Haulover Park: the wild beach next door.
Stand at the end of Bal Harbour's Jetty Walk and look north: everything on the other side of the inlet is Haulover Park. It is the village's perfect opposite — county-run where Bal Harbour is manicured, big where the village is tiny, gloriously unbothered where the Shops are polished. Locals use both. Here's how.
What is Haulover Park, exactly?
A Miami-Dade county park directly across Haulover Inlet from Bal Harbour: about 1.5 miles of wide Atlantic beach backed by dunes, plus the Bill Bird Marina, a kite field, a dog park, a pump track and picnic pavilions with grills. It's the biggest stretch of unbuilt beachfront for miles.
How do I get there, and what does parking cost?
Drive or bike over the A1A bridge from Bal Harbour — it's five minutes. Parking is paid (roughly $7–10 a day), lots open at 8am and close around sunset, and enforcement is real. On busy weekends, going early isn't a tip, it's a requirement.
What's the sandbar everyone posts about?
The Haulover Sandbar — a shallow flat just inside the inlet where dozens of boats raft up on weekends into South Florida's most famous floating party. It is boat-only: you cannot walk or swim to it, and it has no lifeguards and no facilities. No boat? The show is fully visible (and honestly better) from Bal Harbour's own Jetty Walk.
And the famous clothing-optional section?
Yes, that Haulover. The north section of the beach has been officially clothing-optional since the early 1990s — it's clearly signposted, long-established and self-contained. If it's not your scene, simply stay at the south end near the marina; the beach is a mile and a half long and the sections don't mix.
What's worth it with kids?
- The kite field — at the southeast corner of the marina lot, open 10am to sunset; on breezy weekends the sky over Haulover is its own attraction.
- The marina — watch charter boats come in and fishers clean the catch at Bill Bird Marina.
- The pump track — bring the bikes or the skateboard.
- Grills and pavilions — the picnic infrastructure Bal Harbour is far too chic to build.
Local tip:The perfect local day: sunrise on Bal Harbour Beach, morning at Haulover while the light is soft, then back across the bridge for a late lunch at one of the seven tables. Wide wild beach and polished village, five minutes apart — that's the whole magic of this corner of the coast.
Quick answers
Can you walk from Bal Harbour to Haulover Park?+
It's a short hop over the A1A bridge across Haulover Inlet — quick by bike or car, walkable if you don't mind the bridge stretch. Most villagers drive or ride the five minutes.
Can you walk to the Haulover Sandbar?+
No — the sandbar is a boat-only anchorage inside the inlet, not reachable on foot or by swimming. Watch it instead from Bal Harbour's Jetty Walk, which has the best land view of the raft-up.
How much is parking at Haulover Park?+
Roughly $7–10 per day in the county lots. Lots open at 8am and close around sunset (earlier gates on weekends), and paid-parking enforcement is active.