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Swimmers in calm turquoise water along Crandon Park beach, with a lifeguard tower

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Crandon Park Beach

Two miles of guarded Atlantic beach with an offshore sandbar that keeps the water calm, palms, picnic grounds and a nature centre.

LifeguardsFamilyCalm waterFood on siteBeach wheelchairsCar-freeKiteboarding

Photo: Mathieu Plourde, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Today at Crandon Park

Rip current risk · Miami-Dade beaches

High

Sun 1 Nov · surf 3 to 4 feet

Mon 2 Nov: High, surf 3 to 5 feet

NWS Miami surf zone forecast, issued Sun 1 Nov, 3:31 PM

Water · Atlantic (Lake Worth Pier)

81°F

Warm · typical for November (typical 77–81°F)

NOAA reading Sun 1 Nov, 5:00 PM

UV Index · Key Biscayne

6 High

Protect your skin: shade at midday, SPF 15+, hat and sunglasses (EPA).

EPA forecast for Nov/01/2026

Tides today · Miami Harbor Entrance (Government Cut)

  • High 1:28 AM 3.0 ft
  • Low 6:49 AM 0.6 ft
  • High 1:18 PM 3.1 ft
  • Low 7:35 PM 0.9 ft

NOAA predictions (MLLW datum)

Rip Current Statement until Tue 3 Nov, 7:00 PM (NWS Miami)

Coastal Flood Advisory until Mon 2 Nov, 7:00 PM (NWS Miami)

About Crandon Park

Crandon is Miami-Dade's big family beach: two miles of sand on the ocean side of Key Biscayne, with an offshore sandbar that the county says keeps the water calm and that people wade out to at low tide. It's guarded every day of the year, has picnic areas with grills, concessions and parking for almost 3,000 cars, and still feels open, thanks to palms and a winding promenade.

The north end is where kiteboarders launch and rent gear; the Bear Cut Preserve and nature centre add mangroves and a fossil reef. It's one of the busiest parks in the county on summer weekends, so arrive early. Bring the toll: the Rickenbacker Causeway is the only road in.

Facts, checked on the official page

Parking
$7 plus tax Monday–Thursday, $10 plus tax Friday–Sunday, per car. Free at county parks for vehicles with a disabled placard. [1]
Causeway toll
$3.25 with SunPass or $6.50 toll-by-plate for a two-axle vehicle (rates from October 1, 2025). [5]
Lifeguards
8 a.m. to 6 p.m., 365 days a year (Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Ocean Rescue). The guarded area covers part of the 2-mile beach; swim in front of a tower. [3]
Facilities
Picnic areas with tables and grills, rentable shelters, beach concession stands; five accessible pathways from the road to the sand, with accessible showers and concessions. [1]
Rentals
Kiteboards and kayaks at the north concession, kiteboarding lessons, cabanas at the south end. Personal kayaks and paddleboards must launch from the marina, not the beach. [1]
Rules
No pets (service animals excepted), no glass, and no flotation devices in the water. [1]
Accessibility
Free beach wheelchairs, first come first served (April–October 9 a.m.–6 p.m., November–March 9 a.m.–4 p.m.). A companion must push; you may be asked for an ID or keys as a deposit. [2]
Without a car
Metrobus Route 26 from Brickell Metrorail station crosses the Rickenbacker Causeway to Virginia Key and Crandon Park. [4]

Not stated on the official pages we read (so we don't claim them): beach opening hours (the county page lists only the 8 a.m.–5 p.m. office hours); restroom locations.

Tides near Crandon Park

Sun 1 NovMon 2 NovTue 3 Nov0 ft1 ft2 ft3 ft4 ftH 1:28 AML 6:49 AMH 1:18 PML 7:35 PMH 1:43 AML 8:02 AMH 2:27 PML 8:45 PMH 2:58 AML 9:14 AMH 3:31 PML 9:49 PM5 am11 am5 pm5 am11 am5 pm5 am11 am5 pm

NOAA predictions for Miami Harbor Entrance (Government Cut), the nearest tide station. All tide stations.

Nearby

  • Crandon Park Visitor and Nature Center: Naturalist-led walks and a mangrove boardwalk to a fossil-reef overlook in the Bear Cut Preserve; daily 9 a.m.–4 p.m. (county page).
  • Crandon Family Amusement Center: A restored 1949 carousel and an outdoor roller rink.
  • Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park: Lighthouse and natural beach at the island's south tip.

Worth knowing

  • The land was a coconut plantation donated to the county in 1940 by the heirs of Commodore William John Matheson; in return the county built the causeway to Key Biscayne. The park is named for county commission chairman Charles H. Crandon. [1]
  • Zoo Miami began here as the Crandon Zoo; by 1965 it held more than 1,000 animals before moving to South Dade. [1]
  • Non-residents can also reach the quieter ocean beach south of Crandon through four public beach paths in the Village of Key Biscayne, open sunrise to sunset; the Village's own Beach Park is for residents only. That stretch has no regular lifeguards. [6]

Photos

A coconut palm on the sand at Crandon Park
Photo: Paulkondratuk3194, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Sources

  1. Miami-Dade Parks: Crandon Park, checked 2026-10-26
  2. Miami-Dade Parks: beaches and beach wheelchairs, checked 2026-10-26
  3. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue: Ocean Rescue, checked 2026-10-26
  4. Miami-Dade DTPW: Better Bus routes, checked 2026-10-26
  5. Miami-Dade: Rickenbacker Causeway tolls, checked 2026-10-26
  6. Village of Key Biscayne: Beach Park access, checked 2026-10-26

Fees, hours and rules change. If something here is out of date, the official page wins.