Boca Chita Key Campground

Boca Chita Key Campground is a grassy waterfront campground on a boat-only island in Biscayne National Park. It suits campers who want a rustic island night and can arrange boat transport; there’s no land access, and sites are first-come, first-served with no advance reservations. Boca Chita is the park’s most visited island, so expect activity around the shared harbor. Clear water close to shore can make snorkeling part of the visit.

There are toilets, picnic tables and grills, but no drinking water, electricity, sinks, showers or food sales. Bring food and water, use the grills rather than lighting a ground fire, and pack out your trash. Pets aren’t allowed on the island or in its harbor, except service animals. Mosquitoes can be around year-round and are often worse in warm months, so repellent is useful.

A half-mile trail starts just east of the restrooms and reaches the pavilion near the island’s south end. The 65-foot coral-rock lighthouse was built by industrialist Mark C. Honeywell as a landmark for his boat captain. It was lit briefly before the Lighthouse Service objected that the uncharted light could be a navigation hazard. Its interior stairs imitate medieval stonework. Staff may open the observation deck; when they do, the view takes in nearby islands, the bay, open ocean and Miami. Boats use the cleated bulkhead, and the harbor entrance is about four feet deep at low tide, a detail deep-draft boaters should plan around.