hear from you.

Perhaps, you have always wondered what it was like to have been one of the first pioneers in Florida, hacking your way through the dense undergrowth. If you are not afraid of some hard, sweaty, but satisfying work, our resource management team has an unlimited amount of work available removing exotic vegetation, and replanting with native species.

We also welcome a limited number of maintenance volunteers who assist us in important work such as picking up trash and cleaning restrooms, pavilions, and fishing piers.

Something you may wish to consider is that many park rangers in the Florida Park Service gained the necessary skills and experience to apply for positions, by first volunteering in one of our parks.

So, if you think you would like to volunteer with us, please contact our Volunteer Coordinator Art Levy by e-mail at: art.levy@dep.state.fl.us or by phone at (305) 361-8779.

At this time, Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park requires that all volunteers live off the park premises, as we have no park housing, or RV camping available.

The Florida Park Service recognizes the tremendous accomplishments of our volunteers. We are happy to provide orientation and training, and volunteer uniforms (where appropriate). Volunteers are covered by workman's compensation for any work-sustained injuries. An annual Volunteer Recognition Dinner and Awards Ceremony is held at the "Boaters Grill." In addition, after 500 hours of service, volunteers receive a pass good for free admission to any Florida State Park for one whole year. There is also a statewide annual Volunteer Appreciation Weekend that you are invited to attend. And at that gathering, the "Friends of Florida State Parks," a statewide Citizens Support Organization, present annual volunteer recognition awards.