{"id":965,"date":"2012-10-19T16:34:41","date_gmt":"2012-10-19T20:34:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/students.com.miami.edu\/~travelwriting\/?page_id=965"},"modified":"2012-10-23T06:28:10","modified_gmt":"2012-10-23T10:28:10","slug":"baggs-cape-florida-state-park-lighthouse-popular-with-visitors","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/students.com.miami.edu\/travelwriting\/?page_id=965","title":{"rendered":"Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park, lighthouse popular with island’s visitors"},"content":{"rendered":"

Posted Oct. 19, 2012<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

By CHELSEA PILLSBURY<\/p>\n

KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. \u2013 \u201cAwesome,\u201d gasped Leah Parker at her first glimpse of the view atop the Cape Florida Lighthouse, located in Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park.<\/p>\n

The 9-year-old girl was a little out of breath after fearlessly trekking up the 109 steps leading to the top.<\/p>\n

\"Downtown<\/a>

Downtown Miami and Brickell can be seen from the top of the lighthouse (Photo by Chelsea Pillsbury).<\/p><\/div>\n

Leah and her family stood on the foot-wide ledge overlooking the Atlantic Ocean taking in the horizon. The buildings of Brickell and Downtown Miami rise to their left and when they walk to the other side of the lighthouse they can see Coral Gables and Coconut Grove.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is our first time to the lighthouse, but I think it has been our daughters\u2019 favorite place so far this weekend,\u201d said Dan Parker, Leah\u2019s father. The Parkers decided Miami was the perfect weekend getaway from their home in Winter Park, Fla., and Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park was their main destination.<\/p>\n

The lighthouse itself has encountered war, hurricanes and neglect throughout its 187 year life, but still manages to stand tall and entrance both its young and old visitors.<\/p>\n

Built in 1825, and rebuilt in 1846, the Cape Florida Lighthouse is the oldest standing structure in Miami-Dade Country, pre-dating the City of Miami itself by 70 years.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn July of 1836, during the Second Seminole War, the lighthouse survived an attack. The original lighthouse keeper, Capt. John Dubose, fled the area for safety leaving John W. B. Thompson in charge. Thompson and his assistant climbed to the top of the lighthouse and lit the bottom on fire to dissuade the Seminoles from attacking. After the Seminoles looted the area and retreated a United States Navy schooner came to Thomas\u2019s rescue,\u201d Ranger Edwin Rios explained to a touring group of visitors in front of the lighthouse.<\/p>\n

The entire Parker family was focused on the ranger as he told this famous story from the lighthouse\u2019s past. Rios went on to explain how Confederate sympathizers vandalized the lighthouse during the Civil War and how the lighthouse barely survived falling into the ocean from beach erosion in the early 20th<\/sup> century.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs the lighthouse still used today?\u201d asked Rocio Catullo, an Argentinian woman visiting Miami with her husband.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes and no,\u201d replied Rios, \u201cThe official lighthouse is now Fowey Rocks lighthouse which is located seven miles offshore, however, in 1978, the Coast Guard installed an automated light as a navigational guide.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"In<\/a>

In order to reach the top, visitors must trek up the 109 stairs inside the lighthouse (Photo by Chelsea Pillsbury).<\/p><\/div>\n

The history of the lighthouse spans decades and played its part in various wars. However, if not for the state park\u2019s namesake, Bill Baggs, the lighthouse and surrounding recreational area<\/a> would not exist.<\/p>\n

Baggs was the editor of The Miami News<\/em> and, with his insistence, the land was kept undeveloped and condo free. In 1966, the State of Florida bought the land and the lighthouse, which has since become not only a historical landmark, but also the home of the number 10 ranked beach in Dr. Stephen Leatherman\u2019s list of \u201cTop 10 Beaches in America.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe major factors are clean water, clean sand, beach safety and environmental management. Cape Florida scores very high in all of these categories, making it a top 10 beach,\u201d said Leatherman.<\/p>\n

The site is quite popular with Miami area visitors.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe come up here every few years with our boys and always come to this beach,\u201d said Roxanne Benson, from nearby Key Largo, Fla.<\/p>\n

The park receives more than 760,000 visitors a year who partake in sunbathing, swimming, picnicking, camping, hiking, kayaking and fishing.<\/p>\n

\u201cWas it last year we rented the bikes?\u201d Benson asked her husband Thomas Benson. \u201cYeah I think so! Colton [their youngest son] had just learned to ride without training wheels,\u201d he answered. \u201cWe rode all over the park; it made it easy to get around and was a good way to go on the trails with the kids.\u201d<\/p>\n

