Home / Boating spots / Haulover Sandbar: the complete guide
Haulover Sandbar: the complete guide
Updated November 8, 2026
The Haulover Sandbar is one of Miami-Dade's best-known weekend scenes: boats anchored in shallow, clear water just inside Haulover Inlet, music, swimming and floats. If you're boating from Aventura, Sunny Isles or North Miami Beach, it's a short run down the Intracoastal. Here's what to know before you go, including how the sandbar has changed.
Where is the Haulover Sandbar?
Miami-Dade Parks describes the sandbar as lying between the Intracoastal Waterway and the Haulover Inlet channel, next to Bill Bird Marina at about ICW statute mile 1079. That's inside the inlet on the bay side, not on the ocean beach.
How to get there
- Your own boat from Aventura: run south on the Intracoastal past the William Lehman Causeway (65 ft fixed) and the Sunny Isles Causeway at NE 163rd St (about 30 ft closed, scheduled openings). See our bridges guide.
- Trailer it: the Haulover Park boat ramps are open 24 hours, but the entrance can close at capacity on weekends. Launch is $20 Monday to Thursday and $30 Friday to Sunday, with trailer parking at the same rates.
- Rent or charter: Bill Bird Marina has boat rentals and a large charter fleet. Browse local charter listings, yacht charter companies or sandbar rentals on Getmyboat.
We haven't found an official source confirming you can safely walk or paddle out to the sandbar, so plan on going by boat.
Rules you need to know
| Rule | What it says |
|---|---|
| Rafting (Miami-Dade ordinance, 2015) | No more than 5 boats rafted together, at least 30 ft between groups, and only the 3 center boats may anchor |
| Boating under the influence (Fla. Stat. 327.35) | 0.08 limit. First conviction: $500 to $1,000 fine, up to 6 months in jail, 10-day vessel impoundment; higher penalties at 0.15 or with a minor aboard |
| Inlet speed zone | Idle speed, no wake from the ICW channel east to the A1A bridge |
| Boater education | Anyone born on or after Jan 1, 1988 needs an FWC Boating Safety Education ID Card to run a boat of 10 hp or more |
FWC and Miami-Dade police patrol on busy weekends and holidays. Haulover Park's clothing-optional beach is on land along the ocean, not at the sandbar.
Sandbar safety
The area sits next to a working inlet with strong tidal currents, heavy boat traffic and charter boats coming and going. Serious accidents have happened here, including a 2026 charter boat incident that sent 11 people to hospitals and a nighttime collision that seriously injured three. Keep it simple:
- Anchor well clear of the inlet channel and check your anchor as the tide turns.
- Designate a sober captain, and keep swimmers on the shallow side away from traffic.
- Kill the engine before anyone goes in near the stern.
- Leave before dark; the run back through busy water is harder at night.
FAQ
Is the Haulover Sandbar still there?
The original bar between the ICW and the inlet channel was dredged in 2021 and 2022 to rebuild Bal Harbour's beach. Many boaters now raft up in shallow water to the south toward Bal Harbour and Bay Harbor Islands, which people still call the Haulover sandbar.
How much does it cost to launch at Haulover?
The Haulover Park ramp charges $20 Monday to Thursday and $30 Friday to Sunday, plus trailer parking at the same rates, and the entrance can close when the lot is full.
Can I rent a boat for the Haulover Sandbar?
Yes. Bill Bird Marina at Haulover Park has rentals and charters, and local captains post sandbar charters on our listings.
How many boats can raft together at the sandbar?
Miami-Dade's rafting ordinance allows up to 5 boats per raft, with at least 30 feet between groups and only the 3 center boats anchored.