Boca Chita Key

Boca Chita Key

Latitude:  25.525144  /  Longitude: -80.174652
Difficulty:
Total ratings: 1
Rating:
Total ratings: 1

Boca Chita Key is the island north of the upper Florida Keys in Biscayne National Park, Miami-Dade County, Florida. The key is located in Biscayne Bay, just north of Sands Key. An ornamental 65-foot (20 m) lighthouse is present on the key. The harbor has a bulkhead with cleats where boats may be tied. There is a campground with picnic tables and salt water toilets. Fresh water and electricity are not available on the island. On the north-west part of the island is the Boca Chita Key Historic District containing historic structures such as the Boca Chita lighthouse. This key is sometimes confused with the similar-sounding Boca Chica Key over a hundred miles southwest on the lower Florida Keys.

This text uses material from the Wikipedia article Boca_Chita_Key, which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0

Night of camping on Boca Chita - Blog

By:  BW Admin  (12/27/2021)

Date:  12/23/2021 - 12/24/2021

Rating:
Total: 1

We decided we would try to get away for a quick night of camping in Biscayne Bay. The temperature had finally just dropped enough that sleeping in the tents would be comfortable, and we were hoping since it was close enough to the holiday it might not be too crowded out there. We were mostly correct as we were the only ones on the island in tents, and only a handful of people were sleeping on their boats. I've been told loud music from the boats can be a problem camping there but everyone kept the music level reasonable this time around.

There was a strong breeze all night which is apparently almost always the case, its good for sleeping but not the best for fire making. We made a small fire in a fire pit with a screen lid but had to watch it pretty closely. The restrooms are serviceable, they are salt water so they stink to high heaven when flushed but they get the job done if you have to. There is an app/$25 fee to reserve a campsite, they all have picnic tables and grill available.

Overall an enjoyable experience to get out there and relax. Drank some beers, caught enough fish to fry up for dinner and chilled by the fire listening to music. This is more of the bring a group of friends and cooler of beer brand of camping than the become one with nature variety. I can think of worse ways to spend an evening though.

Night of camping on Boca Chita - Photos

by:  BW Admin  (12/27/2021)

(click images to view full size)


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Loading up the boat at Black Point Marina. It is about a 20 minute boat ride from there to Boca Chita.

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Harbingers of doom

Lat.:  25.529136 / Long.: -80.310905
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Arriving at Boca Chita

Lat.:  25.524261 / Long.: -80.178483
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Just finished setting up camp. There are picnic tables and grills in each camp. There is a $25 fee to camp, payable by credit card in an app.

Lat.:  25.525172 / Long.: -80.174727
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Another shot of camp

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Camp shower, worked out pretty good

Lat.:  25.525197 / Long.: -80.174775
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Palm tree right behind our camp

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This is the channel behind our camp, this is where we anchored and did some bottom fishing after camp was set up. We fished from the boat in the channel but you can also wade out a bit and fish from shore.

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Another shot of the channel

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A couple of mangrove snappers that we caught in the channel. We fried a few up back at camp for dinner. We caught a bunch of these in the 11" range, unfortunately there is a new rule in Biscayne National Park that they have to be 12" so we threw quite a few back.

Lat.:  25.525211 / Long.: -80.173019
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Frying them snappers

Lat.:  25.525161 / Long.: -80.174775
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Sun setting over the bay

Lat.:  25.525127 / Long.: -80.174744
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First time trying out the REI one man backpacking tent. A little tight in there but it got the job done.

Lat.:  25.525144 / Long.: -80.174661
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We brought a fire pit and placed it in the dirt so as not to scorch the grass at the campsite.

Lat.:  25.525158 / Long.: -80.174911
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There are public facilities if needed. The water in the toilets comes from the mangroves East of the Island so the water was a bit stinky but overall not too bad. There is no clean water so you'll need to wash up the hands at camp.

Lat.:  25.524580 / Long.: -80.174194
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Breakfast burrito. Cafe Bustello instant coffee is no bueno.

Lat.:  25.525183 / Long.: -80.174775
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Morning shot of the lighthouse

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Sunrise from the eastern shore

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Loading up the boat for the return

Lat.:  25.524955 / Long.: -80.175225
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Leftover fish that we didn't eat at the campground. Random assortment of yellow jacks, mangrove snapper, borgi and margates.

Lat.:  25.583683 / Long.: -80.354683

Night of camping on Boca Chita - Videos

by:  BW Admin  (12/27/2021)

Heading out of Black Point Marina for Boca Chita
Arriving at Boca Chita
This is the inlet where you can park the boat
This is the camping area
Cooking up our fish dinner while the sun is setting on Boca Chita
Boca Chita sunset
Boca Chita fire pit, you need to bring your own
This is a shot by the lighthouse
Boca Chita restroom inspection
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