Cape Florida Lighthouse

Very beautiful beach and a breath taking few at the ocean.
Beside the light tower and the beach, we also got educated about this places history and his keeper’s cottage from back in the day.
We had lost of fun and took so many pictures.

Beautiful place to walk along the paths and sit and enjoy the beach. The lighthouse makes for a unique backdrop. There is an $ 8.00 entrance fee per car to get into the park. So cram all your friends in (I am imaging a clown car) and enjoy the beach for a day.
Enjoy!!!

Beautiful place to soak up the sun, tour the lighthouse, or just explore the beautiful nature trails. $ 8 entrance fee per car, but $ 4 for just one passenger. Fee includes access to lighthouse tours twice a day: 10am and 1pm, excluding Tuesday’s & Wednesday’s.
The view from virtually any part of Key Biscayne is absolutely beautiful. There’s so many wild iguanas that add to the raw, natural beauty of the key. If you’re looking to see a different part of south Florida, away from all the hustle and bustle of the city, this is definitely it.
The water is beautifully clear but surrounded by large sections of sea grass. Sea grass provides hiding places and food for a vast array of sea life, so please respect it.
Lots of beautiful fish to be seen around the rock-​lined areas of the shore. Restrooms are conveniently located near each major beach access area, and were surprisingly clean!
See the Miami skyline in its entirety, you won’t regret it.

Beautiful little spot, lot of people seem to come and fish by the shore.

Beautiful historic structure. One of th best in miami dade county. You pay $ 8 to enter park and can take tours. It was disappointing that the lighthouse doesn’t work. It would be nice for the novelty. Pack a lunch and hang out on the beach. A must see

The lighthouse is open thurs-​mon with guided tours at 10am and 1pm. The tour guide gives a brief history and then the lighthouse’s 109 steps are open for you to climb at your own risk. Not for the weak of heart or stomach — the stairs sway back and forth as you climb. The view from the top is stunning and a great photo op. Just make sure to hang on to your personal belongings.

$ 8 kostet der Eintritt in den Statepark. Und wenn man dann schon mal hier ist, kann man auch einen Spaziergang zum Leuchtturm machen. Ein Leuchtturm, der durch seine Beliebigkeit auffällt. So gar nichts zeichnet ihn als Gebäude besonders aus, höchsten die Geschichte dahinter. Er wurde 1825 gebaut und dieser Zeitraum birgt für Amerikaner schon viel Geschichte.
Für uns war im Grunde der Weg dorthin das Schönste: ein Fußweg, der einer Palmenallee ähnelt. Steht man dann davor, wird man in den allermeisten Fällen feststellen, dass man ihn nur von außen anschauen kann. Besichtigungen gibt es nur zu festgesetzten Zeiten und nur mit Führung.
Um den Leuchtturm herum hat man ein kleines Naturmuseum eingerichtet. Das Auffälligste dort ist eine Replica des ehemaligen Leuchtturmwärter-​Hauses.
Drum herum viel Natur — ist halt ein Statepark — und ein schöner Strand mit Liegen– und Sonnenschirm-​Vermietung. Von dort aus hat man einen guten freien Blick auf den weißen Leuchtturm mit schwarzem Kopf.

HORRIBLE ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE! Worst service ever. sat there for 1 hour for food then the waiter comes and says that they don’t have the order. We left. They couldn’t even bring our drinks in 30 minutes

This is a must for all tourist wanting an exclusive but tranquil view of the City and its best exploited amenity, the beach! The park is lush, full of color and life. The beaches next to the lighthouse are nice, water is normally clear and blue.
Its not very crowded and is usually a family oriented location. This is great for weekend bar-​b-​q with the family. The lighthouse provides great views and it is interesting to read the historical facts behind this park and property.

