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Visiting the Park

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ParkNet-Biscayne

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Welcome!

Bonefishing (19.7 KB JPG)Biscayne National Park is a wonderful place to visit. The mangrove shoreline, crystal clear waters, emerald isles, and living coral reefs attract near 500,000 visitors a year. Most of these visitors enter the park by private boat. They fish, cruise, and enjoy the waters of the park. They picnic and camp on the islands. And with snorkel or dive tanks, they explore the exciting kaleidoscope of life which is the living coral reefs. But boating in the park can be difficult — to protect yourself and the park's resources requires skill and knowledge. To learn more, see Boating in Biscayne.

The rest of our visitors arrive by car at Convoy Point, location of the park's headquarters and the Dante Fascell Visitor Center. (Click here for Directions to Convoy Point.) Here visitors can picnic, fish, canoe, explore the Visitor Concession boats (35.6KB JPG)Center, or take one of the boat tours offered by the park's concessioner, Biscayne National Underwater Park, Inc. The concession offers gift sales, canoe rentals, glass bottom boat tours, snorkel trips, scuba trips, and transportation to the island for campers. See Concession Offerings for more information on their services. In addition, special programs are offered throughout the year. See our Activities Calendar for current offerings.

Windsurfer (48.5 KB JPG)Convoy Point boardwalk (32.7 KB JPG)Convoy Point offers a tranquil setting with picnic tables and charcoal grills, a canoe beach where one can launch their own canoe, kayak, or sailboard, and a picturesque boardwalk which takes you along the shoreline out to the rock jetty beside the boat channel heading to the bay. Fishing (including spearfishing) is permitted in the park in accordance with Florida State fishing regulations and licensing requirements (Click here for Saltwater Fishing Regulations).

Visitor Center (49.7 KB JPG)The Dante Fascell Visitor Center, completed in the summer of 1997, offers information, exhibits, park videos, book sales, and a wonderful veranda complete with rocking chairs and great view. Although there is no restaurant at Convoy Point, drinks are available from vending machines and the concession gift shop sells packaged sandwiches and snacks. (Does the flag pole in the Visitor Center photo look unusual to you? Click here to learn more about Our Nautical Flag Pole.)

Leashed pets are welcome at Convoy Point on the mainland and in the developed areas of Elliott Key (leashes must be six feet or less in length). Pets, except those used to assist individuals with disabilities, are not allowed on any other islands (including Boca Chita Key and Adams Key), in the shallow waters (less than three feet deep) surrounding the islands, or on boats docked at the islands.

The Convoy Point complex is open from 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily (closed December 25th) with the Visitor Center open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

There is no camping on the park's mainland. Camping is offered in the designated campgrounds on Boca Chita Key and Elliott Key. Access to these campgrounds is by boat only. For those who do not have their own boat transportation, the park's concessioner can provide transportation for campers (see Concession Offerings for more information about transportation to the islands). There is no backcountry camping in the park. See Camping for more information.

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For additional information about Biscayne National Park, please contact the park at:

Biscayne National Park
9700 SW 328th Street
Homestead, FL 33033-5634

(305) 230-7275

or Ask A Park Ranger

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Last Updated: Tuesday, December 3, 2002, 11:30:00
Send site comments to Biscayne Webmaster.
Editor: Gary Bremen
http://www.nps.gov/bisc/visit/index.htm