Biscayne National Park: how to actually see a park that is 95% water
Biscayne National Park has no entrance fee, but the islands and reefs need a boat. Here is which tour to book, what it costs and where it leaves from.
The short version
- Entry: Free. There is no entrance fee; you pay only for tours or island docking.
- By land: Dante Fascell Visitor Center in Homestead, 9 am to 5 pm daily.
- Islands: Boat only. Boca Chita cruise from Coconut Grove: $83 adults, $49 kids 5 to 12.
- Reef: Snorkel trip from the visitor center: $115, ages 8 and up, 9:15 am or 1:30 pm.
- New in 2026: Boca Chita Key lighthouse reopened June 25, 2026, and you can climb it again.
Biscayne is a water park in the literal sense: drive to the free visitor center for an hour, but book a Biscayne National Park Institute boat if you want the islands, the reef or the lighthouse.
Pick your way in
| You have two free hours and a car | Drive to the Dante Fascell Visitor Center at Convoy Point in Homestead. No fee, bay views, exhibits. |
| You want an island and a lighthouse | Boca Chita Key Heritage Cruise from Dinner Key Marina in Coconut Grove, $83 adults |
| You want to snorkel the reef | Snorkel Experience from the visitor center, $115 per person, ages 8 and up, strong swimmers |
| You want the houses on stilts | Stiltsville Guided Tour from Dinner Key, $70, Thursday to Sunday, about 2 hours |
| You have your own boat | Dock at Boca Chita or Elliott Key: $25 a day Friday to Monday, $60 a night to camp |
| You have small kids | Kayak the Mangroves from Homestead, $39 and 1.5 hours, or the visitor center alone |
Why most people leave disappointed, and how not to
About 95% of Biscayne National Park is water, according to the National Park Service. The part you can drive to is a visitor center, a lawn, a jetty and a kayak launch at Convoy Point, on the bay at the end of SW 328th Street in Homestead. It is pleasant, free and done in an hour. The coral reefs sit mostly on the park's eastern side, and the islands, including Boca Chita Key and Elliott Key, have no road or bridge.
So the real question is which boat. For island tours, the park's own news release points visitors to the Biscayne National Park Institute, its tour partner. Its trips leave from two places: the visitor center in Homestead for snorkeling and paddling, and Dinner Key Marina in Coconut Grove for the Boca Chita cruise and the Stiltsville tour. Coconut Grove is far closer to Brickell, South Beach and most hotels, so check which dock a tour uses before you book.
Sea turtles are a realistic sighting: the park lists loggerhead, green and hawksbill turtles as commonly seen in its waters.
Biscayne National Park Institute
The Boca Chita Key Heritage Cruise leaves Dinner Key Marina, 3400 Pan American Drive, from Pier 9. It runs daily: 9:15 am from November 1 to May 31, 1:30 pm from June 1 to October 31. The tour page says about 3.5 hours and the Institute's home page says 4. You pass the Stiltsville houses and Soldier Key and get an hour on Boca Chita, which has a picnic pavilion, basic restrooms and drinking water but nothing for sale. Adults 13 and up pay $83, children 5 to 12 pay $49, under 5 ride free.
The Snorkel Experience leaves the visitor center at 9:15 am and 1:30 pm for about 3.5 hours, at $115 per person, ages 8 and up. Vests are included; a mask, snorkel and fins bundle rents for $16. The captain picks the site on the day based on wind and swell, and the Institute asks that you swim and float confidently.
Biscayne National Park - Dante Fascell Visitor Center
The park lists the visitor center as open seven days a week, 9 am to 5 pm, and the Convoy Point grounds, with the canoe and kayak launch and the lawn, from 7 am to 5:30 pm. That hours page was last updated in 2021, so confirm on the park's own site before a long drive.
Getting there: take Florida's Turnpike to exit 6, Speedway Boulevard, turn left off the ramp and go south to SW 328th Street, also called North Canal Drive. Turn left and drive about four miles to the end of the road. The park entrance is on the left just before Homestead Bayfront Marina. The visitor center sells only the 4th grade, Access and military America the Beautiful passes; senior and annual passes are sold at Everglades National Park and other nearby sites.