Cape Florida Lighthouse’s white tower is a stunning sight, whether you’re on Bill Baggs State Park, Crandon Beach, or on a boat in the water, and has a turbulent history to accompany it. First constructed in 1925, it guided mariners off the Florida Reef. The first keeper of the lighthouse was Captain John Dubose, who served for more than ten years. In 1835 a major hurricane struck the island, damaging the lighthouse and the keeper’s house, and flooding the island under three feet of water.
On July 23, 1836 the lighthouse became attacked by the Seminoles. Thompson, the man operating it at the time, and Carter, a slave, were attacked by pelting rifle balls. The Seminoles grabbed the door just after they turned the key to lock it. Thompson exchanged rifle fire with the Seminoles from upper windows in the tower for the rest of the day but after dark, the raiders approached the tower, setting fire to the door and a boarded-​up window at ground level. The rifle balls penetrated a tank with oil for the light, causing a fire. They climbed the tower and cut away a part of the wooden stairway below them before being driven out of the top by the searing flames. Thompson and Carter had to lie on the tower platform to escape the fire and to hide from further attacks. Thompson found that Carter had died from his wounds and the fire.
The next day Thompson saw the Seminoles looting and burning the other buildings at the lighthouse station. They apparently thought that Thompson was dead, as they had stopped firing at him. After the Seminoles left, Thompson was trapped at the top of the tower. The Motto, a U.S. Navy schooner, had heard the explosion and approached to investigate and to their surprise, found Thompson alive. Unfortunately, they were unable to get Thompson from the tower. They returned the next day and got him down though, so fear not. The Cape Florida Light was then extinguished from 1836 to 1846.
In an 1855 renovation, the tower was raised to 95 feet (29 m), to extend the reach of the light beyond the off-​shore reefs. Eventually, the lighthouse exchanged hands and ended up being sold to James Deering, International Harvester heir and owner of Villa Vizcaya in Miami. In 1966, the state purchased and restored the lighthouse tower, and in 1969 constructed replicas of the keeper’s dwellings. It was restored to active service in 1978, one hundred years after it was decommissioned. An automated light was installed in the tower to serve as a navigational aide. It is now owned and managed by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
There are free lighthouse tours twice daily, Thursdays through Mondays (10 a.m. and 1 p.m.). In the summer, due to the suffocating heat and the typical rainy summer afternoons, I recommend going at 10 a.m., I went one weekend at 1 and the lighthouse tour had to be cancelled due to lightning, but the second time around, I was able to successfully enter and climb to the top, even to the part housing the light, beyond the platform, and take some incredible photos. There are 109 steps and no air circulation, so dress cool. Once you reach the platform, you will see how your efforts paid off in the form of stunning, one of a kind panoramic views of Miami, Stiltsville, and the crystalline waters. I HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommend the trek, not just for the views, but some great exercise (your thighs will thank you later!)
If that doesn’t convince you, perhaps these claims to fame of the lighthouse will: Popular Science published a picture of the Cape Florida lighthouse in 1930, and the lighthouse was featured in several episodes of the television series Miami Vice, the 1945 John Wayne film They Were Expendable, and as the backdrop of a grisly murder in the Kurt Russell thriller The Mean Season (1985). The lighthouse was also featured in the third TV season of Burn Notice, in 2010, in episode 14. No matter whether you’re a local or a tourist, climbing the Cape Florida lighthouse is a MUST, and if you’re a photographer, this is definitely a photographer’s paradise!

Beautiful place! First time here and I enjoyed it! Nice time to go with the family… There is a lot of parking and restaurants

Sooo pretty! And just standing on its own– in the middle of the park/​beach. I’ve lived in Florida for 4 years now and I didn’t know this even existed! I think I might be a frequent flyer here from now on– it’s soo peaceful!

Very large, very pretty state park. I loved how all the different areas with pavilions were tucked away, out of site from one another. I loved the large trees and the lush vegetation, lots of natural beauty here.
We had a few hours to waste, so we decided to check this place out. Unfortunately the light house wasn’t opened on New Year’s Day. At least we got to walk around it and take some pictures.
$ 1.75 toll to key Biscayne, then $ 8 to enter the park.

Almost like not being in Miami.