A car-full costs $8, which is a little pricier than the $6 fee of the close-by Crandon Beach, but that extra two bucks means a better beach, and easy access to restaurants, bike rentals and one of the best shoreline fishing areas in the region. Not to mention, a free tour of the historic lighthouse and recreated lighthouse keeper\u2019s cottage and kitchen.<\/p>\n

Avid bird watchers also frequent the park during various seasons, however, Ranger Jade Lopez remarked that the most asked question he receives regarding wildlife is usually, \u201cOh my gosh! There\u2019s a raccoon! Are you going to catch it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve only worked here about a month, but I had been trying to get this job for a while. I love coming to work everyday \u2013 even when I get questions about raccoons,\u201d said Lopez as he laughed.<\/p>\n

\"Visitors<\/a>

Visitors soak up the sun along the 1.25 miles of natural beach in Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park (Photo by Chelsea Pillsbury).<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cMost come for the beach,\u201d Lopez said he had noticed, \u201cbut many will wander over to the lighthouse area and be surprised at what they can learn here.\u201d<\/p>\n

By 1 p.m., the parking lots are filling, families have spread out lunch on the picnic tables, umbrellas line the beach, and some await the beginning of the next lighthouse tour. It is clear that Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park will continue to draw locals and tourists for many years to come.<\/p>\n

IF YOU GO
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Location:<\/strong> 1200 S. Crandon Blvd., Key Biscayne, FL 33149<\/p>\n

Phone:<\/strong> 305-361-5811<\/p>\n

Park Hours:<\/strong> The park is open from 8 a.m. until sundown, 365 days a year.<\/p>\n

Admission Fees:<\/strong> $8 per vehicle. Limit 2-8 people per vehicle, $4 single-occupant vehicle or motorcycle, $2 pedestrians, bicyclists, extra passengers, passengers in vehicle with holder of annual individual entrance pass.<\/p>\n

Boating:<\/strong> $20 per boat per night (in No Name Harbor), $8 per boat if not anchoring overnight.<\/p>\n

Restaurants:<\/strong> Boater\u2019s Grill \u2013<\/em> Boasts fresh fish and a view overlooking No Name Harbor. Price Range – $15-$30.\u00a0 Lighthouse Caf\u00e9 \u2013<\/em> Perfect for a quick snack while enjoying the ocean breeze. Price Range – $7-$10<\/p>\n

Bicycle Rentals: <\/strong>$3\/30 minimum and $5\/hour per cruiser, $5\/30 minimum and $8\/hour per English bike, Tandem or Trike,\u00a0 $10\/30 minimum and $15\/hour per quad, $15\/30 min and $25\/hour per large quad that seats four adults + two small children.<\/p>\n

Beach Rentals:<\/strong> $7 per beach chair, $20 for two chairs and one umbrella<\/p>\n

Watercraft Rentals<\/strong>: $10\/30 min and $15\/hour per single person kayak or hydro-bike, $15\/30 minimum and $25\/hour per double kayak or double hydro-bike.<\/p>\n

Pets:<\/strong> All pets must be on a six-foot leash and well behaved at all times. Pets may not be left unattended. Pets that are noisy, vicious, dangerous or intimidating to other persons, or damage park resources, will be asked to leave the park with their owners. Pet owners must pick up after their pets and properly dispose of all droppings in trash receptacles. You may walk your pet in the picnic areas, along the sea wall, bike trails, and hiking trails. Pets are not allowed on the beach, wetlands, playground, Youth Camp, lighthouse, keeper’s cottage, Lighthouse Caf\u00e9 or Boater’s Grill.<\/p>\n

Swimming:<\/strong> There are no lifeguards, so swim at your own risk.<\/p>\n

Lighthouse Tours:<\/strong> Tours of the Lighthouse are available at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., Thursday through Monday. All may enter the lighthouse but you must be at least 8 years old to ascend the stairs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Posted Oct. 19, 2012 By CHELSEA PILLSBURY KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. \u2013 \u201cAwesome,\u201d gasped Leah Parker at her first glimpse of the view atop the Cape Florida Lighthouse, located in Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park. The 9-year-old girl was a … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":65,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"sidebar-page.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-965","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/students.com.miami.edu\/travelwriting\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/965","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/students.com.miami.edu\/travelwriting\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/students.com.miami.edu\/travelwriting\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/students.com.miami.edu\/travelwriting\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/students.com.miami.edu\/travelwriting\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=965"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/students.com.miami.edu\/travelwriting\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/965\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1092,"href":"https:\/\/students.com.miami.edu\/travelwriting\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/965\/revisions\/1092"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/students.com.miami.edu\/travelwriting\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/65"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/students.com.miami.edu\/travelwriting\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=965"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}