Biscayne National Park

Biscayne protects about 172,000 acres, and nearly all of it is sea. Biscayne Bay is a shallow, clear, blue-green lagoon sheltered behind a low chain of islands, so the water stays calm and warm and easy to see through. Along the mainland edge, thick walls of mangrove trees stand in the shallows on their tangled roots, quietly building the coastline and giving fish, crabs, and young sea life a place to hide and grow. The contrast is one of the loveliest things about the park: the pale turquoise of the open bay against the dark, jungly green of the mangrove shore.

Farther out lie the reefs. Coral is not a rock and not a plant. It is built by tiny living animals that grow together in colonies over many years, and the ridge of reefs off Biscayne is the northern end of the same reef line that runs down through the Florida Keys. Snorkelers and divers come here for clear, warm water full of parrotfish, angelfish, spiny lobster, and green sea turtles, all a short boat ride from the edge of a major city. Manatees, the gentle, slow, round-bodied 'sea cows' of Florida, move through the bay as well.

Between the mainland and the reefs runs a line of small islands, the start of the northern Florida Keys, most of them left undeveloped and wild. Boaters anchor off them, campers pitch tents on a couple of them, and the whole scene feels a world away even though the Miami skyline sits just up the bay. Above the water and below it, Biscayne is really four worlds stitched together: the shallow bay, the mangrove shore, the undeveloped keys, and the living reef offshore.

• Dante Fascell Visitor Center at Convoy Point is the one drive-up way in, reached off SW 328th Street (North Canal Drive) near Homestead. It has exhibits, restrooms, a short shoreline path, and the boat concession dock, and it is free to enter. Because the park is mostly water, this is where a visit begins, but most of the park itself is reached only by boat, either your own or a park concession tour.
• From Miami, take the Florida Turnpike or US-1 south toward Homestead and Florida City, then follow SW 328th Street east to the coast to reach Convoy Point. From the Florida Keys, come north on US-1 to Homestead and turn east on the same road. The visitor center sits at the very end, right on the bay.

• Snorkeling and diving tours depart from Convoy Point and carry you out to the reefs, where the warm, clear water is full of coral and fish. This is the classic way to see the part of Biscayne that hides beneath the surface, and the concession provides the gear and the guide.
• The Maritime Heritage Trail is a set of historic shipwrecks scattered across the bay and reef that you can visit by boat and, at several of them, snorkel or dive right over the old timbers and hulls. It is an underwater walk through the area's seafaring past.
• Canoe and kayak rentals at the marina let you paddle the calm shallows near shore and slide quietly along the mangrove edge, close to the birds and fish, with no motor needed.
• Glass-bottom boat tours run in some seasons for visitors who want to see the reef and its fish while staying dry, watching the underwater world scroll by through the boat's clear floor.
• The shoreline path and jetty at Convoy Point give a free, easy look at the bay right from the visitor center, a good stop even if you never get on the water.

Long before it was a park, this shore and bay belonged to the Tequesta people, who lived along Biscayne Bay for many centuries. They fished the shallows, gathered shellfish, and traveled the water by canoe, and the bay gave them much of what they needed to live. Their long presence here is part of the deep story of this coast, and it deserves to be remembered alongside everything that came later.

In the centuries after European contact, the bay became a busy and sometimes dangerous highway. Spanish treasure ships, traders, wreckers, and smugglers all passed through these waters, and the shallow reefs that make the park so beautiful also tore the bottoms out of many vessels. Those wrecks are why the park has a Maritime Heritage Trail today. In the 1900s a handful of quiet island communities and fishing camps grew up on the keys, and for a while a small settlement called Stiltsville stood on wooden pilings out over the flats.

By the middle of the twentieth century, big plans threatened the bay. There were proposals for a major seaport, an oil refinery, and a chain of resort islands that would have paved over much of this water. Local residents and conservationists fought back, arguing that the reef and bay were worth more left wild. Their effort won protection: Biscayne became a national monument in 1968, and in 1980 Congress made it a full national park, locking in the wild bay, the reefs, and the undeveloped keys for good.

Because the park is almost entirely water, its history is written as much below the surface as above it. Archaeologists study the shipwrecks and the traces of Tequesta life, and biologists watch the health of the coral reefs, which are sensitive to warm water and pollution. Protecting Biscayne turned out to mean protecting a living, changing sea right at the edge of one of America's biggest cities.

