A national park that's 95% underwater — reefs, wrecks, and the keys off Miami.
Photo: Judd Patterson, National Park Service · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
Biscayne is the national park most people drive right past, because the best of it is out of sight — about 95 percent of it lies underwater. Just south of Miami, it protects the clear shallows of Biscayne Bay, a mangrove-fringed coast, the northernmost of the Florida Keys, and a living coral reef where hundreds of species of fish move through the staghorn and brain coral. It's a different kind of park: the scenery is mostly below the surface, and to really experience it you need a boat.
That's the one thing to plan around. On land, the park is essentially a single point — the Dante Fascell Visitor Center at Convoy Point, with a short shoreline jetty trail, exhibits, and ranger programs. Everything iconic is offshore: snorkeling the reef, the lighthouse and picnic lawns of Boca Chita Key, the shipwrecks of the Maritime Heritage Trail, the quiet mangrove water of Jones Lagoon. You get there on your own boat, a charter, or — easiest for most visitors — a guided trip with the park tour partner, the Biscayne National Park Institute.
The water is warm year-round, so snorkeling and diving are possible any season, but the time to come is the winter dry season, November through April, when the air is mild, the rain is sparse, and the seas are calmest and clearest. Summer is hot, stormy, and within hurricane season. Pair it with the Everglades next door — both share the gateway town of Homestead — for a two-park day of sawgrass and sea.
The only no-boat option and the sole mainland access — museum exhibits, a store, ranger info, and a short paved jetty walk along the bay.
Insider tipOpen 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily; the Convoy Point grounds and kayak launch open at 7. This is where the boat tours leave from, so come here first even if you have no boat — to book a trip or catch a ranger program.
Plan a trip to this spot →A living coral reef on the park's seaward edge, alive with hundreds of fish species — reached by snorkel and dive trips with the park's tour partner or a charter.
Insider tipGo in the winter dry season for the clearest water and calmest seas. Boat access only — there's no reef you can reach from shore.
Plan a trip to this spot →The park's most popular island — an ornamental 1930s coral-rock lighthouse, grassy waterfront, and picnic area. Boat-only.
Insider tipThe lighthouse is open only when staffed or by ranger program, and the harbor is shallow (~4 ft at low tide) — mind your boat's draft.
Plan a trip to this spot →An underwater trail of six mapped shipwrecks spanning nearly a century, marked with mooring buoys — the Mandalay is the standout snorkel wreck; the Erl King, Alicia, and Lugano are for divers.
Insider tipIt also includes Fowey Rocks Lighthouse (the 'Eye of Miami'); the snorkeling at its base is excellent, though the structure itself is closed.
Plan a trip to this spot →Clear, shallow water in a remote, rarely-visited corner of the park — rays, small sharks, and wading birds in the mangroves.
Insider tipBest done as a guided paddle with the Biscayne National Park Institute; it is hard to reach on your own.
Plan a trip to this spot →The largest island in the park and the start of the true Florida Keys — with a harbor, trails, and a boat-in campground.
Insider tipReachable only by boat; it has restrooms, cold showers, and drinking water (Boca Chita has none), making it the better island for an overnight.
Plan a trip to this spot →Subtropical, same as the Everglades next door. The dry winter season (November–April) is the time to come — comfortable highs in the high 70s to low 80s, low humidity, calm clear water. The wet season (May–October) is hot and humid with near-daily thunderstorms and most of the year's ~57 inches of rain, overlapping hurricane season (June–November). The water stays warm year-round, so it's snorkelable any season, but winter is clearest.
One paved road reaches the shoreline — everything beyond it is ocean, so a boat is the price of admission to the park's real heart.
The closest mainland base, with motels, fuel, and gear shops; also the gateway for Everglades, making it a logical multi-park staging town
Plan a trip to Homestead, FL →Slightly smaller than Homestead but has lodging and a straightforward hop to both Biscayne and Everglades
Plan a trip to Florida City, FL →Worth considering if you're already based here; the drive is manageable but add buffer time for Miami traffic
Plan a trip to Miami, FL →Leave the carDante Fascell Visitor Center parking lot at Convoy Point (9700 SW 328th St, Homestead) — free, paved, and the launch point for all park boat tours
Book aheadSnorkel and dive tours book out quickly in dry season (Dec–Apr); reserve directly with the Biscayne National Park Institute at least a few days ahead, or check for same-day availability at the visitor center.
Not boarding the boat?The Convoy Point shore trail, ranger programs, and the visitor center exhibits are all free and walk-up; you can watch manatees and wading birds from the seawall without any boat or booking.
There's one road-accessible point — the rest is water.
The only road access, near Homestead about an hour south of Miami. Everything beyond the shoreline requires a boat — your own, a charter, or a guided trip from here.
No lodging in the park — the only overnight options are two boat-in island campgrounds; otherwise stay on the mainland.
Primitive tent campgrounds on Boca Chita Key (restrooms but no showers, sinks, or drinking water) and the larger Elliott Key (restrooms, cold showers, drinking water), reachable only by boat and first-come, first-served.
Booking tipElliott Key is the better overnight thanks to the water and showers, though the park says bring your own in case the system is down. Camping is $35 a night plus a $25 docking fee, both paid through the Recreation.gov app — download it before you leave the mainland, because you won't have signal out there.
The closest mainland hotels and dining, 10–15 minutes from the visitor center — and the shared gateway for the Everglades.
Booking tipBase here to do Biscayne and the Everglades on the same trip.
About an hour north, with the full range of lodging and a second tour-departure point at Coconut Grove.
Booking tipA good base if you want city amenities with your park days.
Is it free?
Yes — there's no entrance fee at all. Fees only start if you tie up at the keys: $25 to dock Friday through Monday and on federal holidays, $35 a night to camp, and an overnight means paying both. Everything is paid through the Recreation.gov app, which you need to download before you go — there's no signal on the islands.
Do I really need a boat? What can I do without one?
Realistically, yes — the park is 95% water. Without a boat you're limited to the visitor center, the short jetty trail, exhibits, and ranger programs. To actually experience the park, book a tour with the Biscayne National Park Institute — snorkel, reef, Boca Chita, or a paddle.
How do I book a boat or snorkel tour?
Through the Biscayne National Park Institute, the park's non-profit partner — online, by phone on 786-335-3644, or at the park store. A dozen other authorized outfitters run snorkel, dive, and fishing charters too. Reserve ahead, especially in the winter high season.
When should I go?
The winter dry season, November through April — milder temperatures, far less rain, and the calmest, clearest water. Summer is hot, stormy, and within hurricane season.
Is the snorkeling beginner-friendly?
Yes — the water is warm year-round and the reef and the Mandalay shipwreck are good for beginners. Three of the six wrecks on the Maritime Heritage Trail — the Erl King, Alicia, and Lugano — are dive sites rather than snorkel ones. Use the mooring buoys and go with a guide if you're inexperienced.
Can I pair it with the Everglades?
Easily — both share the Homestead/Florida City gateway, so you can do a sawgrass-and-sea two-park day or weekend from one base.
Pick your vehicle, line up the stops on the way in and out, and carry the whole route in your pocket.
