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The water portion of Biscayne National Park is open 24 hours a day. Adams Key (accessible only by boat) is a day use area only. The Dante Fascell Visitor Center and Park Headquarters are located at Convoy Point, and ramps, elevators and boardwalks make these areas fully accessible to those with mobility challenges. Audiovisual programs are closed-captioned and available in both English and Spanish. Translations of the Park’s brochure are available in Spanish, French and German. Interpretive programs are conducted regularly by rangers at the Dante Fascell Visitor Center, where exhibits and films also provide an introduction to the park. The Dante Fascell Visitor Center is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Convoy Point, location of the park’s headquarters and visitor center, is open daily from 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The visitor center is also home to an art gallery featuring changing exhibits of local artists inspired by the park’s beauty. On Boca Chita Key, Elliott Key and Adams Key, restrooms are accessible, but some of the buildings are not. Concessionaire operated boat trips are accessible with assistance, but arrangements should be made ahead of time. The park’s concessioner operates a gift shop with food, drinks, souvenirs and gift items that is open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily. Canoe and kayak rentals are also available.

Biscayne National Park was established on October 18, 1968. As was already stated, the Florida Keys is one of the most famous and most visited archipelagos in the world. Contrary to what many people think, though, the Florida Keys do not begin at Key Largo. To the north lie nearly 50 more keys (ancient coral reef islands) that are, for the most part, undeveloped. The fight to protect these last unspoiled Keys culminated over 30 years ago with the creation of Biscayne National Park’s predecessor, Biscayne National Monument. In 1961, 13 area landowners voted unanimously to create the City of Islandia. Plans for Seadade, a major industrial seaport, were announced in 1962. The proposal called for the dredging of a 40-foot deep channel through the Bay’s clear, shallow waters. Dade County’s “New Frontier” was born, but it never grew beyond the toddler stage. An initially small, but vocal, group of people had an entirely different vision for these islands: a national park unlike any other. This one would be covered by water, protecting not only the islands but the bay to the west and the reef to the east as well. It would provide a haven for wildlife and a respite for people tired of cramped city life. The park’s proponents were not extraordinary in the usual sense of the word. They were doctors and pilots, farmers and writers. They were people who knew the area — people who understood new concepts like ecology and environmental preservation. By early 1968, local and national support for a Biscayne National Monument was at an all-time high. Congress, led by longtime Representative Dante Fascell, created Biscayne National Monument to protect “a rare combination of terrestrial, marine and amphibious life in a tropical setting of great natural beauty.” President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the bill on October 18, 1968. The park has undergone several enlargements and a name change since that time. While the struggle to protect the park from current local threats continues, some things have not changed. The northern Keys are still untethered by roads and bridges. The shallow water is still clear and beautiful. It is still a haven for wildlife and a respite for weary urban dwellers.

The lands and submerged bottomlands of Biscayne National Park are rich with archeological remains that document the cultural history of southern Florida and the Florida Keys. Submerged archeological sites include an array of shipwrecks and other representations of maritime casualties, demonstrating the international maritime heritage encompassed in the waters of the park. Some are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The earliest identified shipwreck site is from the mid 18th century. Since historical records document that early European exploration of this region began in the early 16th century, it is possible that earlier remains are waiting to be found here. The earliest site found in the park, a midden (or shell mound) site on one of the off shore keys, indicates intensive settlement by 1000 A.D.

Evidence of this area’s earliest inhabitants, mostly destroyed by the industrial sprawl and residential development on the mainland, can still be found in the keys and waters of Biscayne National Park. These forty keys, because they have not been developed, hold the archeological and historical evidence of what all the keys used to be like. Located only five miles north of the park, at the confluence of the Miami River and Biscayne Bay, was a major Tequesta village that was occupied approximately 2,000 years ago. The Tequesta archeological sites found within the park would have been the fishing and hunting camps used by the Tequesta. Immediately adjacent to the park on the mainland is the Cutler Fossil site (8000 B.C.) which suggests that the lands and waters of Biscayne National Park have the potential for even earlier archeological sites than presently found. This site also has evidence of having been used by the Tequesta approximately 2000 years ago. There is a relationship between all the Tequesta archeological sites that are found either within the park or nearby.

