The first park in Florida that we are visiting is (as you may have guessed) Biscayne National Park! Biscayne is located on the east coast of Florida just south of Miami. It includes some of the mainland shoreline, a few of the northern Keys, and a good deal of ocean around them. The 3rd longest coral system in the world is partly found in Biscayne NP, and it is home to dolphins, manatees, and many other awesome animals!
Unfortunately for us, the tourism season starts in November. It is currently October, so many of the options for visiting the parts of the park not accessible from the mainland are not available to us. We weren't too sure what we were going to be able to do since the concessioner that provides service out the the keys recently went out of business, and they haven't found a new one yet; it should be up and running again soon, but it wasn't available for us.
Our visit was shortened (sadly) because of the approach of the hurricane. We had to get to both Biscayne and Everglades and get out, so we didn't have as much time to spend here as we originally had hoped. Kayaking out to the keys (about 10 miles 1 way) was definitely not going to fit in our schedule, so we swung by the visitor's center, talked with the staff there, and decided to walk along the shoreline and out on the Jetty Walk. People have spotted dolphins and manatee in the ocean near the walk, but we were not graced by their presence. We did wade in the water for a few minutes though, it was pleasantly warm (especially compared to the Oregon Coast!). Since we didn't have much time, we decided that was enough of Biscayne (for this trip!) and headed out towards Everglades.
Personnel:
Even though there was a hurricane bearing down on them, the staff at the Dante Fascell Visitor's Center were very enthusiastic and helpful. They outlined all the options we realistically had, and many options that we realistically didn't have time for (we wanted to be ready for a return trip later!) and provided lots of maps (even waterproof maps) and information pamphlets on the park. She also was happy to share with us what we could expect the national park system to do with the hurricane situation so that we could plan the rest of our trip into Florida effectively.
Climate/weather:
It was fantastic. It was sunny and warm, not too much humidity, not even crazy pre-hurricane winds! Really it felt like a great time to be at the park.
Facilities/signage:
The bathrooms at the park were OK, but they felt weathered to us (possibly because it is right on the ocean... but who knows for sure...). The signs within the park were passable (also weathered) but we would have had a lot of difficulty getting to the visitor's center without the GPS. Maybe it just took us on an odd route, but we didn't see many signs for it along the route.
Hiking experience:
Brief, but pleasant. The jetty walk is quite short but it leads you right out into the ocean through a tree lined path. The trees meet overhead to make it almost like a natural tunnel. It provides both abundant shade and a great walking experience. If hiking isn't your thing there are other options for seeing the park here. Kayaking, snorkeling, scuba diving are all great ways to do that, although the underwater views will be better outside the keys in the coral reefs.
You don't really drive through this park, since it is almost all water. So... there isn't really a driving experience to be had. During the tourist season a boating experience would be the way to go, but that starts around November, so plan accordingly!
Camping options:
There are several islands that you can camp on in the park that have camp sites, however, they are very strict that you have a permit and a reservation as the sites are limited and preventing negative impact on the ecosystem is very important as it is fragile.
Hammockability:
The mainland doesn't have a lot of access to hammock locations outside the parking lot (not many trails available) but it is possible that once you get out to the island areas there are better options that actually provide peace and tranquility.
Scenery:
Tropical beach comes to mind. Beautiful. Ocean. Palm trees. Waves. Islands. We didn't get to scuba dive or snorkel (you really want to be out in the coral on the other side of the keys to do this) but I imagine they also provide an excellent underwater scenery situation as well.
Nearby food:
You are in southeast Florida. You will be fine.
Our visit to Biscayne wasn't quite what we were hoping for due to the lack of transportation options to the reefs and the impending storm, but it was beautiful and it appears that if you can get out to an island it would be a secluded tropical paradise.
With the hurricane on the way Everglades was closed starting at 5:00 on the day we got to Biscayne, so our time to visit was very limited. Because we had to get Everglades in the same day or come back after the storm we decided to do something we had never done before. Two parks in 1 day! We are off to the Everglades!
No comments:
Post a Comment