You need a boat to see most of Biscayne National Park, east of Homestead. About 95 percent of its 172,971 acres are underwater. Fortunately, if you don’t have a boat, there are a variety of experiences available to visitors including snorkeling outings and boat tours to islands.
Biscayne National Park
Several national parks in Florida are hidden treasures. In honor of National Public Lands Day Sept. 26, when national parks are free, here’s a guide to Florida’s national parks, from the famous to the obscure.
Biscayne National Park is 95% underwater. Boat trips to shipwrecks, reefs and islands are the best way to see this park. The shipwreck snorkel tour often goes to the wreck of the Mandalay, which has a fascinating story.
Folks have been fascinated with Stiltsville since the first shack went up in Biscayne Bay a mile from land in the 1930s. Biscayne National Park and a non-profit partner offer regular boat tours that tell the Stiltsville story and take you close to the houses.
The free trolley from Homestead to Everglades National Park & Biscayne National Park runs every winter weekend. Riders enter free, saving the $30 admission.
Explore dozens of islands in Florida waters where you can enjoy soft breezes, gentle surf and soaring birds while camping under the stars. (You’ll need a boat, canoe or a kayak.)