Boca Chita Key, recently listed on the National Register of Historic Places, consists of ten historic structures. These buildings represent typical resort architecture for the Miami area in the 1930s. Elliott Key includes an archeological district, the Sweeting Homestead, which includes the remains of the first pioneering homestead on these keys during the end of the 19th Century. Prehistoric and historic archeological sites and architectural ruins are present on other keys within the park as well.

Biscayne National Park consists largely of expanses of marine and brackish waters. Since Biscayne National Park’s greatest depth is 60 feet, there is no open ocean within park boundaries. The bodies of water that make up the park include the southern portion of Biscayne Bay, the northern limits of Card Sound, the continental shelf region on the ocean side of the park’s barrier islands, and a number of tidal channels that connect the ocean with Biscayne Bay and Card Sound. Biscayne Bay is a shallow sub-tropical estuary located along the southeastern coast of the Florida peninsula. It is the largest portion of the park. Biscayne Bay is a place where freshwater from the land mixes with salt water from the sea and life abounds. It serves as a nursery where infant and juvenile marine life resides. Lush seagrass beds provide hiding places and food for a vast array of sea life. 70 percent of the area’s recreationally and commercially important fishes, crustaceans, and shellfish spend a portion of their young lives in the bay’s protective environment. The bay is one of the most productive ecosystems in the park.

Fresh water flow brings nutrients from inland areas. Plants use these nutrients, along with energy from the sun, carbon dioxide, and water to produce food through photosynthesis. Some of the most important plants found in the bay are the seagrasses. Seagrasses grow in lush beds throughout the bay wherever conditions are favorable and there is enough bottom sediment for the seagrasses to take root. Like the grasses of your lawn at home, seagrasses are flowering plants. They have roots, stems, and flowers. They produce oxygen. And without exceptionally clear water that allows the sunlight to reach them, seagrasses will die off just as your lawn at home would if it were deprived of sunlight. There are three major types of seagrasses found in the bay. Shoal-grass, Halodule wrightii, is an early colonizer of disturbed areas and usually grows in water too shallow for other species. Turtle-grass, Thalassia testudinum, the most common seagrass in the park, has wide leaf blades and a deep root structure, and forms most of the large, lush seagrass meadows found in the park. Manatee-grass, Syringodium filiforme, is easily recognizable because its leaves are cylindrical.

The reefs of Biscayne National Park are part of a 150-mile-long chain of coral reefs extending down through the lower Florida Keys and the Caribbean. The coral reef of the Florida Keys is North America’s only living coral barrier reef. Coral reefs are among the most biologically diverse ecosystems on earth. Tiny coral animals, called polyps, obtain calcium from seawater and use it to manufacture cup-like limestone skeletons around themselves. Generations of polyps creating adjoining cups result in fantastically shaped colonies that take on the appearance of flowers, mountains, and animal antlers. When colonies of various species occur in close proximity, they create the living fortresses we call reefs. Corals aren’t the only reef dwellers though. Sea whips, sea fans, and other soft corals sway back and forth in the current, giving the whole reef the appearance of movement. Bright sponges feed by filtering small plants and animals from seawater. Christmas tree worms burrow directly into the stony coral skeletons, adding tufts of red, orange, and purple to the grooved surface of brain corals. Algae and other plants growing in and around the reef provide an important food source for fish, shrimp, crabs, and a myriad of other animals.

Stretching along 14 miles of the western edge of the keys is the mangrove forest. It is one of the longest continuous stretches of mangroves left on the east coast of Florida. Mangroves flourish in salty environments because they are able to obtain freshwater from saltwater. Some have the ability to block absorption of salt at their roots while others secrete excess salt through their leaves, allowing them to flourish where other trees would die. These mangroves, with their impenetrable root system, help to keep Biscayne’s waters clean and clear by slowing the water that flows into the bay from the land, allowing the sediment carried by the runoff to settle out. These roots also provide shelter and protection for a host of marine organisms, especially the very young and small, while the trees branches above provide breeding and nesting areas for many birds, including the brown pelican. These mangrove trees are also found along the shores of the park’s islands, separated from the mainland by the shallow waters of Biscayne Bay. Three types of mangroves inhabit the shoreline here. Starting from the water and working inland, you will find red, black, and then white mangroves.

