Jean Lafitte Barataria Nature Swamp Preserve

When you think of Louisiana, you probably think of the country’s largest swamp at the base of the Mississippi and Atchafalaya rivers.  The swamp is awesome. It’s home to a ridiculous amount of wildlife in a setting that can’t be seen anywhere else in the country.   It’s a surreal experience to travel through bayous surrounded by Spanish moss filled cypress trees.  A great place to get out and hike in the swampland is at Jean Lafitte Barataria Nature Preserve.  

The preserve is located at about 20 minutes south of New Orleans at 6588 Barataria Boulevard, Marrero.  It covers 23,000 acres of swampland and is home to over 200 bird species.  There’s also plenty of alligators, snakes, lizards, and nutria.  The preserve is named after Jean Lafitte, a pirate who operated in the Louisiana bayous during the early 1800’s.  There are several awesome hiking trails in the park that offer a great chance to view some wildlife and take in the swamp experience.  To see everything the park has to offer, check out its website here.  The park has a system of canoe trails as well, but they are currently closed due to most of the bayous being overrun with vegetation.

These pictures were taken along the Bayou Coquille trail.  The trail is about 2 miles round trip and goes from the cypress swamp out to the salt marsh.  It’s really neat to see the transition from freshwater swamp to saltmarsh in just under a mile.  

Jean Lafitte Swamp Boardwalk
The boardwalk through the swamp
Louisiana Swamp Wildflowers
Wildflowers mixed in with the undergrowth
Louisiana Spanish Moss
The cypress trees here are full of Spanish Moss
Jean Lafitte Ribbon Snake
Saw a ribbon snake in the process of swallowing a small lizard
Bayou vegetation
Thick vegetation over the bayou here. Bring your airboat.
Louisiana Ribbon Snake
Ran into another ribbon snake along the trail.

Louisiana Swamp
You know you’re in the swamp when all you see are palmetto palms and cypress knees.

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Swamp Boardwalk
The boardwalk weaves its way through the swamp out the marsh.

It feels like you are walking through the jungle as cypress swamp transitions to a marsh environment.  The amount of wildlife thriving in this ecosystem is amazing.  It is pretty easy to forget that Bourbon Street and the rest of New Orleans is only a 20 minute drive away.

Louisiana wild crawfish
Found this crawfish preaching
Huge Louisiana spider
They have some big golden silk orb weaver spiders here
Louisiana bayou in Jean Lafitte
There are eventually some breaks in the bayou vegetation. Great spot to see gators!
Swamp heron fishing in Louisiana
A little blue heron was out fishing in the bayou
Louisiana salt marsh swamp
At the end of the trail the cypress swamp has transitioned to the salt marsh.
Jean Lafitte swamp trail
Empty trail on the walk back. Great Hike!

Jean Lafitte Barataria Nature Preserve is definitely a good place to stop if you are planning a trip to New Orleans and want to spend some time in the outdoors.  It’s one of the closest natural areas to the city where you can get out and hike.  Not to mention you get a first-hand look at the incredible swamp ecosystem that you can really only see in Louisiana.  If you are interested in other Louisiana Natural Areas, check out Tunica Falls HERE and Mandalay National Wildlife Refuge HERE!

Let us know what you think

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