Biscayne National Park
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Stopping to reflect on our nation's 58 national parks conjures up images of majestic mountain ranges, spectacular peaks and canyons, sculpted rock formations, and large wilderness areas. Few of us would ever stop to consider that there could be a national park that is actually 95% water, but such is the case with Biscayne National Park, located in southeast Florida.
Though it only draws about one third the number of visitors of nearby Everglades National Park and even fewer visitors than nearby Big Cypress National Preserve, Biscayne National Park is known locally as a great place for water-based recreation. In fact, to see the park, you really must do it by boat. Visitors who have their own boats* have almost unlimited access to the park's resources, and for those who do not own a boat, access is provided by the boat tours and the snorkel and dive trips offered by the park concessionaire at Convoy Point. Park tour boat trips include a glass bottom boat tour to the living coral reefs, a trip to Elliott Key or Boca Chita Key, or a snorkel or Scuba (if certified) trip to the living coral reefs. Call Biscayne National Underwater Park, Inc. at 305-230-1100 for schedules, rates, and reservations).
The park's 173,000 acres preserve subtropical islands that form a north-south chain, with Biscayne Bay to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. It preserves a nationally significant marine ecosystem with mangrove shorelines, a shallow bay, undeveloped islands, and living coral reefs.
Convoy Point, location of park headquarters, visitor center, concession operations and picnic area, is open 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., daily. For further information call 305-230-7275. Visitors interested in snorkeling or scuba diving should also consider a trip to nearby John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, the first undersea park in the United States. Together with the adjacent Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, it covers approximately 178 nautical square miles of coral reefs, sea grass beds and mangrove swamps. They were established to protect and preserve a portion of the only living coral reef in the continental United States.
*since April of 2000 the National Park Service has prohibited the use of personal watercraft (commonly referred to as jet skis, waverunners, sea-doos, etc.) in most national park areas, including all of Biscayne National Park
Other useful resources:
Florida Div of Recreation and Parks - lists parks alphabetically and by district, camping and cabin information, activities, calendar of events, and park news.
Florida Tourism Office - includes Florida tour (by region), attractions, beaches, golf, natural habitats, water sports, shopping, and airport and weather information.
Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau - provides information on area attractions as well as hotels, shopping, dining, sports, travel, and nightlife.
