Overview: Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park is the end of the road, literally. It's the southernmost point on Key Biscayne, the southernmost of Florida's Atlantic coastal barrier islands. Biscayne Bay lies to the west and to the south, the Atlantic to the east. It's the perfect setting for a state park, and as you might guess, it's well-used, particularly on weekends. It is a natural gem; at 442 acres, nearly 500 plant species have been inventoried here, and sightings of more than 260 species of birds have been recorded within the park. That's nearly half of the total of bird species ever recorded in the state.
Its strategic location along the Atlantic Flyway and tropical tree canopy makes it a perfect place for out avian friends to rest and refuel each fall and spring. The Cape Florida Banding Station operates here from August through November capturing and releasing migrants. (During the 2018 summer-fall season, the station captured, banded and released 2,075 birds representing 61 species.) Also of note: the Cape Florida Light, built in 1825 and rebuilt in 1845 under the auspices of George Meade, hero of Gettysburg. The lighthouse is the oldest standing structure in Miami-Dade County.
History: The "modern" history of the land that is now Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park dates back to 1513, when Ponce de Leon wandered by during his explorations of the Peninsula and gave it the name, Cape Florida. Later, escaped slaves and Black Seminoles would make their way here and seek passage to the Bahamas and freedom. The construction of the Cape Florida Light in 1825 ended that practice. In 1855 one George Gordon Meade of the Army Corps of Engineers led efforts to rebuild the light. Eight years later, Meade would lead the Army of the Potomac to victory against Confederate General Robert E. Lee in the pivotal Battle of Gettysburg.
In 1966, the state of Florida bought the first 100 acres of the park. The name recognizes the key role the late Miami News columnist and editor Bill Baggs played in limiting development of the southern tip of Key Biscayne. In 2004, Cape Florida was designated a National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Site.
What You'll See: The park offers three hiking trails — one that sort of bisects the park diagnonally and two that begin on the north side of No-Name Harbor. One of those heads north through mangrove wetlands to an observation point; it's the most secluded of the trio. There are paved walking/biking paths along the southern and western seawalls, beaches north of the lighthouse and kayaking and canoeing through the mangroves.
Amenities: There is adequate parking, restrooms and drinking water, a canoe/kayak launch, hiking and biking trails, accessible beach facilities, boat camping in No-Name harbor, picnic pavilions, a restaurant and snack bar and more. Check the website for a complete listing of all that Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park has to offer.
Nearby: Along the way, you'll pass both Virginia Beach and Crandon Park. Both have nature trails. Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park borders Biscayne National Park to the south, but to get to it, you'll either have to have a boat or drive south to the Homestead entrance.
Links: The Great Florida Birding Trail's page on Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park is here. The Institute for Regional Conservation's plant list for the park is here.
Of Note: Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park is open every day of the year 8 a.m. until sundown. There is an admission fee; check the website for details. Also know that the park can be quite busy during the cooler months, especially on weekends and holidays. The park will close to additional visitors once park rangers determine that it's at capacity.
Cover Photo: Laughing gulls, swapping jokes, no doubt. Second photo: a view of the beach and the Cape Florida Light. Photo number three is the trail that cuts through the mangroves in the northwestern cornor of the park.
Its strategic location along the Atlantic Flyway and tropical tree canopy makes it a perfect place for out avian friends to rest and refuel each fall and spring. The Cape Florida Banding Station operates here from August through November capturing and releasing migrants. (During the 2018 summer-fall season, the station captured, banded and released 2,075 birds representing 61 species.) Also of note: the Cape Florida Light, built in 1825 and rebuilt in 1845 under the auspices of George Meade, hero of Gettysburg. The lighthouse is the oldest standing structure in Miami-Dade County.
History: The "modern" history of the land that is now Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park dates back to 1513, when Ponce de Leon wandered by during his explorations of the Peninsula and gave it the name, Cape Florida. Later, escaped slaves and Black Seminoles would make their way here and seek passage to the Bahamas and freedom. The construction of the Cape Florida Light in 1825 ended that practice. In 1855 one George Gordon Meade of the Army Corps of Engineers led efforts to rebuild the light. Eight years later, Meade would lead the Army of the Potomac to victory against Confederate General Robert E. Lee in the pivotal Battle of Gettysburg.
In 1966, the state of Florida bought the first 100 acres of the park. The name recognizes the key role the late Miami News columnist and editor Bill Baggs played in limiting development of the southern tip of Key Biscayne. In 2004, Cape Florida was designated a National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Site.
What You'll See: The park offers three hiking trails — one that sort of bisects the park diagnonally and two that begin on the north side of No-Name Harbor. One of those heads north through mangrove wetlands to an observation point; it's the most secluded of the trio. There are paved walking/biking paths along the southern and western seawalls, beaches north of the lighthouse and kayaking and canoeing through the mangroves.
Amenities: There is adequate parking, restrooms and drinking water, a canoe/kayak launch, hiking and biking trails, accessible beach facilities, boat camping in No-Name harbor, picnic pavilions, a restaurant and snack bar and more. Check the website for a complete listing of all that Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park has to offer.
Nearby: Along the way, you'll pass both Virginia Beach and Crandon Park. Both have nature trails. Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park borders Biscayne National Park to the south, but to get to it, you'll either have to have a boat or drive south to the Homestead entrance.
Links: The Great Florida Birding Trail's page on Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park is here. The Institute for Regional Conservation's plant list for the park is here.
Of Note: Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park is open every day of the year 8 a.m. until sundown. There is an admission fee; check the website for details. Also know that the park can be quite busy during the cooler months, especially on weekends and holidays. The park will close to additional visitors once park rangers determine that it's at capacity.
Cover Photo: Laughing gulls, swapping jokes, no doubt. Second photo: a view of the beach and the Cape Florida Light. Photo number three is the trail that cuts through the mangroves in the northwestern cornor of the park.
