favorite winter getaway: biscayne national park

at the biscayne national park sign located at the visitor center

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biscayne national park is known as the watery wonderland because 95% of it is water. this means a couple of things… one is that the only way to see or experience this park is to get on the water. which means, it is necessary to book tours in advance. this isn’t a park where you can show up, get some advice from rangers and then hit the trails. you’ll need to do some advance planning and booking. something else to keep in mind is the distance between tour operators. depending on the area of the park you’re exploring, it could take two hours to get from one tour to another. be sure not to book tours back to back and leave yourself plenty of driving time.

we visited in late winter/early spring and the weather was absolutely divine! this is a great time to visit all of the southern florida parks because it’s past the winter rains and before the muggy heat hits.

land of the tequesta

the land presently known as biscayne national park was first occupied by human more than 10,000 years ago - when the bay was a dry savannah.

over thousands of years, indigenous cultures developed and became more distinct. when the glades people grew less nomadic and eventually settled in what is now southeast florida, the native people became known as the tequesta. unlike many indigenous tribes at the time, the tequesta did not farm and instead relied largely on the sea for food. and because they did not spend time on agriculture, they were able to focus more on developing art and religion.

europeans arrived in the 16th century and killed virtually all indigenous peoples in the area, including the tequesta by the mid-1700s. eventually, other native peoples moved into the area, including the seminole and miccosukee.

three vultures we saw while kayaking biscayne bay

the jones family

during one of our tours at biscayne national park, we learned of the jones family, who played a central role in ensuring this area was protected from development. read more in this article, but here are some highlights:

israel lafayette “parson” jones, born in 1858 in raleigh, north carolina, settled in key biscayne in 1892. he became a foreman on a pineapple farm and developed skills in growing lime and pineapple trees.
in 1895, israel married mozelle albury. their first son, king arthur lafayette jones, was born in 1897, and their second son, sir lancelot garfield jones, was born less than 18 months later. they are believed to be the first Black americans born on key biscayne.
israel purchased porgy key for $300 and became the first Black landowner in the keys. the jones family put in years’ worth of tedious work clearing the land by hand. the family began to turn a profit and, eventually, the farm became one of the largest producers of pineapples and limes in florida.
arthur and lancelot continued the lime production business and eventually went into fishing and guiding, as well. in the 1960s, there was a big push to develop the area. arthur and lancelot were the second largest landowners in the area, preventing development.
the area was declared a national monument in 1968. lancelot, the surviving brother, sold their share of the island to the national park service in 1970 in order to ensure its protection. it become a national park in 1980. lancelot was able to live out his remaining years in the family home.

what to bring to biscayne national park

sun protection: regardless of time of year or elevation, sun is abundant in southern florida.

sunscreen: this one is our favorite. it’s spf 50 and we like the mousse because it’s easy to apply, but you can also get the l otion or the mist.
water bottles: kiddo uses this camelpak on all our hikes. my current favorite water bottle is this one from wondery.
other sun protection: we started using this buff for kiddo as a multi-use item. it protects his neck from sun but can also be worn in a myriad of ways, based on need. we most often use it as a headband! i wear a wide brim hat that i purchased from a park gift shop years ago, but similar styles can be found here (this one’s waterproof!) and here.

water shoes: it’s wise to bring clothing that you don’t mid getting wet, especially shoes. i have these and kiddo wears these.

bug protection: kiddo is very allergic to mosquitos and i’m a magnet, so we have tried many, many sprays, lotions and potions. this one is far and away our favorite - even over deet! and if you do get bit, i highly recommend this device (much more so than the popular bug bite thing, which didn’t do anything for us but seems to work for others). be cautious with littles as the burning sensation can be briefly intense. kiddo didn’t like it the first time we tried it, but since then he asks for it every time he gets one.

a note about camping in biscayne national park

you may be surprised to learn there are two campgrounds in biscayne national park. however, both are only accessible by boat. while tours visit these key campgrounds, there are no ferry services for campers. thus, you must have a private boat with a boat slip reservation to camp. more information can be found here.

there is no other lodging within the park, and, while it’s certainly an option to stay in the keys, the more affordable option is to find accommodations on the mainland. we ended up renting a trailer in homestead, and used it as a home base to visit several parks over the course of a week.

biscayne national park itinerary

we spent one day in biscayne national park that was quite long, but doable. if you are staying closer to the park and have time, i would highly recommend two days in biscayne national park so you can visit multiple keys. a reminder that the different keys can take awhile to get to, so be cautious when booking multiple tours in a day. there’s a good chance you’ll have some driving in between!

below is the one day itinerary for biscayne national park that we did, but i’ve also included a additional things i wish we had time for. something to consider if you have two days in biscayne national park or more!

one day in biscayne national park

visitor center: make sure to start your day at the dante fascell visitor center. there are wonderful models for learning about the park’s ecosystem, as well as some beautiful boardwalk trails along the water.

kayak biscayne bay: biscayne bay is an incredible wonderland of open waters, small islands and mangrove forests. the waters are smooth for even beginner kayakers. bring your own equipment or take a paddling adventure with biscayne national park institute.

visit boca chita key: boat to the northernmost reaches of the park to visit this small key with fascinating history. the only way to visit the lighthouse is to do a tour with a park naturalist or ranger. we did this heritage tour, which was fantastic! while on the key, hike the half-mile loop. they whole key is a square mile, so this will take you around the rest of the key away from the main area. you will need deet no matter what time of year you visit.

don’t miss stiltsville: i thought these stilted structures were just a tourist trap, but they were included in our boca chita key heritage tour, and i’m so glad! the history is interesting and the structures, which were famed for housing seedy activities during prohibition, are quite neat! hurricanes have wiped out many over the years, and you never know what will take out the remaining structures. be sure to visit when you’re there because they might be gone on your next visit!

if you have more time in biscayne national park

here are some ideas of additional things to do in biscayne national park if you have more time!

visit adams key - this key was a presidential getaway for years and now serves as day use area. hike the 1-mile trail.
get on the water in jones lagoon - take a paddle board, kayak or canoe to this lagoon to get deep in the mangroves without boat traffic.
check out the maritime heritage trail - if you want to get in the water, snorkel along the maritime heritage trail, which travels through six shipwrecks!
get a special badge for visiting the three south florida parks - if you’re visiting biscayne, everglades and big cypress, you can earn an extra badge that separate from the regular junior ranger badges. we were able to get this and had fun learning some extra things about each spot.

i hope this guide to biscayne national park inspires you to go out wild and visit this hidden gem tucked away at the southern tip of the country. there are so many surprises to uncover!