Biscayne - National Park

Biscayne National Park

We visited Biscayne National Park on February 1, 2023. The park is a subtropical place where a mainland mangrove shoreline, a warm shallow bay, small islands or keys and living coral reefs all intermingle. Together they make up a large pristine wilderness and recreation area along the eastern edge of the Florida peninsula (not far from Homestead, where we stayed). The area became a national park in 1980 and has 178,000 acres of dedicated area.

So far most of the parks we visited, land dominated the park. Biscayne is not like any of the others in that 90% of the park is underwater. At its center are the coral reefs. Unlike the ocean depths, which seem dark and lifeless, the shallow water reefs are inundated with light and sea life. There are colorful tropical fish and other curious creatures. For sure this a different kind of national park. Snorkeling and scuba diving are the best way to really explore the park to its fullest.

On the park mainland we explored Convoy Point, which was a short walk from the Dante Fascell Visitor Center. There were some great spots for pictures on the walk of Convoy Point and I posted them in the gallery below. The visitor center had some great exhibits and we watched two excellent films about the coral reefs. There were boat tours and other water based activities, but we did not participate in any of those. Given my motion sickness, I was not going to push my luck after a great experience the day before on the ride to Dry Tortugas.

Overall we spent about 3 hours at the park and in the visitor center. This is a great park if you enjoy boat rides and underwater activities. If not, like us, your options are limited. I was happy to visit Biscayne and learn more about the coral reef ecosystem and the marine life that live in the water at the park.