Reasons why Biscayne National Park should be on your travel list!
If you haven’t visited Biscayne National Park in Florida yet, you definitely need to add it to your travel itinerary. It is tucked away off of south Florida’s coast near Miami and is unlike any other national park we have been to.
Instead of mountains or desert, the park is made up of several small islands and is bordered by a giant mangrove forest. Biscayne National Park also contains the northern part of one of the largest coral reefs in the world. Read on for all the reasons why you should visit Biscayne National Park!
Where is Biscayne National Park?
Biscayne National Park is an hour south of Miami and can be accessed either by car or boat. Biscayne is the northernmost part of the Florida Keys and is less than an hour drive to Key Largo. The park protects Biscayne Bay and it’s offshore barrier reefs. The closest city to stay nearby is Homestead, Florida.
Below is a map of Biscayne National Park from the National Park Service.
Why you should visit Biscayne National Park
1. It is free to enter!
Biscayne National Park is open 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, and does not require a fee or a pass to enter. This is great if you want to drop in and explore what the park has to offer on your own timeline, without spending anything to get in. That being said, it is a good idea to book any tours ahead of time as they can sell out!
2. Most of the park is underwater
The top reason to visit Biscayne National Park is that 95% of the park is under the water! This is completely unique to only a few other national parks, including the Dry Tortugas in the Florida Keys, the Channel Islands in California, and a few parks in Hawaii.
Biscayne contains part of the Florida Reef, the only living coral barrier reef in the United States and the third largest coral reef in the world.
Besides the reef there are shipwrecks to explore, sea creatures to spot, and mangrove tunnels to paddle through!
3. Biscayne is close to Miami and the Florida Keys
The main visitor center is located directly between Miami and Key Largo. It takes less than an hour to get here from either location, making it the perfect stop to add to your south Florida itinerary. We visited during an epic road trip through South Florida, staying also in the Everglades and the Florida Keys. We were able to see all three national parks in Florida plus the Florida Keys in a one week trip!
4. The wildlife is fascinating
Because it is the largest marine sanctuary in the National Park Service, Biscayne National Park is home to dozens of threatened or endangered species including manatees, alligators, and sea turtles. We spent one day in the park and besides giant birds such as osprey, herons, and egrets, we saw huge tropical fish, sponges, coral, manatees, and tons of iguanas perched on the mangrove islands! The park is also home to sharks, stingrays, dolphins, and even the American Crocodile.
5. There are so many exciting ways to explore the park!
For every road trip we make sure to bring our portable GPS navigation. It was a life saver when we found ourselves in parts of South Florida with ZERO cell phone service. For this trip, all we had to do was type in anything we wanted to see like “Dante Fascell Visitor Center” and this GPS would show us directions, and even Trip Advisor reviews. We highly, highly recommend it if you are travelers like us!
Top Things to do in Biscayne National Park
Because Biscayne is home to four different ecosystems, there are so many different ways to explore the park. From snorkeling the coral reefs, to paddling through the mangroves, hiking coastal trails, and enjoying a power- or sailboat tour, there are plenty of ways to get in, on, or around the water!
Visit the Dante Fascell Visitor Center
The Dante Fascell Visitor Center is the only part of Biscayne National Park Florida that is accessible by car and is the best place to begin your tour of the park. More like a museum than a regular visitor center, they offer an art gallery and exhibits with realistic habitat displays showcasing the unique things you can find in the park. Speak with the super friendly and knowledgeable park rangers here if you need help planning any part of your day!
Note: There is a section of the parking lot at the visitor center for RV and trailer parking. This was great for us as we had our travel trailer with us, we could park here and not worry about being in the way!
Paddleboard and Kayak Biscayne National Park
Because most of the park is underwater, the best thing to do is to get out on the water! You can launch your own kayak or paddleboard for free directly from the visitor center parking area to paddle in Biscayne Bay. Paddle out into the intracoastal waterway and along the longest mangrove forest in eastern Florida. Stop at some of the mangrove islands and look closely, this is where we saw dozens of large iguanas!
Most of the bay is very shallow with an average depth of 10 feet. In most places you can see straight through to the bottom, so you can easily spot all kinds of fish, turtles, and even small sharks!
Take a boat tour to Boca Chita Key
Boca Chita Key is one of several keys in Biscayne National Park, and is the most popular (a “key” is a small coral island). Boca Chita has short coastal hiking trails, a swim beach, and a 65-foot historic lighthouse. There are several boat tours that stop here, with most giving you time to snorkel and swim!
Go snorkeling in Biscayne Bay
Because the reefs inside Biscayne National Park are healthy and well-protected, this area offers some of the best snorkeling in the country. You can take a guided boat tour to the Maritime Heritage Trail, where you can snorkel through the remains of several historic wooden ships and more recent shipwrecks.
Note: There is no beach or shore snorkeling off the mainland, you have to get to the reef areas by boat.
Tip: Make sure you are wearing reef-safe sunscreen when snorkeling!
Camp on Elliott Key
The park’s largest island is Elliott Key, which was once home to pineapple farmers in the late 19th century. Considered the first key in the Florida Keys, visitors can fish, camp, hike and picnic here. Elliott Key also has an overnight boat dock for for campers to use.
Note: Elliott Key and Boca Chita Key are the only places you can camp inside the park. Each island has primitive campsites (including toilets), Elliott Key has cold water showers and drinking water.
