Biscayne Park Sailing

great park to spend the day chilling. nice place to kick back and unwind while reading a book or even working away from home. theres plenty of shaded places to relax at. funny how this one is free and the other nearby national park cost money to get into.

Amazing day! Captain Hans was great… Very knowledgable and accommodating! We were looking to snorkel and he had great recommendations. We sailed out to Boca Chita Key where there was a beach for those looking to swim, kayak and paddle boards (brought out on the boat) available for those wanting to explore on the water or snorkel. The scenery was spectacular and the day could not have been more relaxing! Highly recommended to anyone looking to really see Biscayne National Park (95% of the park is water… Very little accessible from the mainland).

Capt. Harold was an experienced sailor and great guide on our day sail to mostly deserted Boca Chita Key. The sail out was beautiful and relaxing. After a busy week in the crowds and lights of Miami, it was amazing how quickly we found nature as soon as we left land. We saw a manatee basking in the shallows, a young barracuda stalking a school of red snapper, a cormorant dive and come up with a fish in its beak, and that was just walking along the shore of the key. We took paddle boards out to a reef a short distance from the key, and snorkeled over a sunken barge with coral and a blue angel fish. Just a magical day. We will return to Biscayne National Park. Things to bring if you go: water shoes, sunscreen, lunch (or you can order lunch from the tour guide).

We took the day sailing trip to Boca Chita Key from Biscayne National park. It was a wonderful experience — the first time for some of us on a sailboat. Captain Derrick did a great job answering questions and teaching the kids in particular. They loved being able to help with the sails. The trip was a great way to experience the beautiful bay and the key first hand. Amazingly peaceful when under sail. Would highly recommend.

We really enjoyed our day on the water with Island Dreamer. Terri, our captain, was great– she knew a lot about the area and listened to what we were interested in and adjusted our day accordingly. It was a peaceful sail across the bay to Adams Island, we had a nice short hike and then kayaked through the mangroves. Loved it.

A wonderful way to see a unique (i.e. underwater) national park! Our captain was knowledgeable and truly loves what he does and it shows. So, I couldn’t actually stand on a paddleboard… that wasn’t their fault and kneeling was fine by me. It was so peaceful rowing among the mangroves so far from shore. A highlight of the trip!

Beautiful park and an awesome way to spend the day! You can swim, snorkel, fish or just relax! They also have a display area where you can learn a little bit about what is swimming in the bay. There are no food venders. So, bring your own!!!

A very scenic place to visit. It is on the east side of FL. We walked the boardwalk. Got our nps stamp. A lil girl and her mom were fishing, the girl caught one and I told her «felicidades» and she said, «gracias.» It was soo sweet. Worth the drive from Miami. Great view of the aforementioned skyline. Alot of the park is offshore, you can see a lighthouse from the visitor center using binoculars. The rangers were dissecting a lionfish, it was cool and, yet, gross. There was another lionfish in it’s stomach. Invasives are the worst, mon.

A free canoe trip? Free? There is no catch? Nope! How can you NOT love this service, when other parks charge you $ 30+ for a canoe??! This is one of the many services offered by the Biscayne National Park. These take place Tuesdays and Saturdays from mid-​November through the end of April (you must make reservations over the phone, check their schedule of events page for exact dates and the phone number to call and RSVP). You are provided with a life vest, the canoe, and paddles, and you’re accompanied by guides that give the free tour. Park entrance and parking are also free, so what a great way to spend a Saturday morning without breaking the bank, and breathing in some clean air!
Remember to wear closed-​toe shoes, or they may be able to provide you with some seasocks — there’s just no guaranty that they will have any available, so you’re better off bringing your own shoes. While on the tour, the guides will point out the wildlife and different habitats, though most of it is mangrove forest, and take any questions. Our guides were Aaron, Mike, Eric, and Jim White. They were all very friendly and helpful. If you don’t have a canoeing partner, don’t worry — they will pair you up with someone else who does not have one, or if worse comes to worse, one of the guides will share his canoe with you. From there on, they will provide the basics of canoeing, and off you go.
You stick together during your time out on the water, so if you have any sort of trouble, they can come and assist you. There’s no risk of getting lost or paddling too far out. Most of the bay is shallow anyway, so there’s no real reason to panic, and the crocodiles that can sometimes be found are shy and non-​aggressive. If you’re lucky, you may see some manatees or dolphins, though I am told that usually around December-​February is the best time to see these, as well as the roseate spoonbills. You’re welcome to bring lunch or water on the trip and put it in the canoe. Jim White provided a dry bag for those not wanting to risk ruining their cellphones or car keys while out in the water.
In addition to this event, they have guided walks, porch talks, and they also offer snorkeling, though I am not sure if the snorkeling is free. The reefs out here are some of the best in the world, so you will see some beautiful tropical fish like sergeant majors and parrot fish, among others. Many people come here for fishing, and for picnics, grilling and birthday parties. It’s a popular boating area as well (there’s a marina just a few feet away), and you can see Turkey Point Nuclear Generating Station from the park. The boardwalk and trails are pretty short since most of the park is under water (95% of it, to be exact), but you can still see some interesting things, and soak your feet in the cool bay waters, while you’re at it.