Elliott Key, the park’s largest island, is considered the first of the true Florida Keys. It, and the keys to its south, are the remains of coral reefs which formed when ocean waters were much higher than they are now. Walking the island today, you can see the remains of the coral, even identifying the types of coral that you are treading on. The islands to the north of Elliott Key, from Sands Key to Soldier Key, are considered “transitional” islands – sharing some of the features of the hard rock coral keys to the south and some with the sand barrier islands to the north. Together, these islands provide a protective barrier between the ocean to the east, and the shallow waters of Biscayne Bay to the west.

As you approach the islands you will see besides mangroves, other salt tolerant plants such as saltwort, glasswort, and sea purslane thriving along the shoreline. But, as you travel onto the island and away from the salt water, the plants change. Now you find yourself in a tropical hardwood hammock, surrounded by mahoganies, geigers, gumbo limbos, pigeon plum, stoppers, satin leaves, seagrape, and iron woods. These are trees not typically found within the continental United States outside South Florida, and belie the area’s close relationship with the Caribbean.

The bay is enjoyed by all. Relative ease and location of boat launches encourages the ever-increasing boating population to enjoy the sporting and recreational aspects of the bay. But the bay’s resources, especially its lush seagrass beds, are threatened. Only through care and foresight by our visitors and our neighbors can the bay continue to support all the diverse uses currently enjoyed.

At Convoy Point, the park’s headquarters, and the Dante Fascell Visitor Center, visitors can picnic, go fishing, canoeing, explore the Visitor Center, or take one of the boat tours offered. Convoy Point offers a tranquil setting with picnic tables and charcoal grills, a canoe beach where one can launch their own canoe, kayak, or sailboard, and a picturesque boardwalk which takes you along the shoreline out to the rock jetty beside the boat channel heading to the bay. Saltwater fishing (including spear fishing) is great and permitted in the park in accordance with Florida State fishing regulations and licensing requirements.

Guided glass bottom boat tours, sunset cruises, snorkeling trips and scuba diving trips, canoeing, fishing, swimming, hiking, kayaking, water skiing, or windsurfing are all great adventures to experience while visiting this national park. You can even get married on land or sea! Special events throughout the year offer families a great opportunity to learn about the park together, like Discovery Series lectures, concerts and art exhibits. On the second Sunday of each month from January through May, the park hosts Family Fun Fest, three full hours of hands on activities for kids and kids-at-heart. Kids will enjoy snorkeling in the bay or on the coral reef, poking along the rocky shoreline at Convoy Point, and canoeing along the park’s mangrove coast.

While all parks are affected to some extent by what goes on in adjacent areas, the situation is magnified in a marine park where water flowing across boundaries can provide easy access for pollutants, exotic species, and large numbers of visitors not confined to traditional throughways like trails and roads. Agriculture and urban development threaten the Biscayne Bay watershed and Biscayne Bay ecosystem. Miami-Dade is the second largest agricultural producing county in Florida and the population of the County continues to grow. The major environmental issues facing the South Florida watershed are: mercury contamination, ecological degradation of Florida Bay, water supply conflicts, nutrient enrichment, and loss of historic hydropatterns, rapid regional population growth, spread of exotic plants and animals, loss of native populations, and the conversion of remaining wetlands to other land uses.

Mangrove wetlands are extremely important to the ecology of sub-tropical coastal zone ecosystems. Mangroves, with the impenetrable root system, keep Biscayne’s waters clean and clear by slowing the water that flows into the bay from the land, allowing the sediment carried by the runoff to settle out. Additionally, mangroves help to stabilize the coast and protect it from tropical storms and hurricanes. The roots also provide shelter and protection for many marine organisms, while the tree branches provide breeding and nesting areas for birds. Leaves fall from mangroves year round. The leaves break down to become food for many organisms including commercially important species of fish, shrimp, and the Florida Spiny Lobster. The prop roots of red mangroves support an extensive invertebrate community, consisting of sponges, tunicates, mollusks, and polychaete worms among many others. Without healthy mangrove forests, Florida’s recreational and commercial fisheries would drastically decline. There are a total of 6,905 acres of mangrove wetlands within Biscayne National Park. Many species found within Biscayne’s mangroves are of special concern due to their conservation status, notably the American Crocodile, Crocodylus acutus, and the West Indian Manatee, Trichechus manatus.

