When to go
Conditions, crowds, and what each season asks you to pack.
Spring
Highs in the low 80s F, warm water, and calmer days ideal for snorkeling.
Pack Reef-safe sunscreen, mask and snorkel, and a refillable water bottle.
Summer
90F
Hot and humid with highs near 90 F, afternoon thunderstorms, and peak hurricane risk later on.
Pack Rain shell, strong bug spray, and electrolytes for the heat.
Fall
Still warm in the upper 80s F early on, easing by November, with lingering storm and hurricane potential.
Pack Quick-dry layers, a rain layer, and insect repellent for the mangroves.
Winter
Mild and pleasant with highs in the mid 70s F to low 80s F, low humidity, and the calmest seas.
Pack Light layers, a windbreaker for boat rides, and sun protection.
Top things to do
Coral reef snorkeling and diving
Shallow patch reefs and a maritime heritage trail of shipwrecks sit a short boat ride offshore.
Boca Chita Key
The park's most popular island, with a photogenic ornamental lighthouse and a small first-come campground.
Convoy Point Jetty Walk
An easy paved waterfront path at the Dante Fascell Visitor Center, the one spot you can enjoy without a boat.
Mangrove shoreline paddle
Kayak or canoe the calm creeks and mangrove fringe where manatees and wading birds feed.
Elliott Key
The park's largest island, with a harbor, campsites, and a forested loop trail through tropical hardwood hammock.
Anchor the day around Coral reef snorkeling and diving
Lock the boat, ferry, tide, or water access first, then fit the route list around that schedule. For one day in Biscayne, make Coral reef snorkeling and diving the non-negotiable, add Boca Chita Key only if the first stop runs clean, and keep Convoy Point Jetty Walk as the flexible finish.
- 1Start with Coral reef snorkeling and diving: Shallow patch reefs and a maritime heritage trail of shipwrecks sit a short boat ride offshore.
- 2Add Boca Chita Key: The park's most popular island, with a photogenic ornamental lighthouse and a small first-come campground.
- 3Use Convoy Point Jetty Walk as the optional finish, not as a reason to rush the whole day.
Plan your trip
Build one complete pack brief from Biscayne's season, activity, and trip length. Fine-tune an individual calculation only if you need it.
What to pack
Start with the gear decisions Biscayne changes: water, footing, weather, and overnight needs. The checklist is there once your route and dates are set.
Kit Authority
Biscayne packing list
0 of 11 packed. Check items as you pack, then take this list to the store, trailhead, or campsite.
Pack planning
Decide what Biscayne asks of your kit before you start checking boxes.
Use this as a constraint check while you are still shaping the trip. The active checklist becomes useful once your route, dates, and sleep plan are set.
- First constraintHydration and exposureWater, Electrolyte mix, hat, sunscreen, sunglasses, 4 more
- Season checkLayers for conditionsMoisture-wicking base layers, Rain jacket, Bug protection
Checklist mode
11 items, grouped for the trip you are actually taking.
- Dates and season are set.
- Primary route, campground, or lodge is chosen.
- Water, footwear, and overnight needs are sized.
One researched pick
The first gear decision for Biscayne
A properly fitted paddling PFD is the first purchase to settle before the boat, dry bag, or accessories.
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THE PADDLING PICK
Onyx MoveVent Dynamic
- Approval
- USCG Type III
- Back
- Mesh lower back, sits above kayak seats
- Ventilation
- Vented chest and shoulder channels
- Pockets
- Zippered front pocket, lash tab
- Sizing
- XS/S through XL/2XL, women's cut available
The MoveVent Dynamic is the vest that solved the real PFD problem: people own one and leave it in the car. The mesh lower back sits above a kayak or SUP seat, the arm cuts clear a full paddle stroke, and the venting keeps it tolerable in July. A life jacket only works if you wear it, and this is the one people wear.
- Mesh lower back works with kayak seats and SUP kneeling instead of riding up
- Ventilated panels keep it wearable through a hot afternoon
- Sizing runs athletic; broad-chested paddlers should size up
Best for
Kayakers and paddleboarders who want the vest they will actually keep on, at a family-friendly price.
Gear for Biscayne
The buying guides that match what Biscayne asks of your kit. Each one has our current top picks across budget and use case.
Where to stay
Stay strategy
Make the access plan before the lodging plan.
Stay strategy
Base on the mainland unless you are deliberately boat-camping.
Biscayne is a water-access park. Homestead or Florida City keeps Convoy Point and most authorized boat tours practical, while Miami works when the park is one day inside a larger city trip. Overnighting on Elliott Key or Boca Chita is a boat-logistics choice, not a casual hotel substitute.
- Mainland hub
- Dante Fascell Visitor Center at Convoy Point
- Core access
- Reefs and keys require a boat tour, private boat, or paddling plan
- Island camping
- Elliott Key and Boca Chita are boat-in only
- Weather risk
- Wind and storms can cancel water days
Compare base options
Read these as access plans first. The right base is the one that makes the transfer reliable, then the room or campsite can follow.
- Best for
- Boat tours, Everglades add-ons, lower lodging cost, and easy starts from Convoy Point
- Tradeoff
- Less resort polish than Miami or the Keys.
Planning detail
Use this base when Biscayne is the main goal. It keeps tour check-in, weather rescheduling, and Everglades side trips simpler.
- Best for
- A one-day Biscayne trip folded into beaches, flights, food, and family services
- Tradeoff
- Traffic and drive time can eat the best morning water window.
Planning detail
Miami is fine when the park is not the whole trip. For snorkeling or paddling, leave early and keep a backup day for weather.
- Best for
- Self-sufficient boaters and campers who want sunrise, stars, and quiet keys
- Tradeoff
- You must solve boat transport, water, weather, and basic supplies yourself.
