Cape Florida State Park, Key Biscayne, Florida - Key Biscayne, Florida Coastal Park on Site Explored by Ponce de Leon in 1513

The Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park, Key Biscayne, Florida is located southeast of Miami at the end of the Rickenbacker Causeway. It occupies the southern third of the Island of Key Biscayne. It is one of 145 State Parks in Florida.

The park is home to a historic lighthouse that dates back to 1825; it is the oldest structure that stands in the Miami-Dade County area. When Florida became U.S. territory, plans were immediately made for a series of lighthouses on Florida's east coast as it was considered extremely hazardous to sailors due to the preponderance of sandbars. The lighthouse here was initially 65 ft. tall but was elevated to 90 ft. in 1855.

The Cape Florida lighthouse was last restored in 1996. The lighthouse and the lighthouse compound are open daily from 9AM-5PM with no admission charge. There is admission charged for entry into the park. The park is open 365 days a year from 8 AM until sunset.

Thursdays through Mondays there are two daily guided tours of the lighthouse keeper's cottage along with the lighthouse itself. The lighthouse keeper's cottage displays exhibits about previous island life. At what was once the cook's quarters, a video on the park is shown to visitors.

The Biscayne Bay seawall is where some of the area's best shore fishing is found. Florida saltwater fishing requires a license.

Two restaurants serve food here and are open as late as 9:30 PM on weekends. While there is dining along the waterfront there are also 18 picnic pavilions available (at a charge) at the park. There is a rudimentary campsite and at No Name Harbor boats are allowed to dock for the night.

At Cape Florida State Park, Key Biscayne, Florida, kayaks, windsurfers, hydro-bikes and rollerblades are among the items available for rental at the park concession area. Small crafts can enter the water from a boat launch which can be seen from sea by the "V'' shaped formation of flotation devices at the area.

1.25 miles of the park is shoreline beach area. While swimming is popular with park visitors there are no lifeguards on duty here.

For hikers there is a coastal lands trail as well as a wetlands trail through the Mangrove area.

On weekends visitors must arrive at the Park early in order to find parking available. Pets are allowed in various park areas including the hiking and bike trails and the picnic area. They must be leashed at all times and are not allowed unattended. Service animals however, are given unrestricted access to the park.

The Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park, Key Biscayne, Florida was named after a newspaper editor in Miami who had spearheaded the protection of this area as a park. After Hurricane Andrew in 1992 a huge restoration endeavor initiated at the park to assist the natural habitat in recuperating from the natural phenomenon.

The Cape Florida name was given to this area by Ponce de Leon himself when exploring here in 1513 on the first Spanish expedition to have ever landed in Florida.