The coral reef ecosystem is a delicately balanced, interdependent marine environment composed of coral reefs, mangroves, and seagrasses. Along with hardwood hammocks, Florida’s coral reefs are home to 1/3 of Florida’s threatened and endangered species. The overall health of the reefs has decreased dramatically in the past 15 years. Among factors responsible for this decline are heavy use, physical damage from boats, careless divers and snorklers, fishing, habitat loss from coastal development, declining water quality, global climate change, and natural storm events.

Preservation and restoration of diminishing natural sound environments or soundscapes has become a foremost challenge in the protection of park resources. Biscayne National Park offers some of the best places to hear the calls of wildlife. Today, these natural ambient sounds are threatened as the noises of civilization and technological conveniences increasingly intrude into even the most remote corners of the park. The National Park Service’s mission is to assure that natural sounds and quiet are protected. For the past few years Biscayne National Park, along with Dry Tortugas NP, Big Cypress National Preserve and Everglades NP has been the subject of noise monitoring and analysis. Initially, the catalyst was a supplemental environmental impact analysis led by the Air Force and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and related to the proposal to convert the former Homestead Air Force Base, devastated by Hurricane Andrew in 1992, into a major single-runway, civilian airport. The issue has evolved into one of soundscape protection as the parks came to recognize that all human-caused noise was the problem, not just noise from aircraft. Biscayne, Everglades, and Big Cypress are in various stages of developing noise management plans that detail what can and must be done to protect their soundscape resources.

Biscayne National Park is situated in a subtropical climate, which ensures sunshine year-round. Winters here are normally dry and mild, with occasional fronts bringing wind and little rain. Summertime brings hot and humid weather with scattered thunderstorms in the afternoons. The average temperature in January is 68 degrees Fahrenheit and 82 in July. The average rainfall for the area is 2.17 inches in January and 3.95 inches in July. The most fantastic weather features in the area are hurricanes, which usually occur between June 1st and November 30th.

Current Park Weather

Be prepared for mosquitoes and “no-see-ums.” Generally there are a lot of them around in the summer and fewer in the winter, but their presence can fluctuate greatly at any time of the year depending on the weather. While camping, be aware that there are no fuel or supply sales on the islands. Bring whatever you will need with you: tent, if you want to use one, sleeping mat and cover, flashlight with extra batteries and bulb, food, water, insect repellent, garbage bags, first aid kit, repair kit, matches, fire starter, campstove, fuel, and multipurpose tool.

Most of the waters in Biscayne National Park are very shallow and knowing the tides is very important. Also be sure you know your own boat and how to maneuver in these waters. There are maps available that show the shoreline and shallows. If uncertain, hire a guide. Boca Chita harbor entrance at low tide is approximately four feet. Any deep draft vessel requiring 3 ½ or more feet of water should exercise extreme caution in this area. The harbor has a cleated bulkhead that is the only designated area where boats may dock. The entrance at Elliott Key harbor is approximately 2 ½ feet at low tide. Boats may dock at any one of the 36 slips.

The shoreline of Elliott Key is generally rocky so wear shoes to protect your feet while swimming. Summers are hot and humid with scattered thundershowers most afternoons. The powerful rays of the sun make it a good idea to wear a hat, sunglasses, protective clothing, and SPF-15 (or above) sunscreen when planning outdoor activities.
Coral reefs are among the most biologically diverse ecosystems on earth. Every crack and crevice seems to be occupied by something. As a result, human knowledge of the reef is constantly growing – a fact that should prove valuable as coral reefs around the world experience problems from pollution, over fishing, boat groundings, and disease. Florida’s reefs are the world’s most accessible, just a few miles by automobile from millions of residents and tourists. For this reason, they are also among the world’s most vulnerable reefs. When diving, snorkeling, or boating, keep the following in mind: do not stand on, sit on, break, or touch corals. The tiny polyps are fragile and easily damaged by even the gentlest touch. Always be aware of where your feet are. In your excitement to share your discoveries with others, you could be hitting the reef with your fins. When boating, use a chart to avoid running aground. Use mooring buoys where available. When anchoring a vessel, ensure the anchor is firmly set in sandy areas, not in coral. By following these simple guidelines, you can ensure that your visit to the reef leaves no trace; visitors in 2077 will still see it the way Ralph Munroe did in 1877.

