Louisiana Recreation Areas

Directions From Baton Rouge, LA, take U.S. Highway 190 west to the Atchafalaya River, then go south on Louisiana Highway 975 to the Sherburne WMA. You may also drive from Baton Rouge or Lafayette, LA by taking Interstate 10 to the Whiskey Bay Bridge. Exit onto Hwy 975 north onto a gravel road about 9 miles. Turn right onto Bayou Manual Road or continue north along the levee for more entrances. After prolonged heavy rainfall, a 4×4 may temporarily be necessary to access the refuge by vehicle. Phone 985-882-2000 Activities BOATING, FISHING, HIKING, HUNTING Camping Reservations Reserve your campsite at these camping areas: Louisiana Campgrounds Hiking Trails Looking for nice hiking areas to take a hike? Choose from these scenic hiking trails: Louisiana Hiking Trails Related Link(s) More Louisiana Recreation Areas Atchafalaya National Wildlife Refuge Atchafalaya NWR, about 30 miles west of Baton Rouge, Louisiana and one mile east of

Directions The refuge headquarters is located approximately 3.5 miles east of Highway 15 on Poole Road outside of Ferriday, LA. Phone 318-336-7119 Activities BOATING, INTERPRETIVE PROGRAMS, FISHING, HIKING, HUNTING, WILDLIFE VIEWING, ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION, PHOTOGRAPHY, PADDLING Camping Reservations Reserve your campsite at these camping areas: Louisiana Campgrounds Hiking Trails Looking for nice hiking areas to take a hike? Choose from these scenic hiking trails: Louisiana Hiking Trails Related Link(s) More Louisiana Recreation Areas Bayou Cocodrie National Wildlife Refuge Bayou Cocodrie National Wildlife Refuge covers more than 14,600 acres in east central Louisiana, nestled between Ferriday and Monterey. Named after the bayou meandering through it, the refuge consists of critical habitats within the Lower Mississippi River Valley. Cocodrie Bayou is designated as a state scenic river. The bottomland hardwoods at Bayou Cocodrie NWR have been noted as some of the last remaining, least disturbed timber in the Mississippi River Delta.

Directions From Slidell: Take I-10 west; take Irish Bayou exit #254; turn left onto Highway 11. From New Orleans: Take I-10 east to exit #246A (Chalmette, I-510); go about 2 miles on I-510 to Highway 90 East exit; turn left and go approximately 4 miles. Interpretive kiosks are located on Highway 11 and on Highway 90. The refuge headquarters and visitor center are located in Lacombe, Louisiana, between Mandeville and Slidell. The center is situated at 61389 Highway 434 two miles south of I-12 (Exit 74) and just north of the intersection of Highways 434 and 190. Look for the Big Branch Marsh Refuge sign. Phone 985-882-2000 Activities BOATING, HISTORIC & CULTURAL SITE, INTERPRETIVE PROGRAMS, FISHING, HIKING, WILDLIFE VIEWING Camping Reservations Reserve your campsite at these camping areas: Louisiana Campgrounds Hiking Trails Looking for nice hiking areas to take a hike? Choose from these scenic hiking trails: Louisiana Hiking Trails

Directions The refuge headquarters and visitor center are located in Lacombe, Louisiana, between Mandeville and Slidell. The center is situated at 61389 Highway 434 two miles south of I-12 (Exit 74) and just north of the intersection of Highways 434 and 190. Look for the Big Branch Marsh Refuge sign. Phone 985-882-2000 Activities BOATING, HISTORIC & CULTURAL SITE, INTERPRETIVE PROGRAMS, FISHING, HIKING, HUNTING, VISITOR CENTER, WILDLIFE VIEWING, ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION, PHOTOGRAPHY, PADDLING Camping Reservations Reserve your campsite at these camping areas: Louisiana Campgrounds Hiking Trails Looking for nice hiking areas to take a hike? Choose from these scenic hiking trails: Louisiana Hiking Trails Related Link(s) More Louisiana Recreation Areas Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) was established in October 1994, and is comprised of 15,000 acres of coastal marsh and pine forested wetlands. Of this total, the Conservation Fund has donated over 10,000 acres