A bit disappointed when I checked out Biscayne National Park. Didn’t know until visiting that there’s not much to it, unless you take one of those boat rides to one of the islands (which has the lighthouse that I’ve seen in other guides and on their website). There is a boardwalk and a narrow strip of land that can be done in 30 minutes or less. Seeing the whole ocean was nice, but wish there was more reason to come here (besides it being free).

I came here to take some engagement pictures for a couple. In reality they thought that there was a lighthouse but it is only accessible by boat. The place have a small park area with some picnic tables and some barbecue grills. There are no picnic shelters. There is boarded dock for fishing. There is no fee to get in the park but the park rangers will stop any car for the most minor infractions. This seems to be the way to keep the park entrance free. The park closes at about 5:30.

Our purpose of coming to this location was for my hubby to take engagement pictures for my cousin. It was a nice quiet spot with a few areas for picture opportunities. The main reason why this site was selected was for the lighthouse but we were unaware of having to take a boat ride to reach there. If you’re looking to find photo ops with lush flowers or easy access to open water then this is not your place. It seems like a nice park to attend for snorkeling, kayaking and fishing but since I’m not from around this area I definitely don’t find it worthy of a drive.
**There’s no park admission fees. By the way, no speeding on your way in/​out of the park or you will be pulled over.**

We only could do stuff around the visitors center, since the boats were down while they looked for a new vendor I was told, but had a great time on the little boardwalk. Saw dolphins in the bay and manatees in the canal, which was really cool. Feel extremely lucky to have seen the manatees. Birds were everywhere and didn’t seem to care about people, got some great pictures of them while I was here. For it being free, great way to spend a couple of hours walking around the mangroves and watching wildlife.

If you google Biscayne National Park, it’s actually a huge area. It’s not just a specific place but it covers land, keys, and more. Elliot Key, Sand Key, Adams Key are included in the Biscayne National Park. There is a Visitor Center, in which they have recreated the environments found in the Park — super interesting. This Visitor Center is located in the second floor of the park, at the end of 328^th Street this is the Park Headquarters. It is such a calm area that you get connected with nature. You are no longer in the city. Take advantage of this huge park, maybe for camping or just walking around.

There is not much to do in this park. I am a park lover and can usually appreciate natural beauty so that should say something about my rating…
There is a very small boardwalk which takes all of three minutes back and fourth.
There are tons of water activities to do but they are pricey. I rented a 4 people paddle water thing and it was $ 40 for two hours. That seems really overpriced to me.
I think you can find water stuff much cheaper. Don’t waste your money.
Nevertheless, it’s beautiful and relaxing. Great spot for a picnic or BBQ.

This isn’t far from my house. I only go here because of the lagoon that it has. I take my daughter there to play in the water and sand. There isn’t much going on there when I go. I see the boats and people fishing. They have a restaurant and it says it serves Mexican, American, and seafood. I never ate there but I do get beers and they are cheap. One corona only 3 dollars. This place is quiet and clean.