• Biscayne is about 95 percent underwater, which makes it one of the most water-covered national parks in the country. Its wildest scenery is the part you cannot see from the road.
• The reefs here are the northernmost stretch of the Florida Keys reef tract, the only living coral barrier reef in the continental United States.
• The park's Maritime Heritage Trail lets you snorkel or dive over real historic shipwrecks, an underwater trail instead of a hiking one.
• You can see the Miami skyline from inside the park, a reminder that this warm, wild sea sits right at the doorstep of a huge city.
• Mangrove trees, which line much of the shore, grow right in salt water on stilt-like roots and slowly build new land, acting as a nursery for young fish and a buffer against storms.
• For years a cluster of houses called Stiltsville stood on wooden pilings out over the shallow flats near the park's northern edge, a quirky community built on water.
• Manatees, gentle plant-eating 'sea cows' that can weigh over a thousand pounds, cruise the bay's shallows, along with sea turtles that nest on the beaches.
• The bay you snorkel today was nearly turned into a seaport and oil-refinery complex in the 1960s before local people fought to protect it instead.

• Entrance to the park is free. The boat tours, snorkel and dive trips, and equipment rentals cost extra, and those are how most people actually get out onto the water.
• The Dante Fascell Visitor Center at Convoy Point is open daily and is the free, drive-up part of the park, with exhibits, restrooms, and the shoreline path.
• Snorkeling and diving tours depart from Convoy Point; booking ahead is a good idea, especially in the busy winter season and on weekends.
• Glass-bottom boat tours run in some seasons, and canoe and kayak rentals are available at the marina for paddling the calm water near shore.
• The nearest city is Homestead, about 9 miles west, with more services in Florida City and the Miami area beyond, so fuel, food, and lodging are easy to find nearby.

To really experience the park, yes. About 95 percent of Biscayne is water, so the reefs, the shipwrecks, and the undeveloped keys are reached only by boat, either your own or a park concession tour, snorkel, or dive trip out of Convoy Point. The one part you can see for free without a boat is the Dante Fascell Visitor Center at Convoy Point on the mainland, which has exhibits, a shoreline path, and views across the bay.

No. Entrance to Biscayne National Park is free. What costs money are the boat tours, snorkel and dive trips, and equipment rentals, which are how most visitors get out onto the water. Check the park website or the concession for current tour options and rates before you go.

The easiest way is a concession snorkeling or diving tour that departs from Convoy Point and carries you out to the reefs with gear and a guide. The reefs off Biscayne are the northernmost part of the Florida Keys reef tract, with clear, warm water full of coral, parrotfish, angelfish, and green sea turtles. If you have your own boat and experience, you can reach the reef areas on your own as well.

It is the Maritime Heritage Trail, a set of historic shipwrecks scattered across the bay and reef. At several of them you can snorkel or dive right over the old timbers and hulls, turning a bit of the area's seafaring past into an underwater walk. The wrecks are reached by boat, and the shallow reefs that wrecked these ships are the same ones that make the park so beautiful to snorkel today.

Very close. Convoy Point sits just south of the Miami metro area, near the town of Homestead, about 9 miles to the west. You can see the Miami skyline from inside the park, which is part of what makes Biscayne unusual, a warm, wild sea kept protected right at the edge of a big city. From Miami it is a short drive south on US-1 or the Florida Turnpike.

You can take in the visitor center and the shoreline at Convoy Point in an hour or two. To do the park justice, plan a half or full day around a boat tour, snorkel trip, or paddle, since the best of Biscayne is out on the water. If you want to snorkel the reef and visit the shipwreck trail, give it a full day.

Winter and spring, roughly December through April, are the most comfortable, with drier weather, calmer water, and lower humidity, which is also the busiest season, so book tours ahead. Summer is hot, humid, and stormy, with afternoon thunderstorms and the Atlantic hurricane season running into fall. Water clarity for snorkeling is usually best on calm, sunny days.

The Florida sun is strong and the water reflects it, so bring plenty of water, wear a hat and sun protection, and take breaks in the shade. Use reef-safe sunscreen or cover up with a rash guard to protect both your skin and the living coral, which sunscreen chemicals can harm. Watch the weather, since summer storms can build fast, and follow the guidance of your tour operator, since much of the park is open water. Only snorkel or dive within your ability and never touch or stand on the coral.

There is boat-in or paddle-in tent camping on a couple of the park's islands, which you reach across the water and which have very limited facilities. There is no drive-up campground and no lodge inside the park. For hotels, motels, and restaurants, nearby Homestead and Florida City are the closest bases, with more choices up toward Miami.

Pets are allowed on a leash in the developed area around the Convoy Point visitor center, but they are not allowed on the boat concession tours or on most of the islands, and they should never be left in a hot vehicle in the Florida heat. Because so much of Biscayne is reached by boat, most of the park is not pet-friendly. Check the park website for the current pet rules before you go.