Stiltsville: An Offshore Hideaway at Biscayne National Park

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Set against the backdrop of Miami's skyline, six structures rise from the turquoise waters

of Biscayne Bay.

Rugged and isolated, these houses on stilts are an unexpected sight in the midst of a

National Park water world that was designated to preserve the coral reefs, seagrasses,

mangrove forests, and other natural features.

Cormorants and herons perch on the roofs, railings, and pylons of the houses.

Dolphins and manatees swim between them.

Together, these six structures are all that remain of the whimsical history of Stiltsville,

although none are among the original 27 that formed this curiosity in a National Park that

is 95% water.

How did such a village come to exist, and what does the future hold for these few relics

that remain?

I'm Jason Epperson, and this is the America's National Parks Podcast.

The very first Stiltsville structures were, in essence, shacks.

In the 1930s, crawfish Eddie Walker established a barge in the middle of Biscayne Bay.

No stilts involved.

He sold bait and tackle, a bit of chowder and sandwiches, and, as legend has it, dabbled

in booze and gambling.

Even prior to crawfish Eddie, according to local lore, in the midst of Prohibition in

the 1920s, about a dozen shacks appeared and were known as hotspots for smuggling liquor.

People believed that because they were more than a mile offshore, they were beyond the

reach of the law, and they would escape police raids.

Other people latched onto the idea and built shacks on floating platforms, or even upon

the remains of boats that had run aground in the narrow waters of the bay.

A tottering collection of ramshackle cabins dotted the bay, and the area became known

as The Shacks.

The appeal grew, and families began to build recreational homes on stilts in Biscayne Bay.

They sank pylons into the sandy bed beneath the seagrasses to establish a more solid foundation

than the original shacks.

They built sturdy platforms and constructed houses atop them.

Among the wholesome family getaways, organizations constructed stilt buildings as well, as social

clubs.

Stiltsville came to be known as the place to be seen among the trendy factions of Miami

culture.

There was still an element of the earlier racy reputation with wild parties, but for

the most part, Stiltsville was a collection of family vacation homes, where people escaped

to the remote waters of Biscayne Bay, accessible only by boat.

By the late 1950s, 27 houses had been constructed in Stiltsville.

Its reputation throughout its several decades' history ran the gamut from illicit club parties

and liaisons, to a place to make homemade hooch, to simple leisure getaways where extended

families could sunbathe, fish, and swim without the crowds of resort towns.

Then disaster struck.

In September 1960, Category 4 Hurricane Donna swept through the Florida Keys and Biscayne

Bay with sustained winds of 138 mph and gusts up to 178, with a storm surge of 13 feet.

20 of the 27 Stiltsville houses were destroyed in the storm.

Eight were rebuilt, but the effects of storms and other effects of nature on the wide, exposed

expanse of Biscayne Bay continued to take their toll.

A fire in 1961 destroyed the large and thriving Quarter Deck Club in Stiltsville, and then

in 1965, the government stepped in.

Any home that sustained damage to more than 50% of its structure had to be taken down.

Perhaps that was generous, considering all of these structures were unpermitted on unowned

land – if you can even call it land.

The remaining 17 buildings were required to be hoisted onto pilings nine feet above the

normal waterline.

That met current building safety code.

Eight new Stiltsville homes were constructed, bringing the total of the remaining Stiltsville

structures nearly back to its heyday.

But the times were changing.

In 1965, the state of Florida finally licensed the quarter-acre plots under each Stiltsville

house to the owner.

In 1976, that policy was amended to state that the licenses would expire in 1999 and

any remaining houses would be dismantled.

In 1980, the boundaries of Biscayne National Park expanded to include the area containing

the remaining Stiltsville houses.

The park agreed to honor the leases with the existing expiration date.

Stiltsville's existence was marching towards a firm end.

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In August of 1992, Hurricane Andrew, with its 174 mph winds, destroyed all but seven

of the remaining Stiltsville houses.

None of the original 27 lasted.

In the intervening years, an additional Stiltsville house that survived Hurricane Andrew was destroyed,

leaving just seven, including the six that remain today.

Stiltsville will never see the rekindling of its former glory.

Eco-preservation, claims to the sandy floor of the bay under the houses, and the expanding

boundaries of Biscayne National Park have eliminated the free-for-all atmosphere that

surrounded the creation of the Stiltsville houses.

A valiant attempt was launched in 1998 to get the Stiltsville houses on the National

Register of Historic Places, but in the end it failed.

Perhaps the nature of houses, however historic, on the open waters of the bay was considered

too ephemeral to warrant long-term protection.

After all, every single one of the original Stiltsville houses had failed to survive the

harsh conditions of the environment.

Not even all the rebuilt homes had survived.

With the end approaching, controversy erupted.

The park wanted the buildings removed, as per the lease agreement, with a 1999 target

date.

Removal would be at the expense of the owners of each of the remaining Stiltsville houses.

Public opinion varied.

The deadline was extended.

The park agreed to allow the houses to remain, but they would fall under park ownership and

be open to the public for tours.

Eviction notices were issued, and then deadlines extended again.