Over 200 species of fish can be spotted on Biscayne’s reefs. The diversity of colors, shapes, sizes, and behaviors is amazing. Inch-long damselfish nip at a diver’s facemask, attempting to chase her away from its carefully tended algae garden. A green moray hovers, mouth agape, at the entrance to its lair. A variety of fish wait their turn at a “cleaning station,” where tiny gobies scour their bodies for parasites. A stoplight parrotfish chomps on coral, devouring algae, polyps, and stone in one bite. A 500-pound jewfish peers out from under a ledge. A pair of spotfin butterfly fish floats effortlessly through the water. Like a bustling city, the reef is active day and night. Polyps on the soft corals withdraw as hard coral polyps emerge to begin a night of feeding. Parrotfish and wrasses wrap up in mucous sleeping bags, as octopi and squirrelfish become active. This “shift change” ensures that the reef’s plentiful food supply is utilized ‘round the clock.

Since 95% of Biscayne National Park is water, the majority of the animals are associated with ocean or shoreline habitats. There are many species of animals protected within Biscayne National Park that have been listed by the Federal government as Endangered or Threatened. The park is home to many of these species including the West Indian manatee, eastern indigo snake, piping plover, Bald eagle, wood stork, American crocodile and alligator, peregrine falcon, Schaus’ swallowtail butterfly, least tern, and 5 species of sea turtle.

Sea turtle populations continue to decline throughout the world and within the United States. Loggerhead and occasionally hawksbill sea turtles use the few sandy beaches that exist at Biscayne National Park as sites to lay their eggs. The park has a nesting program to monitor activity throughout the nesting season. The Schaus’ swallowtail is a large, colorful butterfly that is endemic to southern Florida and has been listed by the State of Florida as an endangered species since 1975. It was listed federally in 1984 when estimates showed only 70 or fewer adults remaining. Today the butterfly is only found on northern Key Largo and several small Keys in Biscayne National Park. The least tern has been listed by the State of Florida as a threatened species since 1975. Much of the cause of their population decline is due to habitat destruction and encroachment. The birds nest along coastal or island beaches covered with coarse substrates of sand, shells, or small stones. In 1995, two least tern nests were observed on Soldier Key in Biscayne National Park each containing two eggs.

On the islands, you will also be surrounded by insects. Dragonflies are all about, feeding continuously on that most dreaded of insect – the mosquito – the most common insect you are likely to encounter. But there are others too. Butterflies, including the endangered Schaus swallowtail, tree hoppers, golden orb spiders, and hundreds of others make these tropical keys their homes. Other animals can also be found here. Snakes (and yes, there are rattlesnakes on some of the islands), lizards, raccoons, marsh rabbits, rats, and mice all make their homes here. On Elliott Key, you might even see a Mexican red-bellied squirrel, a legacy of an island resident who released some on the island long before the park was established because he liked squirrels.
The park also houses several plants on the endangered species list. The rare semaphore prickly-pear cactus which grows only in South Florida and the Sargent’s Palm, considered being the rarest palm native to Florida. The Sargent’s Palm was initially found on Elliott Key and Sands Key, but collectors in the late 1800’s began to harvest them for ornamental use. In 1991 only 50 palms were found on Elliott Key. Many were also damaged in Hurricane Andrew. Today there are about 16 plants on Elliott and 123 on Long Key thanks to efforts undertaken to reintroduce palms on three of the original islands

There are 512 species of fish in Biscayne Bay, ranging from several inches to over 10 feet. The fish fauna are predominately temperate and continental in the winter and tropical to subtropical in the summer. Some of the species may be euryhaline (able to withstand a wide range of salinities). For those looking to go fishing, you’ll find sailfish, sharks, bass, and snapper, among others.

