Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park

10/23/2026

The sky had a lot to say this morning. 🌅

Dark rolling clouds, streaks of coral and pink, and that last brilliant flash of orange as the sun rose over the Atlantic.

There's something special about watching a new day dawn at Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park. No two sunrises are alike. 🧡

📍 Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park

10/21/2026

We're celebrating our 111th sea turtle nest of the season, and this one is EXTRA special!🐢🐢

Sea turtle nesting in October is extremely rare in South Florida, making this late-season arrival a remarkable milestone!

In fact, until this year, the latest nest ever recorded at Bill Baggs was on September 2nd. Our newest nest has officially shattered that record! 🐢🥳

A huge thank you to our dedicated park staff and sea turtle team for their tireless efforts monitoring and protecting these precious nests throughout the season.

And a friendly reminder: Even in October, our beaches are still home to nesting sea turtles! Please respect marked nesting areas, keep the beach clean, and give our turtles the space they need.

111 nests and one unforgettable nesting season!🐢

10/20/2026

Join us this Saturday, October 24th, for a FRIGHTFULLY FUN night at Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park!

Our creepy cast of characters is dying to meet you. And trust us... they're not clowning around.😈

WHAT'S LURKING IN THE PARK?

👻 Haunted Hike & Spooky Surprises
🎡 Carnival Rides for the Littles
🚋 Spooky Tram Rides
🎭 Performers & Jugglers
🎨 Face Painting
📸 Frightful Photo Booth
🍔 Food Trucks & More!

🦸 SUPERHERO HOUR: 5–6 PM
👻 HAUNTED HIKE: 6–10 PM
📅 SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2026
📍 Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park

🎟️ TICKETS ARE LIMITED!

Don't wait until it's too late. Some things are scarier than the Haunted Hike... like missing it altogether! 💀😱

🔗 https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bill-baggs-haunted-hike-2026-key-biscayne-tickets-1999391651251

Bring your family, bring your friends, and bring your courage. You're going to need it! 👀

SWIPE IF YOU DARE!👉👉👉👻



📷: Keith Spurlock Keith Spurlock Photographer Miami

10/15/2026

Get ready for a FRIGHTFULLY FUN evening at the HAUNTED HIKE in Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park! 🌴🌙

Bring the whole family for a night of Halloween thrills, chills, and spooky surprises! 🧡🖤

✨ FRIGHTFUL FUN FOR EVERYONE! ✨

🎃 Pumpkin Patch
🎡 Carnival Rides
🚋 Spooky Tram Rides
🎭 Performers & Jugglers
🎨 Face Painting
📸 Frightful Photo Booth
🍔 Food Trucks

🦸 SUPERHERO HOUR: 5 PM – 6 PM
👻 HAUNTED HIKE: 6 PM – 10 PM

📅 SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2026
📍 Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park
🚗 FREE PARKING!
☔ RAIN OR SHINE!

🎟️ TICKETS ARE LIMITED!

👻 Scan the QR code in the flyer to purchase tickets on Eventbrite before they disappear!

Gather your favorite ghosts, goblins, superheroes, and little monsters for a SPOOKTACULAR Halloween adventure! 🎃✨

🧡 We can't wait to see you there! 🖤

10/07/2026

The beauty of a storm...

📷: Ranger Heather

10/06/2026

This little mystery washed up on the beach at Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park, and even our Park Rangers are stumped.

It’s lightweight, plastic, about the size of a hand... and that is about the extent of our expertise. 😂

So we’re turning this one over to you.

What IS this thing?

Wrong answers welcome, perhaps even encouraged. 😆

And, of course, if someone actually recognizes it, please rescue us from our ignorance.

Another reminder that you truly never know what the tides will bring to our Park in Our Backyard. 🌊🌴

10/02/2026

Lots of debris is washing in with the King Tides and the wind! 🌊

There’s plenty of little stuff tangled in the wrack line, along with larger debris that Park Rangers are working to collect after each high tide.

But there was a clear winner during this morning’s cleanup... plastic cups! 🥤

Big ones, little ones, clear ones, red ones... cups of all shapes, sizes and colors. Plastic water and drink bottles came in a close second.

Ranger Heather spent 2½ hours on the beach this morning, and as she put it, “That was just getting the bigger/obvious stuff!”

And our community is pitching in, too. FOCF member Chris was getting ready to walk the beach when she saw the haul:

“I’ll bring a bucket! I’ll focus on bottle caps! Eliza will be thrilled.”

And she probably will. 😊 Eliza leads our recycled art projects, giving some of what washes ashore a very different second life.

The tides aren’t finished with us yet. October typically brings our highest tides, so flooding and more debris washing ashore are expected throughout the month.

A huge thank you to our Park Rangers and everyone who lends a hand, one bucket, bottle cap and plastic cup at a time. 🌊🌴

10/01/2026

Mother Nature has been busy expanding the waterfront amenities at Bill Baggs. With King Tides bringing higher water levels and heavy rain adding to the mix, our walking paths have temporarily taken on a river and tributary aesthetic.

