Biscayne National Park

Last updated: October 30, 2023

What to say about Biscayne National Park? There are so many things!

• It’s comprised of 172,924 acres that is 95% water
• Established June 28, 1980 as the National Park #41
• There were 708k visitors in 2019
• It’s generally a very shallow sea, averaging only 10 feet deep.
• There are at least 44 shipwrecks in the National Park, some dating back to the 1500s (I plan to go back and scuba dive these areas).
• The park is comprised of coral reefs, mangroves, islands, and Biscayne Bay and holds the east coasts longest mangrove forest as well as the worlds most extensive coral reefs.
• There are four ecosystems: Coral Limestone Keys, the offshore Florida Reef, the Shallow Waters of Biscayne Bay, and the Shoreline Mangrove Swamp.

As per the usual, we stopped at the visitor center for cancellation stamps and maps. Here, we discovered there is a boat that leaves in the morning and in the afternoons to Boca Chita Key (one of the 33 keys inhabited by the park). I highly recommend doing this as it’s really part of the Biscayne experience.

The visitor center area has a nice trail you can walk along the water that dead ends into the water. I was really intrigued by this because I’ve honestly never seen such a thing. The trail just disappears into the water.

The trip on the way to Boca Chita Key was also interesting as the Biscayne National Park sign was standing proudly in the middle of the sea.

Arriving to the Boca Chita Key was a treat due to the 65 foot lighthouse that awaited us that was built by the previous owner of the land. Apparently, Mark Honeywell, a wealthy industrialist, and his wife bought the key in 1937 for the sole purpose to party with all of their friends and spent four years building structures on the island so they could do just that. They built a lighthouse, a chapel, a bridge and several other structures. They would invite their friends for large parties (usually other wealthy industrialists) and everyone would get in their yachts and make their way over to Boca Chita Key. My friends, trust me when I say; Mark aimed to impress. Sometimes they would have an elephant shipped in for elephant rides (no joke, her name was Rosie). The best thing about this story is that Mark salvaged a cannon off a Spanish war ship and would fire it off to announce the start of his parties. Again, no joke. This guy was serious about his parties.

Tragically, Mark’s wife fell while she was on the island due to a wooden structure that had rotted and while they flew her as fast as they could to Miami hospital, she died of the injuries she sustained. Mark sold the island shortly afterwards after owning it for less than ten years.

Interestingly enough, Mark failed to inform or obtain permission from the U.S. Coast Guard and Lighthouse Service authorities about his little Lighthouse project (I’m sure Mark wasn’t used to asking permission to do anything). The U.S. Coast Guard considered it a navigation hazard as it was not charted. It was shut down only hours after being lit. They allowed him to keep the structure as long as he took out the light. So this may be the only lighthouse you’ll ever visit without a light. *future lighthouse emoji goes here

A note for the emoji powers that be: you need a lighthouse emoji.

The trail loops around and you basically walk the entirety of the key. It only takes about 45 minutes. I enjoyed this a lot.

This is legit an awesome half day adventure and I’d recommend it to anyone. I have decided that I must go back to scuba dive the shipwrecks and will likely spend another full day here again.

Florida, you are two for two. I have decided to revisit both of your national parks; this one and The Everglades. I am excited to visit Dry Tortugas sometime in the near future and will of course blog all about it.

Have you been to Biscayne National Park? I’d love to hear all about what you recommend in the comments below.