Raccoons and rodents are present on the islands. To protect you and your supplies, your food and trash need to be kept in rigid, raccoon proof containers. Do not keep food in your tent. There are rattlesnakes and a few other poisonous snakes on some of the islands.

Check out our expanded WIldlife Precautions page.

Camping on Elliott Key or Boca Chita Key is $10.00/day. Group camping areas are located on both Elliott and Boca Chita Key and are $25.00/day.

Overnight docking in either Elliott Key or Boca Chita Key Harbors, includes one campsite and is $15.00/night.

There is no camping on the park’s mainland. Camping is offered in the designated campgrounds on Boca Chita Key and Elliott Key, making for a unique camping trip. Access to these campgrounds is by boating only.

Camping on Elliott Key is allowed year round so winter camping can be enjoyed also. It’s a great area for family camping. All campsites have a picnic table and a grill and are designated by a “C” painted on the grill post. There is a group campsite located in the breezeway between the harbor and the ocean side of the island. In addition, Elliott Key has freshwater, cold water showers, and restrooms, but it is recommended that you bring your own fresh water, just in case the generator should go down. There are trails and a buoyed swim area. Fishing is allowed from the maintenance dock and from the shoreline outside of the harbor, no wake zone, and swimming area. A fire ring is located 1/4 mile east of the harbor on the ocean side of the island. This is the only place in the park where a ground fire is allowed. Pets are allowed in the developed areas of Elliott Key but must be kept on an attended leash no longer than six feet in length. Pets are not allowed in the buildings or in the swim area.

Camping on Boca Chita Key is allowed year round also. All campsites have a picnic table and a grill. Individual campsites are designated by a “C” painted on the grill post and the group campsite is designated by a “G” painted on the grill post. A saltwater restroom is available (no sinks or showers). Fishing is allowed except in the harbor, where the shoreline is bulk headed, or in the creek going into the wetlands. There is no fresh water on the island. You must bring your own drinking and cooking water. Pets are not allowed on Boca Chita Key, on vessels in the harbor or tied up to the island or in the shallow waters (less than three feet deep) surrounding the island. No ground fires are allowed.

Reservations are not accepted for either island. All camping is first come, first served.
There is no trash pickup on the islands. All trash needs to be taken back to the mainland with you for disposal. Do not tie, hang, or attach anything to trees or buildings.

Big Cypress National Preserve is 60 miles away, Dry Tortugas National Park is 190 miles away, Everglades National Park is 18 miles away, John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park is 30 miles away, The Barnacle Historic State Park is 22 miles away, and Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park is 26 miles away.

If traveling by air, Miami International Airport is about 35 miles from Convoy Point. Car rentals are available at the airport. There is no public transportation to the park.

From the north, Convoy Point can be reached from either the Florida Turnpike or from US-1. From the Florida Turnpike: Take the Florida Turnpike south, to Exit 6 (Speedway Blvd.). Turn left from exit ramp and continue south to S.W. 328th Street (North Canal Drive). Turn left and continue to the end of the road. It is approximately five miles, and the entrance is on the left. From US-1: Drive south to Homestead. Turn left on SW 328th Street (North Canal Drive), and continue to the end of the road. It is approximately nine miles, and the entrance is on the left.

From the south, take US-1 (Overseas Hwy) and drive north to Homestead. Turn right on SW 328th Street (North Canal Drive–first light after Florida Turnpike entrance), and continue to the end of the road. It is approximately nine miles, and the entrance is on the left.

Approximate Mileage from the following major cities to Biscayne National Park:

By Car:

Miami, FL – 35.56 miles

Key Largo, FL – 37.66 miles

Sweetwater, FL – 28.20 miles

Coral Gables, FL – 29.13 miles

Leisure City, FL – 7.99 miles

Florida City, FL – 9.30 miles

By Plane:

Miami International Airport – 34.04 miles (Rental cars are available)

Biscayne National Park, 9700 SW 328 Street, Homestead, FL 33033-5634

305-230-1144 or Visitor Information, 305-230-7275

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