Directions Bogue Chitto NWR is located about 45 miles north of New Orleans, LA. From the Louisiana Side: To reach the southern tip of the refuge, take I-59 to Pearl River Turnaround Exit 11. Heading east from this exit takes you to a fishing area, turning west will take you toward the Holmes Bayou Trail. NOTE: as of July, 2013, the maintenance of the Holmes Bayou trail will be suspended indefinitely due to lack of funds. The Refuge can also be accessed from Locks 1, 2, & 3 by taking Highway 41 north of Slidell. From the Mississippi Side: To reach the furthermost East side of the Refuge, take I-59 North to Picayune, MS. Take HWY 43 to Walkiah Bluff Water Park or to Dumas Wise Road to access the Refuge. Phone 985-882-2000 Activities BOATING, CAMPING, INTERPRETIVE PROGRAMS, FISHING, HIKING, HUNTING, WILDLIFE VIEWING, PHOTOGRAPHY, PADDLING Camping Reservations Reserve your campsite

Directions Take exit 36 (highway 397 south) off of Interstate 10 east of Lake Charles, Louisiana. Follow highway 397 south 8 miles. Turn left at the stop sign on highway 14. Follow highway 14 to Holmwood, Louisiana. Where highway 14 turns left continue straight onto highway 27. From this point the refuge headquarters is located 11 miles south on the right hand side. Phone 337-598-2216 Activities AUTO TOURING, BOATING, INTERPRETIVE PROGRAMS, FISHING, HUNTING, VISITOR CENTER, WILDLIFE VIEWING, PHOTOGRAPHY, PADDLING Camping Reservations Reserve your campsite at these camping areas: Louisiana Campgrounds Hiking Trails Looking for nice hiking areas to take a hike? Choose from these scenic hiking trails: Louisiana Hiking Trails Related Link(s) More Louisiana Recreation Areas Cameron Prairie National Wildlife Refuge Cameron Prairie National Wildlife Refuge was established to preserve and protect wintering waterfowl and their habitat. It was the first refuge established under the auspices of the North American

Directions Catahoula NWR headquarters is located approximately 12 miles east of Jena, Louisiana. From the Intersection of LA 28 and US 84, turn west on US 84. Follow US 84 about 1.5 miles and turn west on Catahoula NWR Road. The headquarters is about .5 mile from US 84, located in the second building. Directional signs are found along the route. Phone 318-992-5261 Activities AUTO TOURING, BOATING, INTERPRETIVE PROGRAMS, FISHING, HIKING, HUNTING, WILDLIFE VIEWING, PHOTOGRAPHY, PADDLING Camping Reservations Reserve your campsite at these camping areas: Louisiana Campgrounds Hiking Trails Looking for nice hiking areas to take a hike? Choose from these scenic hiking trails: Louisiana Hiking Trails Related Link(s) More Louisiana Recreation Areas Catahoula National Wildlife Refuge Catahoula National Wildlife Refuge, located in east central Louisiana, 12 miles east of Jena, was established in 1958 as a wintering area for migratory waterfowl. The refuge contains 25,162 acres divided into two

Directions The refuge headquarters is located on Lousisiana Highway 1194, 3.9 miles from the junction of Highway 1194 and Highway 1 in Fifth Ward, Louisiana. Highway 1194 becomes Island Road 0.5 mile from the headquarters. An alternate route to the refuge from Marksville, Louisiana is south on Highway 115 to Little California Road, 3.3 miles to Island Road, the headquarters is 0.5 mile left from the intersection of Little California Road and Island Road. Phone 318-253-4238 Activities BOATING, INTERPRETIVE PROGRAMS, FISHING, HIKING, WILDLIFE VIEWING Camping Reservations Reserve your campsite at these camping areas: Louisiana Campgrounds Hiking Trails Looking for nice hiking areas to take a hike? Choose from these scenic hiking trails: Louisiana Hiking Trails Related Link(s) More Louisiana Recreation Areas Grand Cote National Wildlife Refuge Grand Cote National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1989 to provide valuable waterfowl habitat in the Mississippi/Red River floodplain as part of the North