Great rates, not commercialized, set your own pace! A+

Underwater national park? Yessir, Biscayne National Park is over 90% water and therefore pretty much only accessible by boat! Which is fantastic because Biscayne is famous for its reefs and mangrove forests.
Unfortch for us, the boats that charter snorkel tours were out of commission for the week we came. But because of that, they let us take the kayak out for as long as we wanted. The kayak rental ($ 35) is self guided, as long as you don’t paddle out to sea. You can go really really far and explore a lot of the inlets which is super cool. We saw plenty of birds and several schools of fish. I didn’t get a chance to see the manatees though, which was a bit of a bummer.
Communication with the park was good, as they were responsive and helpful when we called and very apologetic when they told us about the snorkeling. The park is best seen with a guide on the snorkeling boat, so if I’m ever back I really want to try it again and re-​review.
Oh — and the bathroom was super clean. :O)

I went there last year. I have to say I love National Parks. Most staff are great, although there were a couple of iffy ones (my son sent in a completed Junior Ranger book for three parks, Big Cypress, Biscayne and Everglades, to receive a patch — it came in a half-​open envelope (!) and a terse letter — no quick notes like «wow! congratulations!» — I was surprised that managed to get here —
This kind correspondence is far from the other wonderful national parks and historic sites we’ve had exchanges with before. It just sort of tells me where Florida stands with the National Park Service and generally the environmental (aka OUR habitat) protection.
First of all, I think there should be a community campaign to eliminate Turkey Point Power Plant, viewable!!! right off the main visitor center!!! What an affrontery! What an eye sore! It is unacceptable to have such an aging, dangerous, unsustainable power plant right under the nose of the national park — which boasts the world’s 5^th largest coral reef — with the mission is to protect the precious mangrove forests! That ticking time bomb MUST be removed ASAP, especially in the wake of Fukushima accident in Japan and I cannot believe Floridians allow its continuation — heavily subsidized by their tax money.
Biscayne, Everglades and Big Cypress NP should all powered by solar and wind — what better place to get solar energy than Southern Florida? It’s anachronism to have nuclear power plants. I heard they are planning to, not decomission, but EXPAND the plant — in the hurricane land of So. Florida. It’s just beyond me how people move forward to do things that are so terribly against their own interest.
Secondly, LITTERS. I believe it’s coming from Miami — NPS should corporate with local municipalities to actively place ban and fine on littering especially into the ocean. I cannot believe the amount of litters my son and I picked up in the mere half an hour of stroll by the walkway near the visitor center. (I have pictures of the trashes I collected there if anyone wants to see). Fishlines, can of beers, sodas, plastic bags … I just couldn’t believe it. Time forward, this summer, when I visited Acadia National Park in Maine, which is also placed on coastline facing the Gulf of Maine, I found ZERO litter anywhere — the littered state of Biscayne National Park as it is should be considered a DISGRACE for the surrounding communities, the city of Miami, and for the national park service. In my opinion, Biscayne NP and the Southern Florida cities should seek more funding through various grants as well as request increase funding to the federal government to help combat litter problems especially by the ocean side through education in public and private schools, ranger programs, active reinforcement of anti-​litter laws … and inform people about the vortex of plastic litters in the ocean and how these litters should be rather considered a resource through recycling rather than viewed as trash. I understand the park does a great deal of community outreach but obviously it is NOT enough! I keenly felt this when I saw Acadia’s shoreline — zero litters, nothing, none — that’s how it should be at our national parks. What’s wrong with you, Florida?
Southern Florida NPs are some of the most interesting national parks around — it’s the semi-​tropics with precious ecological systems you can witness without having to leave the US — so fascinating and so amazing indeed — but its upkeep seem to be a real problem.
Everglades, Biscayne and Cypress National Parks are overwhelmingly a better choice for visit than the Disney World in Orland These parks should be the cornerstones for Florida’s tourism, sustainable one to boot, and NOT the Disney World, and the communities should rise up together to protect their lands and natural resources.

