Biscayne National Park’s Elliott Key has a harbor with 33 boat slips that hold two boats each, one on either side of the dock. The island is not as popular as Boca Chita Key, so it is much easier to get a space for your boat. I visited on a Thursday in early March, and while the Boca Chita Key Harbor was 60 percent full, there were only two boats at Elliott Key. A park volunteer who was on the island when I arrived told me that she has never seen it get full. If it does, you can always anchor offshore and wade in or use a dinghy to get back to the island. Also, many boats just stop for the day, so if you are camping on the weekend and can’t get dock space during the day, spots may free up after 6 PM.
Any boats remaining after sunset must pay the boat docking / camping fee (currently $35). Rangers can assess fines to those who are docked or camping without having paid the fee. Check Biscayne National Park’s Camping web page for the latest fees.
If you have the Recreation.gov app on your phone, you can pay by credit card. Scan the QR Code at the dock kiosk. If there is no phone service, you can still make the payment. Information is stored in the app and payment will be processed when you get to a location with cell service. You can also pay by cash, but you won’t be getting any change. Pick up a payment envelope at the dock-side kiosk, fill out the information, tear off your receipt, and place the envelope with your payment into the collection box.
One reason why the Elliott Key Harbor is not as popular as the Boca Chita Key Harbor is because it is much shallower, which means the really big boats cannot enter. At low tide the entrance is only 2.5′ deep, and I believe only about 5′ at high tide, but I cannot confirm this (the park volunteer told me this figure). To determine low tide, add 3 hours and 25 minutes to Miami’s Government Cut tide schedule. High tide is plus 2 hours and 28 minutes.
With a few exceptions, use of any photograph on the National Park Planner website requires a paid Royalty Free Editorial Use License or Commercial Use License. See the Photo Usage page for details.
Last updated on January 19, 2024