Louisiana’s culture may be world-famous, but beyond its vibrant cities lies an extraordinary natural playground waiting to be explored. The state is home to vast cypress-studded swamps, coastal marshlands and scenic bayous, along with numerous state parks that provide the perfect backdrop for outdoor adventure. From kayaking and canoeing to paddling, tubing and wildlife watching, Louisiana offers endless opportunities for water-based exploration amid breathtaking natural reserves, making it a dream destination for adventure enthusiasts.

Scenic State Parks for Paddling Adventures

• Lake Bistineau State Park, situated on the western shore of Lake Bistineau, offers beautiful vistas and outstanding recreational facilities. An 11-mile canoe trail offers lovely views of the hardwood forest, as well as stands of cypress and tupelo trees. The park has two boat launches and a beach with canoe and kayak rentals available.
• Poverty Point Reservoir State Park features a 2,700-acre, manmade lake perfect for a variety of water activities. As on many large bodies of water, wind sometimes can make for difficult paddling, but if you stick close to the shoreline, you can explore the coves and inlets as you enjoy the scenery. Consider using a sea kayak here, or schedule your paddling early or late in the day when the conditions may be more favourable.
• Lake Claiborne State Park offers a winding lakefront perfect for canoeing. Bring your own or enjoy the convenience of renting one on the premises. The park also has primitive canoe campsites.
• Lake Fausse Pointe State Park in the Atchafalaya Basin near St. Martinville has marked paddle paths through the cypress stands on the lake, offering canoe rentals and nice overnight cabins.
• Tickfaw State Park near Springfield offers paddlers the opportunity to explore cypress and tupelo swamps, bottomland hardwoods and mixed pine and hardwood forests, all on display for paddlers on the Tickfaw River.
• Fairview-Riverside State Park in Madisonville, right on the Tchefuncte River, is a great spot for paddling, boating and fishing. Just two miles by road and a few minutes by water is the Madisonville public boat launch. Many visitors use it for access to the calm waters of the Tchefuncte River or the exhilarating expanse of Lake Pontchartrain.
• In the Southeast corner of the state, the Grand Isle State Park offers the opportunity to canoe or kayak in the Gulf waters.

Iconic Bayous and Paddle Trails

• Depending on seasonal water levels, Toro Bayou in Sabine Parish offers easy to moderately difficult whitewater paddling.
• The possibilities are endless for paddlers on the Tensas River Paddle Trail and adjacent bayous, backwaters and tributaries. While paddling from the Fool River Boat Launch to the Ben Lilly Boat Launch is 15.2 miles, beginning paddlers or someone with only an hour or two to paddle can launch at Fool River Boat Ramp, paddle as far as you want on Fool River Lake, and then turn around.
• The Saline Bayou National River Corridor, located just north of Saline Lake is an ideal location for quiet canoeing, floating and fishing, and the wooded area offers various launching points, including Cloud Crossing Recreation Complex.
• The Cajun Coast Paddling Trails are seven routes through 170,000 acres of designated wildlife management areas in St. Mary Parish. It is a must-do for paddlers who also enjoy birding.
• Venture down one of the sites along the Atchafalaya Water Heritage Trail, including Bayou Plaquemine in Iberville Parish. Paddle along the bayou that early Louisiana explorer Iberville wrote about in his journal around the late 1660s.
• Lake Area Adventures offers kayak rentals, including tandem kayaks and fishing kayaks, in addition to tours through some of the most scenic views of the Lake Charles area.
• In north Louisiana, Bayou Bartholomew and Chemin-A-Haut State Park offer some of the loveliest day floats or paddling in the state. Bayou Chemin-A-Haut is walled on both sides by what Ernest Herndon, author of the book Canoeing Louisiana, describes as a “veritable gallery of cypress trees.”
• Other favourites for paddlers are the scenic rivers in north and central Louisiana, as well as in the Florida Parishes.

Unique Water Adventures Across the State

• In western Louisiana, the Whiskey Chitto Creek is another popular spot for paddling, and there are plenty of rental options.
• Lake a look around Mittie, north of Lake Charles, is the town to look for as it bills itself as the canoe capital of Louisiana.
• Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge, Bayou Segnette State Park and Jean Lafitte National Historical Park all offer rentals just a short drive from the centre of New Orleans.
• Within the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area lies the Bayou Teche National Water Trail. The Bayou Teche, a 135-mile-long waterway, was added to the National Water Trail System in 2015 as the 17th water trail in the country and the first in Louisiana and offers activities including kayaking and canoeing.
• In Lafayette, check out the Bayou Vermilion Paddle Trail in the Bayou Vermilion District, where recreation areas, boat and canoe launches, and areas of historical interest are highlighted.
• For a purely urban paddling experience, check out Bayou St. John, where you can paddle through the calm water of a scenic waterway and enjoy the scenery right inside the city of New Orleans. The short route takes you through a historic residential area along both banks of the bayou with interesting neighbourhood views.

Relax and Float

• After all the adventures and experiences, if you are in the mood to chill, it is hard to beat the relaxing vibe of floating down a river. The Bogue Chitto River is a popular spot for tubing. In Denham Springs, float down the Ouiska Chitto River, with many local companies offering tubing services in the area.

A Bonus Experience, New Orleans on a NOLA Gondola:

• Enjoy a magical 50-minute trip aboard a hand-crafted Venetian gondola as it glides through breathtaking lagoons, along intimate waterways and under stone-arch bridges. With a former Venice gondolier as your guide, this ultra-authentic experience is as real as you can get this side of the Atlantic Ocean.