Biscayne National Park

Activities

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  Boating

  Boating is the perfect way to explore Biscayne National Park. With your boat you can enjoy the protected waters of Biscayne Bay, travel to the northernmost Florida Keys, and visit and explore living coral reefs. Your access to all of these magnificent resources is limited only by your available time and your skills as a boat operator. Canoeing and kayaking are great ways to explore the park's mangrove-fringed shorelines and shallow bay waters. More experienced kayakers may enjoy crossing Biscayne Bay's 7-mile expanse to camp at Elliott Key or Boca Chita Key. Using the islands as a base camp will allow exploration of the lagoons, creeks and channels south of Caesar Creek. Many of these places are far too shallow for any type of motorized vessel, so canoeists and kayakers are likely to have these places all to themselves.

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  Camping

  There are two campgrounds in Biscayne National Park. Both are located on islands, and the only access to these islands is by boat. Private boats can access the campgrounds year round. During the winter and spring, the park's concessioner provides access to the islands for a fee.

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  Fishing

  Enjoy fishing on your own at the park, or take part in on of the year-round fishing seminars. Bring or rent a boat and you have access to a whole new world of fishing. Although Biscayne National Park is part of a federal agency, fishing and other harvesting activities are largely governed by state law. Anglers are encouraged to visit the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's website to become intimately familiar with the often-complex regulations. Biscayne National Park now offers an educational fishing clinic! Learn more about angling on Biscayne's transparent, aquamarine waters, refresh your fish identification skills, and learn more about the fishing regulations and why they are important. Hear from long-time local fishing guides how to choose and maintain your tackle and gear, and pick up a few new fishing techniques.

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  Hiking

  Hike around the beautiful islands or take a guided tour with a knowledgeable Park Ranger. Hiking trails on the keys range from 1/2 mile to 6 or more miles long, and are great for looking at the abundance of wildlife at the park.

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  Historic Sites

  A Tequesta Indian man free-dives for conch from a dugout canoe. A Bahamian woman watches the sunset across a tidal creek after a hard day's work. A ship grinds against a knife-edged reef while a violent wind howls. Wealthy industrialists gather under a shady palm to toss horseshoes. Some of the names that pepper the pages of Biscayne National Park's history are well-known: Firestone, Honeywell, Hoover, Nixon. Others are not, but their mark on the land is easy to see. Learn about the way of life from the Jones family in the 19th century, or about the Native Americans who first used the land. Look at the unique homes that were part of Stiltsville, or dive into a shipwreck. The parade of human history in Biscayne National Park spans 10,000 years.

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  Picnicking

  Take a ride to Boca Chita, Elliott or Adams Keys for picnic pavilions and grills.

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  Water Sports

  Visitors can enjoy the designated swim area located on the bay side of Elliott Key (just to the north of the harbor). The shoreline of the island is generally rocky, so shoes are recommended at all times to protect feet.

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  Wildlife Watching

  Biscayne National Park is a very diverse place. Four distinct ecosystems melt into one another creating rich edge communities, or "ecotones." These edges support an incredible array of wildlife, including hundreds of species of colorful fish, plants found nowhere else in the United States, and visitor favorites like pelicans, manatees and turtles. Winds, currents, storms and the park's close proximity to one of the nation's largest urban areas means that the entire park is in a constant state of flux -- ever-changing in the face of new challenges posed by the constant cycle of building and destruction.