Miami Beach Parks

Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Recreation Area
Home to the Cape Florida Lighthouse, rated one of the "Top 10 Beaches in the U.S.", and boasting some of the best shoreline fishing in the region, Bill Baggs offers an outstanding, outdoor recreational experience. Visitors can enjoy a relaxing day at the beach sunbathing on the 1.25 miles of wide, sandy beachfront, taking a swim, or check out the fishing spots along the Biscayne Bay seawall. The Lighthouse Café sits on-site and the nearby concession offers a variety of rentals including bicycles, Hydro bikes, rollerblades, ocean kayaks, windsurfers, beach chairs, and umbrellas. Guided tours of the Lighthouse and Cultural Complex are available and the adjoining gift shop features a variety of gift items and souvenirs. Picnic Areas and overnight boat mooring is also available.

Biscayne National Park
Made up almost entirely of water, Biscayne National Park is a paradise made up of fish-bejeweled reefs and emerald islands. The park's boundaries consist of the longest stretch of mangrove forest left on Florida's east coast, the clear shallow waters of Biscayne Bay, and a spectacular living coral reef. The land boasts a variety of flora and wildlife. A historical site, there is evidence of 10,000 years of human history, including stories of native peoples, shipwrecks, pirates, pioneers, and presidents. A popular recreation spot, Biscayne National Park offers two campgrounds and a variety of activities including boating, birding, camping, canoeing, fishing, hiking, sailing, scuba diving, snorkeling, swimming, water skiing, and wildlife watching. Convoy Point, the location of park headquarters, visitor center, concession operations, and picnic area is open from 8 am to 5 pm daily.

Everglades National Park
Called the River of Grass, the Everglades are a patchwork of open saw grass marshes, mangrove forests, and tropical hardwood hammocks. The Everglades National Park spans the southern tip of the Florida Peninsula and most of the Florida Bay and is the only subtropical preserve in North America. The Park has been designated a World Heritage Site, and International Biosphere Reserve, and a Wetland of International Importance. Known for its rich bird life, particularly the roseate spoonbill, wood stork, great blue heron, and a variety of egrets, the Everglades is also the only place in the world where alligators and crocodiles exist side by side. In wintertime, when the mosquitoes have subsided, the Everglades attracts large numbers of kayak and canoe campers, bird watchers, hikers, anglers, and car-bound visitors just cruising through.
With four visitor centers scattered throughout the Everglades area, a variety of options await visitors. Ranger led walks and talks are offered year-round from the Royal Palm Visitor center and at Flamingo, Shark Valley, and Gulf Coast during the winter months. Boat tours are available year-round at Flamingo and Gulf Coast, and Shark Valley offers Tram-tours. The visitor centers provide different amenities at each location including educational exhibits, restaurants, gift shops, lodges, or campgrounds.

John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park
Covering approximately 178 nautical square miles of coral reefs, seagrass beds, and mangrove swamps, John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park is the first undersea park in the United States. Approximately 25 miles in length, the park extends 3 miles into the Atlantic Ocean and hosts a variety of land and water activities. Fishing, canoeing, kayaking, and swimming are popular within designated areas. Tour some of the most beautiful and diverse coral formations and associated marine life through glass-bottom boat tours, snorkeling tours, sailing/snorkeling tours, SCUBA lessons, or motor boat rentals. Land-dwellers can venture through the mangrove swamps, tropical hammocks, and stop by the park's visitor center. The visitor center features a 30,000 gallon saltwater aquarium, a living representation of the coral reef.
Other amenities include a gift shop, snack bar, designated areas for picnicking and barbequing, and ample facilities. The park is open from 8 a.m. to sundown, 365 days a year.

John U. Lloyd State Park
Adjacent to Port Everglades, John U. Lloyd Beach is 251 acres of Barrier Island between the Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway, from Port Everglades on the north to Dania on the South. One of Broward County's most important sea turtle nesting beaches, Lloyd Beach produces some 10,000 hatchlings a year. A tidal waterway, called New River Sound divides the park and is a protected zone for the endangered manatee and a great variety of other marine life. The mangrove-lined waterway provides a scenic place to canoe, observe bird life, and take photographs.
Popular for swimming and sunning, the Beach area offers shaded picnic areas, limited picnic supplies, and Coco's Café, the local refreshment stand.

Oleta River State Park
Oleta River State Recreation Area sits on 1,043 acres and is the largest urban park in the state. Located on Biscayne Bay in northeast Dade County, the most prominent natural feature is the Oleta River, the park's namesake. No longer flowing into the Everglades, the Oleta River's beauty and splendor lives on as water birds feed along the mangrove-lined shore and the endangered West Indian Manatee finds refuge from South Florida's crowded waterways. Boasting miles of canoe trails, a sandy swimming beach, several hiking trails, shaded picnic pavilions, canoe and paddle boat rentals, and a fishing pier the Oleta River State Park presents a variety of recreational activities for visitors to the South Florida area.

The Barnacle Historic State Park
This historic home represents a simpler time in South Florida's past. Located just off the Main Highway in downtown Coconut Grove, The Barnacle Historic State site contains the oldest home in Dade County in its original location. Originally the home of Ralph Middleton Munroe, one of Coconut Grove's most charming and influential pioneers, the Florida Park Service acquired five acres of Munroe's original 40-acre home site from his descendants in 1973. As you walk into this historic site from the busy Main Highway, tropical hardwood hammock surrounds you. This site is one of the best preserved historic sites you will find and a visit here provides a glimpse into the rich past of the Era of the Bay.