Beautiful Biscayne National Park

One of the top day trips from Miami for outdoor enthusiasts is Biscayne National Park. It's located a fun boat ride away from downtown Miami, and although it's only accessible by water, it's close enough that you can view the city from here. The park covers an area of over 173,000 acres and is home to a series of small islands that protect important mangrove forests and coral reefs. It also harbors diverse species of wildlife, including turtles and pelicans, along with larger creatures like dolphins in Biscayne Bay Lagoon itself.

The park is also a popular spot for divers, drawn by the excellent opportunities along the Maritime Heritage Trail. This underwater adventure involves a number of excellent dive sites around old shipwrecks. Other highlights include the Dante Fascell Visitor Center gallery and museum, which offers a variety of programs, including guided eco-tours and art workshops, and the historic (and picturesque) Jones family home. Also of interest are the raised homes (they're built on stilts over the water) in Stiltsville, and camping on and hiking around the park's largest island, Elliott Key.

Address: 9700 SW 328th St, Homestead, FL.

Official site: www.nps.gov/bisc/index.htm

Phone: (305) 230-7275

Entrance fee: no entrance fees

Google rating: 5.0/5.0