The Cape Florida lighthouse is one of the most underappreciated excursions in South Florida. Most publications that target visitors don’t even mention the lighthouse. I lived in Miami nearly 15 years and never attended because of this very reason.
Boy was I wrong!
The Cape Florida lighthouse was one of the greatest things I’ve done to date in Miami, Florida. Our tour guide was fun and informative. We arrived a bit late, and he made sure to answer questions in the beginning to allow stragglers to catch up.
I don’t want to give too many spoilers, but this is a must do!
When I climbed the 109 steps to the top the first words out of my mouth were «Wow, this is very romantic». 10 minutes later, I witnessed a marriage proposal.
The view is beautiful and the entire park is fun! There’s bike riding, nature trails, an amazing beach and plenty of animals to see.

The oldest standing structure in Miami-​Dade County originally built in 1825 and reconstructed in 1846 it is in one word, «majestic.»
Adding to that is the fact that there are guided tours not only of the light house but of the adjacent and historic light house keeper’s building. Also, the stories and tales, some seemingly embellished of its history and the «wrecking» practice, but with little doubt that it was in fact burned, a victim of the Seminole Wars in 1836.
Another plus about it, besides the structure itself, is the parkland and beach area surroundings. It’s located in one of the better preserved areas in South Florida in Bill Baggs State Park on one the best of Key Biscayne’s beaches.

The national park is amazing and huge. The lighthouse was a beautiful site, the babe wanted to go inside the lighthouse but I did not want to go up the stairs. I love how they had sea turtles nesting around it was cute. I wish I could’ve seen some though but that will be for another day and I am probably sure the area won’t be as open to the public.
The one thing I did not like was the water, for some reason it was more saltier than the one I have back home. It didn’t go well with me and I am used to these types of water.
I think I will stick to Miami Beach, more roomier and less crowded too.

I remember seeing the Cape Florida Lighthouse in several episodes of Miami Vice. I had always wanted to go there so my first visit to Miami made it a must-​see landmark on the itinerary. It was everything I had expected it to be.
Parking is on the north west side and you can walk along the beach path seawall until you see the lighthouse rising above the palms on the southeast side. It’s a postcard perfect sight to behold. They’ve painted it white now and it has obviously been restored and maintained over the years. The Lighthouse Keeper’s house is right next to its base. It’s a long climb up to the top up the winding spiral staircase and it gets very hot inside but it is so worth the 360 degree panoramic view from the top looking out over Biscayne Bay to the west and the Atlantic to the east. You can see the remnants of Stiltsville standing above the sea to the south-​southwest which were also seen in Miami Vice. I even caught a glimpse of a flying stingray leaping out of the ocean! So cool!
There’s a sandy-​white beach on the eastern side of the lighthouse and there are bike paths too and bike rentals. I can’t wait to go back. The Cape Florida Lighthouse is a definite must-​see landmark if you are visiting Miami.

This iconic lighthouse is the oldest standing building in Dade County, built in 1895, and surviving dozens of catastrophic Hurricanes and Tropical Storms. (Not to mention Dade County’s insatiable urge to develop land and kill whatever was there before.)
It’s been over a century. That says something.
I like to park on the West side of the island and stroll along the Seawall, admiring (what’s left of) Stiltsville, the pass from the Atlantic Ocean into Biscayne Bay, and even catch a glimpse of a Bottlenose Dolphin or a Leaping Stingray. (SO cool!)
When you reach the eastern (ocean) side of the tip of the island, you catch a glimpse of the Lighthouse through the palms. A stroll through a palm-​lined path, and you are at the Lighthouse Keeper’s Home and the bottom of the Lighthouse. Picturesque is an understatement.
When you’re done snapping away, you can climb the lighthouse. A single, narrow, black spiral staircase leads you 119 steps to the very top, where you can exit and admire the panoramic views from nearly 100 feet high.
There are guided, informative tours, too.
You paid to get in, so take advantage of the location! Within Bill Baggs State Park, there are restaurants as well as walking trails, beaches, bike and paddle bike rentals, and more.
SO definitely worth the trip!