Inspections showed that the structures were in poor condition.

In 2003, the Stiltsville Trust was established by the superintendent of Biscayne National

Park.

Officially, the owners would become caretakers of their houses, and a clause was enacted

to allow limited public access for activities such as camera shoots, artists-in-residence,

or conferences.

Today, six houses remain.

One house was damaged by Hurricane Irma in 2017, but repairs are underway.

The seventh house to survive Hurricane Andrew was consumed by fire in 2021.

The rule still stands that if a house is more than 50 percent damaged, it must be taken

down.

It's a delicate environmental balance.

Construction for repairs and renovation can be harsh on the fragile seagrasses and the

native wildlife, but so can the removal of the remains of a damaged house.

Pilings from at least one former house have been left in place and form a sort of man-made

reef.

The houses are a curiosity.

They have been featured on television shows, documentaries, books, and magazines, advertisements

even.

The Pittsburgh Paint Company used Stiltsville as a very visual example of how well their

paint would hold up to weathering under the harsh conditions on the bay.

In fact, the colors of some of the houses are the first thing to catch the eye.

Baby blue and white, daffodil yellow with bright green shutters, yellow with pink shutters.

The largest of the houses is the blue and yellow home of the Powerboat Club.

It's a far cry from the party days of the quirky Watertown's past.

The raucous parties, the nude sunbathing, hiding away offshore from the far reaches

of the law.

The Powerboat Club is the only remaining club structure, the oldest remaining structure,

period, and it's family-oriented, with docking for up to 20 boats, a big water slide off

the dock, and rope swings to entertain the children.

The park and the caretakers jointly manage the Stiltsville houses under the auspices

of the Stiltsville Trust.

Half of the board of directors is comprised of the caretakers and the rest represent the

public's interest.

It's a delicate job juggling the preservation of the houses with the preservation of the

natural environment, and the two are sometimes at odds with each other.

It's not just the threat of storms, the wind, and the relentless southern Florida

sun.

The houses serve as a convenient resting and roosting places for the endless stream of

birds that call Biscayne Bay home.

Cormorant droppings are caustic to the wood of the houses.

The caretakers are responsible for keeping the houses well-maintained to ensure that

they're not eyesores in the national park, a hazard to boaters, or a threat to the fragile

balance of the ecosystem.

The remaining houses are glorious tributes to a long and storied history.

Large or small, natural wood or wild colors, they all contribute to this novel, odd, weirdly

wonderful sight in the midst of Biscayne Bay.

Biscayne National Park in Homestead, Florida is best explored by boat or snorkeling.

The park is open 24 hours a day, every day of the year, and preserves 270 square miles

between Key Biscayne and Key Largo.

A tiny sliver of shoreline flakes the park.

The only other land consists of the Keys that dot the expanse of the water.

Keys, by the way, are distinguished from other islands because they are formed from remnants

of ancient coral reefs.

The park and its affiliated outfitters offer canoe and kayak rentals, guided paddling and

snorkeling trips, and boat cruises that explore the Keys, the flora and fauna, and the history

of this area, including Stiltsville.

The human history of the park stretches back over 10,000 years, from historic Paleo-Indian

tribes to pineapple farmers to the modern-day Tequesta peoples.

Numerous shipwrecks lie beneath the waters of the park and can be explored on diving

expeditions.

The park does allow fishing, but lobstering is prohibited.

The Visitor Center offers exhibits, films, and art galleries.

The Junior Ranger Program includes scavenger hunt activities.

Biscayne National Park Institute provides educational adventures as well as opportunities

to participate in marine debris cleanup events.

The park consists of a plethora of birds, crustaceans, molluscs, fish, mammals, and

reptiles, including endangered species like the small-toothed sawfish, leatherback sea

turtle, wood stork, finback whale, manatee, humpback whale, and sperm whale.

The small slips of land within the park contain numerous endangered plant species, including

beech peanut, dollar orchid, Florida boxwood, and sergeant's cherry palm.

The seagrass habitat contains three specific types – turtlegrass, manateegrass, and shoalgrass.

Beyond providing a food source for marine animals, seagrass establishes fertile, protected

breeding grounds.

Boca Chita Cay is the most popular island in the park.

It has a hiking trail, a lighthouse, a beach, and docking facilities.

A trip to Biscayne National Park can be easily paired with Everglades National Park.

Both have primary entrances in Homestead, Florida.

Big Cypress National Preserve is a short drive away.

For a longer adventure, drive down to Key West and take a boat or seaplane to Dry Tortugas

National Park.

This episode of America's National Parks was written by Lauren Eisenberg Davis, and

I'm your host, Jason Epperson.

If you enjoyed the show, please consider leaving us a rating and a review, and if you're

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If you're looking for photos and tips about visiting national parks, check out our America's

National Parks Facebook group, and if you're interested in RV travel, we hope you'll

also check out our RV Miles podcast and YouTube channel.

Today's show was sponsored by L.L. Bean.

Follow the hashtag BeAnOutsider and visit LLBean.com to find great gear for exploring

the national parks.

And by Solostove, use promo code PARKS20OFF to get $20 off your next purchase of $200

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