I went on the 3 hour snorkeling trip yesterday afternoon and woke up this morning still feeling so good about the trip so decided to write a review… was surprised to see as many negative reviews… and glad my experience was nothing like it.
My nephews first time snorkeling that was everything I had hoped for… booked a reservation online 3 days before I went; called the next day to confirm they received it… and received a call from them the day before to confirm. I experienced nothing but friendly and professional.
The boat, the captain, the dive master and the ranger were great… friendly, funny, interesting and obviously passionate about the park. They were a real asset to the trip.
Then the reef… having grown up in south florida, I thought I would be a little blasé about it — but it was truly remarkable… we got to see a moray eel, lobsters, angel fish, parrot fish, trumpet fish… the reef was full and healthy and beautiful. Having a wreck for the boys made them feel like they were swimming in their own private aquarium! They and I loved it and will totally be back. I can’t recommend it enough. So much faster than going to Pennecamp and so much less crowded.

I spent the first part of my day participating in the ranger-​guided snorkel tour of the Mandalay ship wreck. The experience was fantastic, and I can’t wait to take friends and family along. On the boat ride to the reef, the ranger provided us with an interesting education of the reef system and its biodiversity, as well as a helpful overview with regard to how to care for it while snorkeling. She also told the story of the Mandalay wreck, and even passed around nautical maps and diagrams of the wreckage itself.
From a facilitation standpoint, I was impressed! The captain was well organized (not to mention, hilarious), and the tour included a dive master /​life guard aboard as well. We all had life vests and a thorough safety briefing before plunging into the water. I felt very safe the entire time, although I would recommend this trip to swimmers only!
I thought that the snorkeling was absolutely as good as what you might expect at John Pennekamp. I saw gigantic indigo blue parrotfish, and even an entire school of Queen Angelfish! The wreck serves as a host to a dazzling array of tropical fish, and provides an interesting and historical backdrop as well! If you have a wetsuit and are a wimp (like me), then bring it. Water temperature is great (84 F), but the heat seems to leech from your body over the 1 hour you’ll spend in the water.
After a brief rest at one of the picnic tables overlooking the bay, I took out a kayak. It’s a fantastic experience to cross over what seems like miles of sea grass beds. If you love wilderness and serenity, I highly recommend adding a kayak ride to your visit as well.
The reverence and sheer love the Ranger, Life Guard, and Captain feel for Biscayne Park and its marine life was infectious, and I can’t wait to spend another day there soon.

We visited this place because we were interested in the glass-​bottom boat tours. Well, we were in luck since we also spotted a small group of dolphins. At the visitor’s center, there is a small exhibit and then you can visit the rocky shore where fishermen do surf fishing. That’s about it. So, I would highly recommend the glass-​bottom boat ranger-​guided tour.

Robert M and Darth Vader pretty much summarized the experience we had.
This review is also about the organization, not the park itself. The park and reefs are splendorous, colorful, idyllic, full of life.
The organization is woeful, dismal shades of grey to black, torturous and, really, dead in the water. Not sure how they continue to exist, frankly.
Phone conversation, after leaving 2 messages and never hearing back:
Me: we would like to charter a boat for 2 or 3 hours
BNP employee: sure the price is xxx [can’t remember exactly, but I think it was about $ 300] and you can take six people
Me: sounds great. Do you have a availability for xx day?
BNP employee: Yes, we can reserve the boat for 10 am, but wouldn’t you rather do the snorkel tour?
Me: No, we would prefer to charter a boat. Please reserve this, my phone name and phone number are… etc., do you need me to give you my credit card number?
BNP employee: no, that’s not necessary, you can pay when you come. Are you sure you wouldn’t prefer the snorkel tour?
Me: No, we want the boat, not the snorkel tour.
[Inwardly: SNORKEL TOUR NO, WE DON“T WANT SNORKEL TOUR, NO QUEREMOS EL TOUR DE SNORKEL, SNORKEL TOUR, BEGONE, A CURSE ON SNORKEL TOUR, W E D O N O T W A N T T O G O O N T H E S N O R K E L T O U R]
BNP employee: OK then, you’re all set and we’ll see you in a couple of days.
The day we’d all looked forward to:
Me: We have a boat charter reservation for 10am
BNP employee: oh, sorry, the captain had a problem with the boat motor, so the charter is canceled.
Me: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Me again: [unnumbing, somewhat] But why didn’t you call me? I left you my number…
BNP employee: well, I couldn’t find it. But like I mentioned on the phone, we have a snorkel tour and there’s still room on that tour. Would you like to do that instead? I will give you a discount.
[My vision of Robert M. in the distance, chuckling, «if only you had read my Unilocal review before going — I bet they’re short about 6 people on the snorkel tour, so you’re just what they needed to not disappoint an additional 550,000 people]
I opted to be Auntie Wimp rather than Auntie Stick In The Mud to my niece and nephew, and we went. Two of us snorkeled. It was OK.
On the positive side — discovered the undaunted maturity of my extended family’s youngest. Really, really good thing to know.
Overall, it was annoying to know that one must depend on ineptness of BNP boat tour employees to be able to enjoy this amazing place (or, in that particular case, not).

