Biscayne National Park - Convoy Point Paddlecraft Launch
South Florida · Miami-Dade County · Biscayne Bay (Convoy Point shoreline)
The National Park Service canoe and kayak launch at Convoy Point, next to Biscayne National Park's Dante Fascell Visitor Center, opening onto the sheltered mangrove shoreline and spoil islands of Biscayne Bay.
Map position was derived from this record’s sources and is awaiting confirmation against the research directory.
Why paddle here
- A national-park paddle straight into Biscayne Bay from Convoy Point: a close-in mangrove shoreline and a cluster of spoil islands just north of the visitor center, with the open bay and the distant offshore keys left for stronger open-water days.
- Low-friction access, confirmed on a 27 September 2026 field check: parking close to the launch, a short carry to the water, showers at the ramp and the Dante Fascell Visitor Center right beside it.
Launches, parking and access
Where you actually put the boat in, how far you carry it and over what. This is the part official sources are worst at, so it is the part we say most plainly — including where we do not know yet.
Convoy Point paddlecraft launch
- Launch type
- Nonmotorized canoe/kayak launch (unpaved, no handrails)
- Access
- Public access
- Hours
- 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
- Fees
None
Medium confidence- Parking
- Medium confidence
- Carry to the water
- Short carry
- On the field check 27 September 2026 the parking was close to the launch and the carry short enough that a cart was not needed for a single board; a wagon was still useful for moving several boards and gear for a group.
- How hard that carry is
- Light carry
- Parking close to the launch and a short carry to the water
- Ground you cross
- Not yet recorded
Nobody has checked this yet.Describe the ground — What did you cross on the way — pavement, sand, stairs, loose trail?
- Boat cart
- Cart usable with effort
- Unloading
- Not yet assessed
Nobody has checked this yet.Report unloading — Could you unload beside the water before parking, or carry the whole way?
- Restrooms and rinse
- Showers — At the launch
- Showers at the launch ramp, seen on the 27 September 2026 field check
A national-park canoe and kayak launch beside the visitor center, opening onto the sheltered mangrove shoreline and spoil islands of Biscayne Bay. The surface is unpaved with no handrails, and the park offers no rentals. Paddleboards are welcome here too. This is the designated non-motorized launch by the visitor center, not the park headquarters motorized boat ramp, which is closed to public launching. The visitor center is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. At very high water the ramp itself can be submerged: on a king-tide afternoon in September 2026 it was underwater and launching simply meant wading in, which did not stop the paddle.
Routes
Difficulty belongs to the route, not the location. One place can offer a beginner loop and an advanced crossing.
Convoy Point mangrove shoreline and spoil islands
Not yet ratedOut and backPut in at Convoy Point paddlecraft launch.
Stay among the spoil islands and along the sheltered mangrove shoreline just north of the launch for a calm, close-in bay paddle - a satisfying outing on its own, with no need to head further out. Continuing into open Biscayne Bay is more exposed, and the long crossing toward the offshore keys is open water best left to experienced paddlers on settled days.
Help verify this route
Have you paddled Convoy Point mangrove shoreline and spoil islands?
- How far was this route if you tracked it?Report the distance — How far was this route if you tracked it?
- How long did it take you, and at what pace?Report the time — How long did it take you, and at what pace?
- How difficult did this route actually feel?Rate the difficulty — How difficult did this route actually feel?
- How much did wind, current or tide shape this route on the day?Report conditions — How much did wind, current or tide shape this route on the day?
Conditions now — before you go
Live readings and forecasts for the water this launch is on, so you can make the go/no-go call before you drive out. Readings, not advice.
Checking conditions…
What conditions do here
How much each factor typically governs a trip at this location.
These are not live conditions. This describes how much each factor typically governs a trip here. Always check the current forecast, tide table and river level before you launch.
- Wind
- Plan around it
- Current
- Not yet assessed
- Tide
- Plan around it
- Boat traffic
- Minor factor
Planning
- Exposure
- Sheltered close to shore; open Biscayne Bay beyond
- Seasonal
- Summer heat, sun and afternoon storms; wind and chop can build quickly on the open bay. Check the Biscayne Bay marine forecast and the tide before you go, and before any open-bay crossing.
- Best time of day
- Lighter-wind mornings (calmer bay)
- Reservations & permits
- None for day paddling
Hazards
Motorboat traffic
Open Biscayne Bay exposure, wind, boat traffic and sun
Other
long crossings are exposed and for experienced paddlers only.
The sheltered water just north of the launch is the beginner-friendly core; the long crossing to the offshore keys is exposed open water for experienced paddlers with proper planning. The park provides no rentals, so bring your own craft and safety gear. This is shallow, open Biscayne Bay, and shallow does not mean protected: wind, building chop and thunderstorms often decide whether it is a good paddleboard day more than the land forecast does. Check the Biscayne Bay marine forecast and the tide reference before you go.
Amenities and craft
Craft suited to this water
Bringing your own boat: Yes
Amenities
- Restrooms — not recorded
- Showers — Showers at the launch ramp, seen on the 27 September 2026 field check
- Picnic area — not recorded
- Food nearby — not recorded
- Drinking water — not recorded
What you will see
Rentals and outfitters
No outfitter recorded here. Bring your own boat, or check nearby locations.
PaddlePin tips
Plan verdict: a good paddleboard outing. We paddled here by SUP on the afternoon of 27 September 2026 and would come back. The launch was not busy that day and the spoil islands were sheltered enough that there was no reason to head out into the open bay. That was one afternoon's conditions, not a promise - check the forecast and tide for your own day.
High confidenceDecide which of the two paddles you are doing before you launch. Working among the spoil islands and the mangrove shoreline within about a third of a mile north of the ramp stays comparatively protected and is worth the trip on its own - the sensible choice for a first visit. Continuing further out into open Biscayne Bay is exposed water where wind and chop set the day, and the long crossing toward the offshore keys is open water for experienced paddlers only.
High confidenceThe carry from parking to the water is short, so a cart is optional for a single board or boat - but a wagon earns its place if you are moving several boards or gear for a group.
High confidenceAt very high water the ramp itself can be underwater. On a king-tide afternoon in September 2026 the ramp was submerged and launching simply meant wading in, which did not stop the paddle. At those tide levels the road toward the nearby marina can also flood, so plan on using Convoy Point itself rather than counting on marina access.
High confidenceThere are showers at the launch ramp and the Dante Fascell Visitor Center is right there. Launch access runs 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and the visitor center 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., so plan the paddle inside those hours.
High confidenceWhen conditions are kind this is an easy place to stay out longer than you planned, so carry more water and food than you think you need. There are no rentals here: bring your own craft and safety gear.
High confidenceBefore you decide to paddle, check the tide reference and the Biscayne Bay marine forecast on this page. This is shallow, open Biscayne Bay, and shallow does not mean protected: wind, building chop and thunderstorms decide whether it is a good paddleboard day more than the land forecast does.
Medium confidence
Been here? Help keep it accurate
PaddlePin is researched from official sources. Paddlers who have actually been are how it stays true.
Contributions are reviewed before anything on this page changes. PaddlePin stays the researched directory — your report is evidence we check, not an edit to it.
Sources
Where this information came from, and when we last read it.
- Primary source — National Park Service, read
- Secondary source — National Park Service, read
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