Homestead sits between two national parks. To the west is Everglades National Park, authorized by Congress in 1934 and dedicated by President Harry Truman on December 6, 1947, with its main entrance and the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center just outside the city. To the east is Biscayne National Park, created as a national monument on October 18, 1968, and redesignated a national park in 1980, with its mainland visitor center at Convoy Point on Biscayne Bay. This page explains how each park came about, which historic places they protect and how to visit both from Homestead.
The two parks at a glance
| Everglades National Park | Biscayne National Park | |
|---|---|---|
| Created | Authorized 1934; dedicated December 6, 1947 | National monument October 18, 1968; national park 1980 |
| Landscape | Sawgrass marsh, pinelands, hardwood hammocks, mangroves, Florida Bay | Biscayne Bay, coral reefs, mangrove shoreline and the northern Florida Keys |
| Size | The largest subtropical wilderness in the continental U.S. | About 173,000 acres, roughly 95 percent water |
| Main access from Homestead | Homestead entrance and Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center | Dante Fascell Visitor Center at Convoy Point |
| International recognition | Biosphere reserve (1976) and World Heritage Site (1979) | Part of the Florida Reef ecosystem |
| Historic highlights | Royal Palm, Nike Missile Site HM-69 | Boca Chita Key, Stiltsville, Jones family sites, shipwrecks |
How Everglades National Park was created
By the early 1900s, drainage canals were lowering water levels across South Florida to open land for farming and development, and the wetlands were suffering. A small protected area already existed at Royal Palm State Park, dedicated in 1916 and covered in the guide to Royal Palm State Park's history. In the 1920s, a campaign for a national park gathered strength. Landscape architect Ernest F. Coe became its most persistent advocate, and the main visitor center near Homestead now bears his name.
Congress authorized the park in 1934, but the law did not come with money to buy land, and acquisition dragged on for years. The park was finally established in 1947. That same year Marjory Stoneman Douglas published The Everglades: River of Grass, a book that changed how the public saw the region and helped build the long movement to protect it. President Truman dedicated the park on December 6, 1947. Royal Palm State Park became part of it, and its old site became the park's first visitor center.
Cold War history inside the Everglades
One of the park's surprising historic sites is Nike Missile Site HM-69 on Long Pine Key Road. After the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, the Army set up air defense batteries around Homestead and Miami. Battery A of the 2nd Battalion, 52nd Air Defense Artillery operated from temporary facilities near the park entrance before moving to the permanent site, which was completed in 1964. The site closed in 1979 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004. The park has offered ranger-led tours during the winter months. The site ties directly to Homestead's own military past, told in Homestead Air Reserve Base history.
How Biscayne National Park was created
Around 1960, landowners on the islands east of Homestead incorporated a town called Islandia, hoping to develop the keys, and in 1962 a large industrial seaport called Seadade was proposed for the bay. Conservationists and local leaders pushed back, and on October 18, 1968, President Lyndon Johnson signed the law creating Biscayne National Monument. The monument was enlarged and redesignated Biscayne National Park in 1980. Most of the park is underwater: about 9,000 of its roughly 173,000 acres are land.
Historic places in Biscayne National Park
- Boca Chita Key. Industrialist Mark C. Honeywell bought the island in 1937. Its ornamental lighthouse is one of the most photographed structures in the park. The island's historic district was listed on the National Register in 1997.
- Stiltsville. A community of houses on pilings in the bay, begun in the 1930s. It peaked at 27 structures in the 1960s; Hurricane Andrew destroyed most of them, and only a handful remain.
- The Jones family. Israel Lafayette Jones, a Black pioneer, bought Porgy Key in 1897 and farmed pineapples and key limes there with his family. His son Lancelot held out against developers. Lancelot was the first property owner in the islands to sell land to the National Park Service. He died in 1997 at the age of 99. The Jones Family Historic District was listed on the National Register in 2013.
- Maritime Heritage Trail. A trail of shipwreck sites, including wrecks from 1878 to 1966, described as the only underwater archaeological trail in the National Park Service system.
- Elliott Key. The largest island in the park, where Hurricane Andrew first crossed land in 1992.
Planning a visit from Homestead
| Goal | Where to go | Tips |
|---|---|---|
| Easy wildlife viewing | Royal Palm area, Everglades | Short, flat trails; best in the winter dry season |
| Cold War history | Nike Missile Site HM-69, Everglades | Tours have been seasonal; check the ranger program schedule |
| A long drive through the park | Main park road to Flamingo, Everglades | Allow a full day; bring water and bug spray |
| Bay views and exhibits | Dante Fascell Visitor Center, Biscayne | Walk the jetty and boardwalk at Convoy Point |
| Islands and reefs | Boca Chita Key, Elliott Key, reef sites | Reached only by boat; check for concession boat tours |
The City of Homestead has operated a seasonal trolley to the Everglades and Biscayne parks in the winter months. Fees, hours and programs change, so check the official sites before you go: Everglades at nps.gov/ever and Biscayne at nps.gov/bisc.
Why the parks matter to Homestead's history
Both parks shaped the city. The Everglades park gave Homestead its role as a gateway town, which supports motels, restaurants and outfitters. Biscayne preserved a coastline that could easily have become a seaport and city. And both protect places that tell local history: the 1916 state park at Royal Palm, Cold War missile sites, pioneer island families and shipwrecks. For a full list of historic listings in the area, see National Register sites in South Miami-Dade.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Everglades National Park established?
Congress authorized it in 1934, and President Harry Truman dedicated it on December 6, 1947, after more than a decade of land acquisition.
When did Biscayne become a national park?
Biscayne was created as a national monument on October 18, 1968, and redesignated Biscayne National Park in 1980.
Which national park entrance is closest to Homestead?
Both are close. The main Everglades entrance and Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center are west of the city, and Biscayne's Dante Fascell Visitor Center at Convoy Point is to the east on Biscayne Bay.
Can you visit the Nike missile site in the Everglades?
The park has offered ranger-led tours of Nike Missile Site HM-69 during the winter months. Check the current ranger program schedule before planning a visit.
Is Biscayne National Park mostly water?
Yes. Only about 9,000 of the park's roughly 173,000 acres are land, so most of its islands and reefs can be reached only by boat.