Planning detail
Treat island camping as a marine trip. Confirm dock access, pack drinking water, and expect exposed conditions if wind shifts.
Book the boat first
For most visitors, the boat tour is the trip. Lodging should support that schedule.
Carry a dry backup
Keep Convoy Point, the jetty, and nearby Everglades plans ready if wind shuts down water access.
Camping reservations
Camping reservations
Biscayne camping is boat-in only: no reservations exist, you pay on arrival through the Recreation.gov app.
The park's two campgrounds sit on Boca Chita Key and Elliott Key, reachable only by boat, and every site is first-come, first-served at $35 per night. There is nothing to book ahead; set up the Recreation.gov mobile app before you leave the mainland and pay by scanning the QR code at the island kiosk.
Reviewed June 11, 2026
Booking window
No advance reservations for either island; download the Recreation.gov app, create a login before you go, and pay on arrival (fees are due by sunset, year-round).
- Access is by boat only, with no services on either island; arrange your own vessel or a charter and plan for self-sufficiency.
- Boca Chita has toilets but no drinking water, sinks, or showers; Elliott Key has drinking water and cold showers, but carry backup water in case the system is down.
- Docking fees ($25 per day) apply Friday through Monday and on federal holidays; the $35 camping fee covers up to six people and two tents.
- There is no trash collection and no backcountry camping; pack everything out, and note pets are not allowed on Boca Chita Key.
Where to book or verify
Fees, rules, and the QR-code payment steps for both island campgrounds.
Install and log in before departure; you scan and pay at the island kiosk even without cell signal.
Check for federal campground, backcountry, tour, and permit inventory tied to this park.
Use this for wilderness permits, timed systems, tours, and other park-specific reservations.
Campgrounds to know
Boca Chita Key Campground
Details- Booking
- No reservations; first-come, pay on arrival via the Recreation.gov app.
- Season
- Open year-round.
- Sites
- Grassy waterfront camping area with picnic tables and grills; toilets but no drinking water, sinks, or showers.
- The park's most popular island, ringed by the iconic lighthouse and Miami skyline views; the harbor runs about 4 feet at low tide.
Elliott Key Campground
Details- Booking
- No reservations; first-come, pay on arrival via the Recreation.gov app.
- Season
- Open year-round.
- Sites
- Campsites with restrooms, sinks, cold showers, and drinking water; 33 boat slips in the harbor.
- The park's largest island, with a 7-mile hammock trail end to end; the harbor is shallow at about 2.5 feet at low tide.
Getting there and practical info
Make the transfer plan before the trail plan.
Weather windows, boat schedules, flight buffers, and backup days shape what is realistic.
Getting there
Get to Biscayne by solving the transfer first.
- Nearest airport
- Miami International Airport (MIA), about 35-40 miles north, roughly a 45-60 minute drive to the Dante Fascell Visitor Center at Convoy Point
- Access rhythm
- Transfer time matters
- Region
- Florida
Shuttle access
Fly into Miami International Airport (MIA), then drive roughly 45 to 60 minutes south to the Dante Fascell Visitor Center at Convoy Point, 9700 SW 328th Street, Homestead.
Shuttle access
The mainland visitor center, jetty walk, and picnic area are the only parts reachable by car.
Transfer plan
Everything else (the reefs, Boca Chita Key, and Elliott Key) requires a boat: book a concession-run tour through the Biscayne National Park Institute, rent or bring a kayak or canoe for the shoreline, or arrive by private vessel.
Pair this with lodging: the best base is the one that protects the departure window, pickup point, or weather buffer.
Can you photograph here? Permit and drone rules
Biscayne needs no permit for groups of eight or fewer; larger or supported shoots go through a special use permit with a $150 application fee, and 95 percent of the park is water.
- Permit
- Usually fine for personal shoots; commercial or large productions can need a permit
- Drones
- Effectively banned: drones are prohibited in the park, per the park's own permits page
- Land
- Yes for personal and editorial photography in areas open to the public
From our photography sister site, Aperture Authority. Verified 2026-07-01.
Frequently asked questions
Is there an entrance fee for Biscayne National Park?
No, Biscayne is free to enter and there is no timed-entry reservation. The mainland visitor center at Convoy Point has free parking. You will pay for things like boat tours (run by the park's concessioner) and for camping on the islands, which costs roughly $25 to $35 per night.
Can you visit Biscayne National Park without a boat?
Yes, but only a small slice. From the mainland Dante Fascell Visitor Center at Convoy Point you can walk the paved jetty trail, picnic, and look out over Biscayne Bay. To see the coral reefs, shipwrecks, and islands that the park is known for, though, you need a boat: a guided tour, a kayak or canoe, or a private vessel.
When is the best time to visit Biscayne National Park?
Winter and early spring, roughly December through April, are the best months. The weather is mild with highs in the 70s and low 80s F, humidity and mosquitoes are lower, and seas are calmer for snorkeling and paddling. Summer is hot, humid, stormy, and falls within hurricane season.
What is there to do at Biscayne National Park?
The big draws are snorkeling and diving the coral reefs and shipwrecks, paddling the mangrove shoreline by kayak or canoe, and taking a boat tour out to Boca Chita Key or Elliott Key. It is also strong for fishing, wildlife viewing (manatees, sea turtles, and seabirds), and photography of the lighthouse and bay.
Keep planning
Nearby parks
EvergladesA 1.5-million-acre subtropical wetland where you paddle and walk among alligators, wading birds, and sawgrass.
Dry TortugasA 70-mile boat or seaplane ride west of Key West to a Civil War fort ringed by coral reefs and turquoise water.
Big BendA vast, remote stretch of Chihuahuan Desert, Rio Grande canyons, and the cool Chisos Mountains, with some of the darkest night skies in the country.