Cape Florida Park aka Bill Baggs State Park

Key Biscayne, Florida

Cape Florida Park, also know as Bill Baggs park in honor of the editor of the Miami News who played a large role in saving this precious land from the hands of deveolopers in 1967. Voted one of the Top 10 beaches in the United States, we are thankful to Mr. Baggs. The award winning one mile stretch of beach is rarely too crowded as the park gates close after a certain number of visitors enter so make sure to arrive early in the day. This natural wonder provides wonderfully soft and white sand, but there is often a line of seaweed at the high water mark which may give shelter to flies and mites. There are also beds of turtle grass a short distance from the shore. This slice of authentic Florida is the real thing. A big attraction is the Cape Florida Lighthouse. There are guided tours of the restored 1825 Cape Florida Lighthouse from Thus. to Mon., 10 AM & 1 PM (Tues. and Wed. closed). 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. Throw in your fishing lines from the seawall along Biscayne Bay for some of the best shoreline fishing in the region, or enjoy other activities such as renting a bike, sailboat, kayak, beach chair, umbrella, paddle boat, to see and enjoy the park both on and off of the water. There are miles of paved roads that are closed to automotive traffic that are great for rollerblading or bike riding.
The park has two restaurants specializing in fresh seafood with a Cuban touch. Enjoy some fresh catch for lunch or wait for dinner and take in a beautiful sunset!

WATER QUALITY

Meets water quality standards
Current Status
This status is based on the latest sample, taken on . The Swim Guide - Florida updates the status of this beach as soon as test results become available. These results were posted to Swim Guide on at

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CURRENT WEATHER

26°C

Mostly clear

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MONITORING FREQUENCY

SOURCE INFORMATION

Monitoring results are collected weekly on Mondays and results are posted to the Florida Healthy beaches website on Wednesday. Samples are collected year round, however the peak season is from March to November. Swim Guide checks for the latest information daily, Monday - Friday.

The Florida Healthy Beaches Program Categories are:

Good = 0-35 Enterococci / 100 mL of marine water;
Moderate = 36-70 Enterococci / 100 mL of marine water, and;
Poor = 71 or greater Enterococci / 100 mL of marine water.

The 2012 Recreational Water Quality Criteria recommends using 70 CFU per 100 mL as the Beach Action Value (BAV) to guide public health advisories. A Single Sample Maximum (SSM) at 70 CFU per 100 ml and a BAV are functionally the same. If the sample result is above the indicated value, the beach is resampled and tested the following day or a beach advisory is issued with the first test result. The Healthy Beaches program no longer uses geometric means to represent recreational water quality data.

On Swim Guide a beach is marked Green when it has a Good or Moderate standing meaning the SSM test results show Enterococci counts between 0- 70 cfu (colony forming units) / 100ml.
Swim Guide marks a beach Red when it has a Poor standing. This means the SSM test results show Enterococci counts exceeds the BAV of 70 cfu/100ml. These conservative advisories better inform vulnerable people (children, elderly, and the immunocompromised) who have elevated health risks due to water quality at the beach.
A beach is marked Grey when no current or reliable monitoring information is available.

Please note: Vibrio vulnificus bacteria, also called flesh eating disease, is a naturally occurring bacteria in some of Florida's waters. This bacteria can be lethal, especially when contracted by individuals with compromised immune systems. Concentrations of the bacteria are higher in the mouths of rivers near oceans. The bacteria is most dangerous when ingested in raw seafood but recent deaths are attributed to individuals who have waded in water with broken skin. Beach goers are urged to use caution and consult a physician if you suspect you have come in contact with the bacteria.

WATER QUALITY GRAPH