10/10 for the views. 2/10 for dry socks.

October typically brings peak tides, so flooding and closures are expected throughout the month. Please respect all posted closures, including those at the lighthouse grounds, and avoid flooded areas.

09/28/2026

Bill Baggs believed journalism should ask difficult questions and serve the public. Now, a new award will carry that conviction forward.

At the Bill Baggs Birthday Bash on September 30, Friends of Cape Florida will announce the Bill Baggs Fearless Journalism Award, recognizing South Florida journalists whose investigative reporting and opinion writing address Miami-Dade’s environmental future.

Join us at the Cape Florida Lighthouse to celebrate Bill’s legacy and the journalists following in his footsteps.

Wednesday, September 30 | 6:30–8:30 PM
Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park
Register:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bill-baggs-birthday-bash-award-announcement-tickets-1999792090977

Park entry fee applies.

Celebrating Bill Baggs legacy. In the spirit of Press Forward we celebrate fearless journalism and effective civic engagement. Join us!

09/25/2026

Join us for the Bill Baggs Birthday Bash!🥳

On Wednesday, September 30th, we’ll gather by the Cape Florida Lighthouse to celebrate the birthday and enduring legacy of William Calhoun “Bill” Baggs - journalist, activist and Miami visionary.

And this year, we’re celebrating his legacy by looking toward the future with the announcement of the Bill Baggs Fearless Journalism Award.

Enjoy an evening of music, light bites, lighthouse tours, the Bill Baggs HoloPOD®, a book signing with biographer Amy Paige Condon and, of course, Bill’s favorite drink: a gin martini with three olives. 🍸

🗓 September 30 | 6:30 - 8:30 PM
📍 Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park
🎟️ FREE for members | $25 suggested donation for non-members
🚗 Regular park entry fee applies to all attendees.

Tickets are required. Visit the link in bio for tickets and full event details.

Come raise a glass to Bill - and to the fearless journalism his legacy continues to inspire.

09/23/2026

Who are sea turtles’ natural predators? It might be easier to ask who isn’t? 🐢

For sea turtles, the fight for survival begins before they even hatch!🦀🥚🦝

Raccoons have an incredible sense of smell and will dig when they detect food, including sea turtle eggs and food or trash left behind by beachgoers. It’s one more reason to always pack in, pack out, and leave nothing behind.

And then there are Ghost Crabs. These little beach residents can burrow into sea turtle nests, disturbing or feeding on eggs, and prey on hatchlings as they make their way toward the ocean.

Birds are also constantly searching the shoreline for their next meal. Herons are among the species we see most regularly, including the Yellow-crowned Night Heron, and newly emerged hatchlings can be easy prey.

It’s a tough world when you’re a sea turtle. And while we’re past the peak of nesting season, it isn’t over yet. Our team will continue monitoring the beach into November as the season’s remaining nests hatch and the last little turtles begin their journey to the sea. 🐢💙

Please help give them the best possible start: keep our beaches clean, dark and flat.

🎥: KB Citizen Scientist Project
📷: Ranger Heather

09/20/2026

Happy International Observe the Moon Night from Friends of Cape Florida and Bill Baggs State Park.🌚

Thank you to all who came to celebrate with us in the park!

09/18/2026

There’s always something happening at Bill Baggs! Swipe through to see what’s coming up September through December, then save the dates and make plans to join us!☀️

From cleaning our coastline and exploring the night sky to line dancing, fishing, fitness, sea turtles and a little Halloween fright, Friends of Cape Florida and Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park have a wonderful season of events ahead at our Park in Our Backyard.

Some events require advance registration, so be sure to check the individual event details and reserve your spot early.

We can’t wait to see you at the park.🌴☀️

Coming up: International Observe the Moon Night • Line Dancing in the Park • Stretch & Core • Hook Kids on Fishing • Bill Baggs Birthday Bash & Fearless Journalism Award Launch • Turtle Talk • Haunted Hike • Cape Florida Lighthouse Run • Holiday Paddleboard Flotilla & Boat Parade

Learn more and register through the links in bio.

09/14/2026

What an amazing day welcoming Girl Scout Troop 2304 to Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park!🍀💚

The girls traded the classroom for the great outdoors as they explored the park, learned about local wildlife and habitats, completed Junior Ranger activities, and discovered ways we can all help protect the natural places we love.

We enjoyed watching them ask questions, work together, use their binoculars to observe the world around them, and get hands-on with conservation activities.

Girl Scouts Love State Parks gives girls the opportunity to explore, learn, lead, serve, and develop a lifelong appreciation for the outdoors. Days like this turn curiosity into confidence and experiences into lasting memories.

Thank you to Girl Scout Troop 2304 for spending the day with us and for helping inspire the next generation of park stewards!

Explore. Learn. Serve. Protect.

Leave it better than you found it. 🌿