Tip: If you are leaving a vehicle in the parking lot overnight to camp on one of the park islands, be sure to stop in at the Dante Fascell Visitor Center to get a free overnight parking permit. And don’t forget your bug spray!
Cruise through Stiltsville on a boat
Stiltsville once was a community of houses on stilts 10 feet above the water in Biscayne Bay. Built during the prohibition era, the buildings were one mile offshore (where gambling was legal) and became famous for all sorts of shenanigans.
However, recent hurricanes have proven this might not have been the best construction technique for the region. The homes still standing are now abandoned, but you can still cruise by them to see how weirdly wonderful they must have been to live in!
Go fishing
Biscayne Bay has a variety of fish species swimming through the mangrove shores, seagrass beds, and coral reefs. Tarpon, grouper, snapper, and bonefish are just a few of the fish you can find here. Some areas are off limits for fishing, be sure to check the NPS website for rules and regulations regarding fishing inside the park. And don’t forget to bring your Florida Fishing License!
How to get around Biscayne National Park
In order to see most of the park, you do need a boat. There are a few trails directly off the mainland by the visitor center, and you can also kayak Biscayne National Park. But getting to Elliot or Boca Chita Key is about an 8 mile paddle and is not recommended for average paddlers.
Biscayne National Park Institute
If you don’t have your own boat, then you can sign up for a guided tour via the Biscayne National Park Institute. This non-profit offers a variety of educational, eco-friendly tours through the waters of the park. They run all of the rental programs for the park, including the popular boat tours out to the different islands. Proceeds from the Institute go towards supporting the park.
The two most popular experiences the Institute offers are the boat tour to Boca Chita Key on the Heritage of Biscayne Cruise, and paddling in the clear waters of Jones Lagoon.
Marinas in and around the park
If you do have your own boat, there are several marinas close by with access into Biscayne National Park. The Homestead Bayfront and Black Point marinas feed directly into Biscayne National Park. Homestead Bayfront Marina is at Convoy Point near the visitor center and has a beach/ swimming area as well.
Matheson Hammock Marina is located close to the northern area of the park. Crandon Marina is on Key Biscayne.
One full day in Biscayne National Park
It is really hard to see everything a national park has to offer in one day, but sometimes that is all the time you have. We’ve done it in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, and we spent one day in Death Valley on an epic California road trip! The key is to start early, and plan ahead.
Here is the itinerary we would suggest if you have one full day to spend in Biscayne National Park:
- Start early at the Dante Fascell Visitor Center and spend about half an hour here.
- Choose one of the tours offered by the Biscayne National Park Institute. These can range from a few hours to an all day excursion, so pick one that will take you to the part of the park you really want to see. Most tours leave around 9AM and again at 1PM.
- Plan for a picnic lunch, either on your tour or back at the visitor center.
- If you have time and you didn’t already take a paddling tour, do the 3PM mangrove paddling tour directly from the visitor center.
Tips, What to Pack, and the Best Time to Visit Biscayne National Park
- Make sure you have a good GPS, as some of the areas you drive through have zero cell service. We use this Garmin GPS on every road trip and it has been amazing! You can type in any destination or landmark and it will give you directions and even TripAdvisor reviews. We don’t travel without it!
- Pack a cooler before you head into the park. Stock it with ice, waters, and cold drinks for the day because there are no stores inside the park. This one is great for road trips and stays cold for 4 days!
- Wear sunscreen, and remember to reapply. The sun is super strong down in south Florida, and you will sweat more than you think. We love this one because it is reef friendly and zinc based- no more chemicals!
- Wear UPF clothing, and a good hat. This helps with the sun and with the bugs!
- I brought a UPF car blanket like this one that really helped keep the sun off my legs during the day.
- Pack some sandwiches in your cooler and snacks for the car. Then you can eat whenever and wherever you want.
- I can’t say this enough: hydrate hydrate hydrate! Here is our absolute favorite travel mug. It stays cold all day, holds 40 ounces of liquids, comes in over 10 colors, AND fits in our cup holders!
- Bring good bug spray, and citronella candles or tiki torches if you are camping.
Florida weather
Florida has two seasons, dry and wet. The dry season is between December and April. During winter and early spring it’s slightly less humid and much cooler, with less mosquitoes! We recommend visiting Biscayne National Park between February and April for these reasons. We visited mid-March and it was a perfect, breezy and sunny day!
Summer in Florida is called the wet season for a reason: it rains a lot and can get brutally hot and humid. Also, hurricane season is from June through November, which can really wreck travel plans to South Florida.
We hope we have inspired you to add visiting Biscayne National Park to your Florida road trip itinerary,it will be an unforgettable experience. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to explore the park’s stunning scenery and rich biodiversity. Trust us, you won’t regret it!
Happy travels!
I enjoy visiting national parks and will have to add this one to the list. Seeing one of the largest coral reefs, snorkeling, and kayaking all look like fun!
Didn’t know much about Biscayne, it looks absolutely incredible – thanks for sharing! Definitely want to kayak there one day!
I must admit we have not visited the National Parks on the East coast in the U.S. A visit to Biscayne National Park sounds like a perfect thing to do on a visit to Florida. How cool that most of the park is underwater! The coral reef would sure be a draw for us. Our snorkel gear would definitely be packed.
Biscayne looks amazing! Never thought to visit before but being the largest living coral barrier reef certainly sold it to me – I never knew that!
I had no idea Biscayne had such a beautiful place; thanks for sharing! I would really like to kayak there sometime!
Highly recommend a kayak trip for sure!