Heading in from the Homestead Base area, you might think you are in a scene from CSI: Miami, driving around the canals, seeing the dog racing track in the background, it’s the kind of place Horatio and the gang are often seen pulling people out of the water. But once you get to the coast, you’re in a whole new world.
This is truly one of the beautiful places here in the United States. Problem is, most of it is underwater! The only parts you can visit if you don’t have your own boat are the Dante Fascell visitor center area (beautiful views) and the docks around the center. We won a calendar from the ranger here, because we were able to answer trivia questions about the park after viewing the museum exhibits. There is also a glass bottomed boat, which we had a reservation for, but it was too choppy that day to be able to see anything, so they changed it to a tour of a nearby Boca Chita Key – and the beautiful lighthouse that a rich man made for his wife who then died falling down the staircase. The key is beautiful, and was well worth the trip to this magical place.
My favorite things to do here
- Boca Chita Key
- Kayak the mangroves in our trusty inflatable “Sea Eagle”
Things I want to come back to do
- Come with a boat and explore the other keys (especially Elliott)
- Get PADI certified and dive the area reefs (most of this park is Underwater)
Fun Facts
- 95% of the park is water
- You can rent kayaks here
National Park Service Website: http://www.nps.gov/bisc/
NPS Map: http://home.nps.gov/applications/hafe/hfc/carto-detail.cfm?Alpha=bisc
