Biscayne National Park Adventure Guide
Overview
Biscayne National Park is situated on 172,971 acres in Biscayne Bay, just south of Miami. 95% of the park is under water. As for the 5% that is above water, 60% of the land covers 44 islands, and 40% belongs to the largest undisturbed mangrove shoreline on the east coast. Through the 1960’s, development activities threatened the Biscayne Bay and Shoreline ecosystem. Fortunately, through public outcry, the Biscayne National Monument was created in 1968, and re-designated as a National Park in 1980.
Elliot Key Harbor
How to Get There
Apart from the Dante Fascell Visitor Center in Homestead, FL, the only way to access the National Park is by boat. Now, there is a nice, albeit short, walking trail at the visitor center, but if you are interested in camping on one of the islands, and you don’t have a boat, your luck has not run out.
Biscayne NP Institute Ferry Boat
The Biscayne National Park Institute offers charters that will take you out to Elliot Key and back for $60/person. It’s not a cheap voyage considering it is just a ten minutes long, but if you are going for a couple nights or more, I would say that it is completely worth it. I personally stayed there for only one night, and I would still argue that it is worth the money. Both Captain Hans and Captain Maggie were very knowledgeable, professional, and fun to get along with.
The Biscayne National Park Institute was started recently in 2017 by the Florida National Parks Association, which has been supporting Florida’s National Parks since 1951. Besides ferrying people to Elliot Key, they do a great deal to support educational tourism of Biscayne National Park while offering snorkeling and stand up paddleboarding, as well as sailing tours.
There are two other islands that support camping. If you don’t own a boat, you could charter one, but the price will increase, and from my own research, Elliot Key is the best option for a National Parks experience. Unless you go on Columbus day, it’s typically more quiet and secluded.
Hammock Chillin’ in Biscayne National Park
Activities
As I mentioned, Biscayne National Park is 95% underwater, so water activities are the name of the game there. The average depth is shallow at close to 10 feet, so snorkeling is very common. SUP, sailing, power-boating, etc. are also very popular. If you decide to camp at Elliot Key, just know that the conventional reefs are not within swimming distance of the island, so by all means bring the snorkeling gear; just know that it may not be exactly what you expect from a typical Florida reef dive. Aside from that, there is lot’s of fun offered on Elliot Key:
Fishing – Fishing is allowed on the island, but it helps to know the rules. There is no fishing in the harbor, or the designated swimming area. As long as you have a Florida saltwater fishing license, you can fish off of the maintenance dock, which is a very short walk from the camping area.
Swimming – There is no swimming in the harbor, but there is a very nice designated swimming area right next to it.
Trail Running in Biscayne National Park
Hiking – Elliot Key is a long skinny island, and it has a walking trail that runs the length of it. The harbor is roughly in the middle of the island, so you have the option to go to the North end, or the South end, and back. When I was being dropped off, I was warned by the man who stayed there the night before that the mosquitos were a bit tough to stand, so keep that in mind. He was absolutely right. I was wearing a long sleeve shirt, long socks, a hat, a bandana, and TWO forms of mosquito repellant, and I had to run the trail just to keep the swarm of bugs. That said, the tree cover isn’t a bad way to stay cool, and the view you are met with at the end isn’t too shabby.
View from the North End of Elliot Key in Biscayne National Park
When Camping in Biscayne National Park
Some of this section is specific to Elliot Key, but much of the information can apply to any of the islands in Biscayne NP. For instance, it would be wise to visit during a time of the year when mosquitos are not as much of a problem, like December through February. I mentioned in the “Hiking” section above that mosquitos are of serious concern.
My Campsite
Zika aside, I have never been attached by bugs like I did in the tree-line of Elliot Key in my life. 10 feet into the trees, there was a daunting swarm of mosquitos biting me through my clothing. I went at the beginning of April, and fortunately, the wind was blowing about 5-10 mph steadily. I also had complete reign over the island as it’s only camper, which was really cool¹, so I got to choose whatever campsite I wanted. Because of this, and at the recommendation of a previous camper, I camped at the edge of the harbor, as far away from the tree-line as possible. These sites had no grills for cooking, but the wind helped tremendously with keeping the bugs away.
Despite the fact that I was DESTROYED by bugs whilst on my hike, the views and the solitude completely made up for it.
Amenities on Elliot Key are plentiful. You will be happy to hear that the campsite offers:
- Fresh, Palatable Water
- Inside and Outside Freshwater Showers
- Bathrooms
- Docking
- Grills (No Ground Fires Allowed/Only Available of Campsites Close to Tree-line)
Campite Fees: $15/night
Elliot Key, Biscayne National Park
Before I close this out, apparently there is a pretty wild party here on Columbus Day. I have never been. I know nothing about it, other than that it gets pretty rowdy, so consider that if you are bringing the kids on their day off (you probably won’t even be able to get to the harbor in order to camp, from what I’ve been told).
1) I WAS the only person on the island until a kayaker stopped by to camp for the night. Thanks, Guy!
