Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park
Key Biscayne, FL
Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park sits at the southern tip of Key Biscayne, where the 1825 Cape Florida Lighthouse, the oldest standing structure in Miami-Dade County, still climbs 109 spiral steps to a wraparound balcony. The beach curls around the point with views back toward the Miami skyline, a different angle on the city than almost anywhere else.
A real 1825 lighthouse, skyline views, and a genuinely scenic point make it one of Miami's best all-around beaches, though the capacity closures on weekends mean timing the visit matters.
How we score beachesTime a visit around the free lighthouse tours, Thursday through Monday at 10am and 1pm, since climbing it is otherwise off limits. The park does close once it hits capacity on busy weekends and holidays and doesn't reopen for a couple hours, so an early arrival matters more here than at most beaches.
The entrance fee is 8 dollars per vehicle, 4 dollars for a single occupant, 2 dollars for pedestrians or cyclists. The lot is large but the park closes at capacity on busy days, sometimes for hours.
Paved paths lead from the lots to the beach and around most of the park, flat and easy going. The lighthouse itself requires climbing 109 spiral stairs, not accessible beyond the ground floor.
Leashed dogs are welcome on the sea wall and hiking and bike trails, but not on the beach, in the wetlands, or anywhere near the lighthouse.
Winter and spring bring Miami's driest, mildest stretch and the biggest crowds drawn by the same good weather. Summer's heat and hurricane season, June through November, thin the crowds on weekdays despite the warmest water of the year.
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