Around 1,000 Halloween fans gathered last month at Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park for the Friends of Cape Florida’s 9th annual Haunted Hike.
Families, groups of teenagers, Halloween fans of all ages and abilities, and the volunteer teams of spooky spot performers all came together to ensure the success of this much anticipated extravaganza. Intricate logistics, time and effort go into making events like this fun, enjoyable and safe for all visitors.
Did you know? Of Florida’s 175 State Parks Bill Bagg ranks 5th in visitor numbers (close to one million annually) and 4th in revenue. State authorities calculate its direct economic impact on the local economy at $97,931,999 in 2024, while supporting 1,371local jobs.
What goes on behind the scenes in the “Park in Our Backyard” is handled by a team of experienced, hardworking and extremely dedicated public servants who care for the 506 overall acres the park covers (412.96 upland acres and 93.44 submerged acres).
Park Manager Jorge Brito who oversees his park team of 20, began his State Park career working in Marin County, Calif., in 1997, and came onboard at Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park after moving to Miami in 2002. Second in command, Ernesto Espinoza, is also a 20+ year seasoned State Park employee. As the Assistant Manager he directs a team of nine full-time and four part-time rangers handling day-to-day maintenance and resource management to keep the park in tip-top shape.
Bill Baggs has three Park Service Specialists.
Heather Smith works closely with the Park Managers and is the point person for the Friends of Cape Florida and with that is an integral part of the community building and the 40-plus educational events and programs the FOCF conducts in the park. Andrea Sandoval is soon coming up on four years with the park and focuses on cultural resources, including the preservation of the historic lighthouse and keeper’s cottage celebrating its 200th birthday this December. New to the park is Alexandra (Summer) Holiday, who joins the team after a few years in the service of the Virginia State Park system. She is hitting the ground running getting involved in volunteer outreach and FOCF activities.
Administrative assistant Dominique Llopiz handles thousands of annual pavilion reservations and special use permits, the park’s billing and a myriad of logistical and administrative tasks required as part of the day-to-day operations.
Together the team handles complex logistics few visitors consider: collaborating with local police and with the Coast Guard for maritime emergencies, maintaining partnerships with archaeological researchers studying the area’s indigenous history and balancing the needs of fishermen, swimmers, cyclists and nature photographers, who all like to claim the park for their specific purposes. Balancing these requests with the guidelines for environmental protection and rules for wildlife exposure is demanding.
Biologist Elizabeth Golden has spent more than 30 years of her career at Bill Baggs and was part of the restoration project after Hurricane Andrew wreaked havoc in 1992. In concert with management, she monitors and documents the health of flora and fauna in the park and in many ways is the living memory bank and archivist of the park.
More than 50 research projects are being conducted within its boundaries: from the well-known sea turtle monitoring and migratory bird banding programs to lesser-known projects like research on Cuban tree frogs, fireflies and caterpillars, sea oats seed collection for genetic diversity, ecological impacts of sargassum, bat monitoring and fish species diversity of mangroves to name just a few.
Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park is an intricate part of the “living in Key Biscayne” experience because the quality and richness of life in any community is inextricably linked to the preservation and creative use of green spaces. Visit and come to one of the events in the “Park in Our Backyard” and get to know the dedicated people keeping it safe for us to use and enjoy!
To learn more about Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park and the Friends of Cape Florida, visit FriendsCapeFlorida.org