Why Biscayne National Park
Located in Miami-Dade County in southeastern Florida, Biscayne National Park protects an extensive coastal and marine environment encompassing Biscayne Bay, offshore barrier reefs, and a fringe of mainland shoreline. Spanning 172,971 acres, the vast majority of the park is open water, with just 9,075 acres situated on dry land. Its terrestrial features include mainland mangrove swamps and 42 islands, including Elliott Key—the park's largest island and northernmost of the Florida Keys—formed primarily from fossilized coral limestone.
The park preserves four distinct ecosystems: a dense shoreline fringe of mangroves, the shallow waters of Biscayne Bay, tropical limestone keys, and the offshore Florida Reef. The bay averages ten feet in depth and contains vegetated seagrass meadows and hardbottom habitats. These environments support a rich array of wildlife, including more than 200 species of fish, pelagic birds, sea turtles, and manatees. Additionally, the park provides habitat for sixteen endangered or threatened species, such as the smalltooth sawfish, Schaus' swallowtail butterfly, and a small population of American crocodiles.
Human presence around Biscayne Bay dates back thousands of years to the Glades culture and later the Tequesta people, who relied on the abundant marine life until Spanish arrival in the 16th century. Hazardous navigational conditions along the reefs resulted in numerous maritime disasters, leaving more than 40 documented shipwrecks within park waters. During the 19th and early 20th centuries, the keys saw agricultural attempts as well as private residential retreats. Following local opposition to planned industrial and urban developments in the 1960s, the area was set aside as a national monument in 1968 and re-designated as a national park in 1980.
Because the vast majority of the park consists of aquatic terrain and isolated keys, its features are primarily accessible by watercraft. The Convoy Point Visitor Center, located on the mainland next to park headquarters, serves as the primary direct terrestrial entry point. Boaters exploring the region navigate waters that connect with the Intracoastal Waterway and border the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park.
01 Weather
83°
77°
☔ 100%
81°
76°
☔ 100%
82°
76°
☔ 86%
83°
77°
☔ 100%
84°
77°
☔ 100% 
82°
81°
☔ 79%