This isn’t a review of the park or the snorkeling itself. This is a review of the utter inefficiency of employees at this park.
BE WARNED: If you are planning a snorkeling trip… harrass them to find out if the trip is scheduled or canceled, and how many people are signed up for it… because they certainly won’t go out of the way to tell you.
We rented a car specifically for this trip. Drive to the middle of no where, waste almost an entire vacation day to find out that our trip is canceled? AND THEY DON’T CALL TO TELL US??? Like we don’t have better things to do with our time than to sit in some empty park with nothing to offer unless you are out on the water?
Why do they have a reservation system in place? Typically, when I make a reservation, and they call back to confirm the trip (which they did 2 days before)…THAT MEANS THE TRIP IS ON. Am I crazy or is this how reservations and confirmations work? Their ‘reservation system’ is a complete joke, useless, utter nonsense. They tell you the trip is on and change their mind when you get there.
Here’s the deal… you need to know this: If they don’t have 16 people to go on a trip, the trip doesn’t go. They never mention this on their website, or when I called, or when they called back to confirm. I can completely understand this from a cost perspective… but again… THIS IS WHY YOU HAVE A RESERVATION SYSTEM… to help you manage this little thing called «customer service».
Employee on morning of trip: «Golly gee Billy Bob… lookie here: we only have 6 people signed up for today’s snorkeling trip, should we call everyone to tell them the trip is canceled?»
Billy Bob: «Nah, let’s waste their entire day and have them come down anyway, who gives a shit».
Luckily…I thought quick and took off to Pennekamp State Park in Key Largo and caught their last trip of the day just in the nick of time.
My advice: if you want to snorkel, go to Pennekamp. It’s a guarantee and it is professionally run by people who have a brain and use it to think… like most humans do. Don’t waste your time here.
If you ask me, I should have charged THEM for my rental car and a wasted day.

One of the things I love most about Biscayne National Park is that it’s totally dog friendly. Every time I go there are tons of puppies and their humans around. Another good thing about this place is that they always have family friendly events going on… I was there for their 40^th birthday celebration and they had pinatas for kids. So cute. They also have information sessions a few times a day that you can sit in on to learn a little bit about the park and Florida’s ecosystem.
They have a little «museum» with displays that feature the local wildlife, and a little theater where they play educational videos. I’ve seen one about Hurricane Andrew and what it did to the park, and another about the reef system in Florida. Really interesting.
They’ve got plenty to do, from snorkeling to glass bottom boats to kayak rentals… There’s a trail you can walk all along the water, and you can see Turkey Point from here. It’s kinda neat to think such a pristine part of nature is right next to a nuclear power plant.
I love coming here. I also love taking pictures here. It’s a must-​see for locals and tourists alike!

Fortunately for us in Miami we have two national parks Everglades and Biscayne. Biscayne is mostly underwater and so you can imagine that most of the activities have to do with water.
This is a perfect place to bring out of town guests for their first taste of snorkeling. Snorkeling costs $ 35/​person and each boat has a CPR certified, dive master lifeguard. Safety is first priority so if you bring the little ones they might be asked to show off their swimming skills in order to stay in the water. It takes about an hour boat ride to get to the snorkeling spot and depending on the weather you’ll go out to the reef or to another spot. All in all plan about 3 – 4 hours for the trip, bring water.
Biscayne National Park is in Homestead so plan on a long drive and call ahead to reserve your spot on the snorkeling boat.
If you’d rather stay dry then go early, like at 10 am and go on the ranger led boat tour, also a 3 hour affair so plan accordingly and call ahead for this as well.
This is a great way to enjoy South Florida’s ecosystem.