Photo: Acroterion, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Ninety-five percent of Biscayne is water: a clear, shallow bay, a chain of wild keys and the northern end of Florida's coral reef, all within sight of the Miami skyline. You won't hike far here. Instead you take a boat to a lighthouse island, snorkel a shipwreck, or paddle through mangroves. Plan around a guided boat trip and the weather, and the rest falls into place.
TRAILS
1 OF 6
Boca Chita Key
Difficulty
Easy
Length
0.5 mi loop
Elevation gain
Flat
Northern keys · Boca Chita harbor — A small island with a neat harbor, palm-shaded lawns and a 65-foot ornamental lighthouse built in the 1930s. A short trail circles part of the island past the beach and old stonework. When rangers open the lighthouse, the view takes in the bay, the reef and the Miami skyline. The guided boat trip is the easiest way to get here.
⚠︎ Boat access only. Lighthouse opening depends on staff on the island.
Photo: Judd Patterson, National Park Service, public domain, Wikimedia Commons
2 OF 6
Maritime Heritage Trail
Difficulty
Moderate
Length
Boat trip
Elevation gain
Snorkel
Offshore reef · by boat — An underwater trail of historic shipwrecks scattered across the reef, several shallow enough to snorkel. The best known lies in shallow water, its broken hull now covered in coral and schools of reef fish. Join a guided snorkel trip from Convoy Point or go with a charter. Look but never touch; the wrecks and corals are protected.
⚠︎ Trips depend on wind and waves and may be canceled for rough seas.
Photo: National Park Service, public domain, Wikimedia Commons
3 OF 6
Jones Lagoon Paddle
Difficulty
Moderate
Length
Guided paddle
Elevation gain
Flat water
Southern keys · by boat — A shallow, clear lagoon ringed by mangroves, where you might glide over baby sharks, rays, upside-down jellyfish and sea turtles. Guided trips carry kayaks or paddleboards out by boat. The water is often just a foot or two deep, so it feels like floating over an aquarium. Wear a hat; there is almost no shade.
Photo: National Park Service Digital Image Archives, public domain, Wikimedia Commons
4 OF 6
Stiltsville
Difficulty
Easy
Length
Boat tour
Elevation gain
Boat
Northern bay · by boat — A handful of wooden houses standing on stilts in the open bay, left from a time when Miami locals built getaways over the flats. Guided boat tours circle the houses and share their colorful history. The houses themselves are closed to the public. Bring a camera for the Miami skyline behind them.
Photo: Pallowick, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
5 OF 6
Spite Highway
Difficulty
Moderate
Length
7 mi one way
Elevation gain
Flat
Elliott Key · Elliott Key harbor — This wide path runs the length of Elliott Key through tropical hardwood forest. It was bulldozed in the 1960s by developers trying to block the park, and the forest has been taking it back ever since. Long before that, pioneer families lived and farmed on the key. Walk as far as you like, then return the way you came. Bug spray is a must in the warm months.
⚠︎ Boat access only. Mosquitoes can be fierce from spring through fall.
Photo: National Park Service Digital Image Archives, public domain, Wikimedia Commons
6 OF 6
Convoy Point Jetty Trail
Difficulty
Easy
Length
0.6 mi
Elevation gain
Flat
Mainland · Dante Fascell Visitor Center — The only walk you can reach by car: a boardwalk and rock jetty that run out from the visitor center along the mangroves into the bay. Look for pelicans, manatees and fish in the clear shallows. It is a nice stroll while you wait for your boat. The visitor center gallery is worth a look too.
Photo: Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Plan your Biscayne trip
The Nova Bound app builds the whole trip around these trails: where to stay, where to charge, and what to see each day. Coming soon to the App Store.
Distances are round trip unless noted, from NPS.gov and rounded. Trails, permits and road openings change; always check nps.gov before you go. Trail write-ups by Nova Bound.