Things to do on Key Biscayne: two beach parks, a nature center and what it all costs
What to do on Key Biscayne and what it costs: the causeway toll, Crandon Park, Bill Baggs, the nature center, and the lighthouse closure to know about.
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- Beach day: Crandon Park: two miles of beach, parking $7 Mon to Thu, $10 Fri to Sun.
- State park: Bill Baggs: 8 am to sundown daily, $8 a car, $2 on foot or bike.
- Lighthouse: Listed by the state park as temporarily closed for renovations.
- Getting there: Rickenbacker Causeway toll: $2.25 by SunPass, $3.00 by plate.
- Weekends: Bill Baggs fills up; once full it stays closed to cars for at least 2 hours.
Key Biscayne is a beach day, not a sightseeing list: choose Crandon for space, families and the nature center, or Bill Baggs for the quieter southern tip, and get there before 10 am on a weekend.
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Pedestrians, cyclists and extra passengers pay $2 at the state park gate.
Miami-Dade's 2025 bond report lists $2.25 for a car with SunPass and $3.00 by Toll-by-Plate, unchanged from 2020 to 2024.
$7 plus tax Monday to Thursday, $10 plus tax Friday to Sunday, for a car at the county beach park.
$8 per vehicle with two to eight people; $4 for a single-occupant car or a motorcycle.
Crandon Golf Course, the tennis center and EcoAdventures tours set their own rates; book on their pages.
Key Biscayne parks and sights: hours
| Place | Address | Hours | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crandon Park beach | Crandon Blvd | Park office 8 am to 5 pm daily | Two-mile beach, grills, concessions, almost 3,000 parking spaces |
| Visitor and Nature Center | 6767 Crandon Blvd | 9 am to 4 pm daily | Trails, a mangrove boardwalk and Bear Cut Preserve |
| Crandon Tennis Center | 7300 Crandon Blvd | Mon to Fri 8 am to 10 pm; Sat and Sun 8 am to 6 pm | 27 courts; run by USTA Florida since January 16, 2026 |
| Crandon Golf Course | 6700 Crandon Blvd | 7 am to sunset | 18 holes, par 72, open to the public |
| Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park | Southern tip of the island | 8 am to sundown, 365 days a year | Closes to new cars when full |
| Cape Florida Lighthouse | Inside Bill Baggs | Listed as temporarily closed for renovations | Tours normally Thu to Mon at 10 am and 1 pm |
miamidade.gov (Crandon Park page); Florida State Parks pages as returned by search, because floridastateparks.org refused fetching; checked October 2026
Crandon is the county beach park on Crandon Boulevard: a two-mile beach with picnic areas, grills, concessions and parking for just under 3,000 cars. Offshore there is a sandbar, and the park offers kiteboarding lessons and beach wheelchairs.
The rules are worth reading before you pack. Floats are not allowed on the beach, glass containers are banned, and pets are not allowed except service animals. Personal paddleboards and kayaks cannot launch from the beach; they go from the marina, or you join an EcoAdventures tour.
Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park
Bill Baggs covers the southern end of Key Biscayne, past the village. It opens at 8 am and closes at sundown every day of the year. A car with two to eight people pays $8; a solo driver or motorcycle $4; walkers, cyclists and ride-share drop-offs $2.
On weekends and holidays the park often reaches capacity and closes to new entries, and it will not reopen for at least two hours once it does. Arrive early or come on a weekday.
Cape Florida Lighthouse
Climbing the lighthouse at the tip of the island is the classic Key Biscayne outing. As of October 2026, the state park's lighthouse page, as returned by search, says the lighthouse and its grounds are temporarily closed for renovations. No reopening date is posted.
When tours run, they are free with park entry and need no booking: Thursday to Monday at 10 am and 1 pm. Climbers face 109 spiral steps, and children must be 42 inches tall and able to climb alone. Call the park at 305-361-8779 before you go.
The county marina handles boats up to 80 feet, with slips, boat ramps, fuel, a dive shop and bait and tackle. The ramp is open 24 hours; the office opens 8 am to 5 pm daily.
If you brought your own kayak or paddleboard, this is where you launch, not the beach.
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Getting there, and what has changed
You drive onto the island on the Rickenbacker Causeway, which starts at Brickell Avenue and crosses Virginia Key. Tolls are SunPass or Toll-by-Plate; the county's most recent bond report lists $2.25 for a car with SunPass and $3.00 by plate, plus a monthly invoice fee for plate billing. Check the current rate on SunPass if you are reading this in 2027.
If you remember the Miami Seaquarium on Virginia Key, it is gone: the park held its final day on October 12, 2025, and the county-owned site is set for redevelopment. Do not plan a stop there.
The Crandon tennis center changed hands too. USTA Florida took it over on January 16, 2026 under a one-year interim agreement, which the county said should bring back the old hours.
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How much does it cost to go to Key Biscayne?
The causeway toll is $2.25 by SunPass or $3.00 by plate for a car, per Miami-Dade's latest bond report. Crandon parking is $7 to $10 plus tax, and Bill Baggs is $8 a car.
Is the Cape Florida Lighthouse open?
As of October 2026, the state park's page lists the lighthouse and its grounds as temporarily closed for renovations, with no reopening date. Call 305-361-8779 to check.
Can you bring dogs to Crandon Park?
No. Miami-Dade County's Crandon Park page says pets are prohibited, except service animals.
What time does Bill Baggs open?
8 am until sundown, every day of the year. On busy weekends it closes to new cars when full and stays closed for at least two hours.
Is the Miami Seaquarium open?
No. The Miami Seaquarium closed after its final day on October 12, 2025, and the site on Virginia Key is set for redevelopment.
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Things to do in Coconut Grove: Vizcaya, the Barnacle, the Saturday market and the bayCoconut Grove · Coconut grove · Things to do · 5 Min. LesezeitFees and hours from miamidade.gov (Crandon Park) and Miami-Dade County's 2025 Rickenbacker Causeway bond report; Bill Baggs fees and lighthouse status from Florida State Parks pages as returned by search (floridastateparks.org refused fetching); Seaquarium closing from WSVN; checked October 2026.