Where they are
Biscayne National Park tours, side by side
| Tour | Leaves from | Length | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boca Chita Key Heritage Cruise | Dinner Key Marina, Coconut Grove | About 3.5 to 4 hours | $83 adults, $49 ages 5 to 12 |
| Snorkel Experience | Convoy Point, Homestead | About 3.5 hours | $115, ages 8 and up |
| Snorkeling from Coconut Grove | Coconut Grove | 3.5 hours | $115 |
| Stiltsville Guided Tour | Dinner Key Marina, Coconut Grove | About 2 hours | $70 ages 5 and up |
| Jones Lagoon Eco-Paddle | Homestead | 3.25 hours | $109 |
| Kayak the Mangroves | Homestead | 1.5 hours | $39 |
| Evening Bay Cruise | Homestead | Not listed | $65, daily November to February |
| Deering Estate Lighthouses Cruise | Deering Estate, Palmetto Bay | About 4 hours | $90, next date November 14, 2026 |
Private snorkel boats are $690 for up to six people. The Stiltsville tour stays in the bay: no island stop and no reef.
Biscayne National Park Institute tour pages and the Deering Estate event page, checked October 2026
The Boca Chita lighthouse is open again
The Boca Chita Key lighthouse, built in 1938, was closed for more than two years for repairs: new ironwork and safety railings, masonry work, new windows and doors and lead paint removal. The park announced on June 25, 2026 that it had reopened and that visitors can climb to the top again for a view of the water and the Miami skyline. The Institute's cruise page sets a 42-inch minimum height to go inside.
If you come by your own boat, docking at Boca Chita or Elliott Key costs $25 a day on Fridays through Mondays and federal holidays; the park lists no day fee Tuesday to Thursday. Overnight docking with camping is $60 a night, covering up to two tents and six people. Slips and campsites are first come, first served with no reservations. You pay by phone through the federal recreation app, using the QR codes at the harbor kiosks, on arrival or by official sunset.
Before you go
- Book the tour, not the park. Without a boat you see the visitor center and the bay, nothing more.
- Check the dock. Coconut Grove departures use Pier 9 at Dinner Key Marina; Homestead departures check in at the visitor center bookstore on the second floor.
- Arrive 30 minutes before departure for every Institute trip, and give yourself an extra hour for traffic, as the Institute advises.
- Parking at Dinner Key is paid; the Institute points to the Regatta Harbour garage at 3351 Pan American Drive.
- Boca Chita sells nothing. Bring water, food, reef-safe sunscreen, a hat and bug spray.
- Bring your own snorkel gear or budget $16 for the rental bundle; fins are required.
Questions people ask
Does Biscayne National Park have an entrance fee?
No. Entry is free. You pay only for a guided tour or, with your own boat, for docking at Boca Chita or Elliott Key: $25 a day Friday to Monday and federal holidays, $60 a night to camp.
Can you visit Biscayne National Park without a boat?
Only the Dante Fascell Visitor Center at Convoy Point in Homestead, which has exhibits, a jetty and a kayak launch. The islands and reefs need a boat, and the Biscayne National Park Institute is the park's tour partner.
How do you get to Boca Chita Key?
By boat. Without your own, take the Boca Chita Key Heritage Cruise from Dinner Key Marina in Coconut Grove: $83 adults, $49 children 5 to 12, with an hour on the island.
Is the Boca Chita lighthouse open?
Yes. The park announced on June 25, 2026 that the 1938 lighthouse reopened after more than two years of repairs and can be climbed again. The Institute sets a 42-inch minimum height to go inside.
Can you snorkel in Biscayne National Park?
Yes. The Institute's Snorkel Experience leaves the visitor center at 9:15 am and 1:30 pm, costs $115 per person and is for ages 8 and up who can swim confidently. A Coconut Grove departure is also listed at $115.
More guides
The best snorkeling near Miami: where the reefs actually are, and how to reach themSnorkeling · Beaches · 6 min readThings to do in Homestead: two national parks, a coral castle and a fruit parkHomestead · Day trips · 5 min readEverglades airboat tours from Miami, and the other tours worth bookingTours · Everglades · 10 min readFees from the National Park Service fees page; visitor center hours, grounds hours and directions from the park's hours and directions pages (last updated 2021, labeled in text); lighthouse reopening from the park's June 25, 2026 news release; tours, prices and departure docks from the Biscayne National Park Institute home page and its Boca Chita cruise, snorkel and Stiltsville pages; lighthouse cruise from the Deering Estate event page. All checked October 2026.