Directions To reach Handy Brake NWR, take U.S. Hwy 165 into Bastrop, Louisiana. East of the courthouse square and after the divided lanes have merged, turn north onto Cooper Lake Road. Travel approximately 6 miles and look for refuge sign on the east side of the road. Phone 318-726-4222 Activities WILDLIFE VIEWING, PHOTOGRAPHY Camping Reservations Reserve your campsite at these camping areas: Louisiana Campgrounds Hiking Trails Looking for nice hiking areas to take a hike? Choose from these scenic hiking trails: Louisiana Hiking Trails Related Link(s) More Louisiana Recreation Areas Handy Brake National Wildlife Refuge Handy Brake National Wildlife Refuge is located just north of Bastrop in Morehouse Parish, north central Louisiana. The refuge was established in 1988 with the southeast’s first fee title transfer of a Farmer’s Home Administration tract (466 acres) to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. A free lease of 38 acres from International Paper Company

Directions The office/visitor contact center for Lacassine NWR is located at 209 Nature Road, Lake Arthur, LA 70549 and is open weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. If traveling west on Interstate 10, take exit 64 (Jennings)and travel south on Highway 26 to Lake Arthur, west on Highway 14 for 7 miles to Highway 3056, then south 4.5 miles. If eastbound on Interstate 10, take exit 54 (Welsh) and travel south on Highway 99 to Highway 14, east on Highway 14 for 3 miles to Highway 3056, then south 4.5 miles to the end of Highway 3056. Lacassine Pool, a 16,000 acre freshwater impoundment and major feature of the refuge, is at the end of Illionis Plant Road, 4.5 mile south of Highway 14. 3 miles east of Hayes. Phone 337-598-2216 Activities AUTO TOURING, BOATING, INTERPRETIVE PROGRAMS, FISHING, HIKING, HUNTING, WILDLIFE VIEWING, PHOTOGRAPHY, PADDLING Camping Reservations Reserve your campsite

Directions The refuge is located 5 miles southwest of Houma, LA. Houma is approximately 60 miles southwest of New Orleans, LA. The refuge is only accessible by boat. The headquaters is located 5 miles West of Houma, LA on LA Highway 182. Phone 985-853-1078 Activities BOATING, HISTORIC & CULTURAL SITE, FISHING, HIKING, HUNTING, WILDLIFE VIEWING, PHOTOGRAPHY, PADDLING Camping Reservations Reserve your campsite at these camping areas: Louisiana Campgrounds Hiking Trails Looking for nice hiking areas to take a hike? Choose from these scenic hiking trails: Louisiana Hiking Trails Related Link(s) More Louisiana Recreation Areas Mandalay National Wildlife Refuge Mandalay National Wildlife Refuge, established in 1996, is located in Terrebonne Parish in southeast Louisiana. The 4,212 acre refuge is composed of freshwater marsh and cypress-tupelo swamp. The refuge provides excellent habitat for waterfowl, wading birds, and neotropical songbirds. Access is by boat only and foot travel is extremely difficult due to

Directions Sabine NWR is located about 22 miles south of Sulphur, Louisiana. Take Exit 20 off of Interstate 10 in Sulphur. Turn south on Highway 27 and proceed south through Hackberry. The Refuge Headquarters/Visitor Center is located approximately 8 miles south of Hackberry on the East side of Highway 27. Phone 337-762-3816 Activities BOATING, INTERPRETIVE PROGRAMS, FISHING, HIKING, HUNTING, VISITOR CENTER, WILDLIFE VIEWING Camping Reservations Reserve your campsite at these camping areas: Louisiana Campgrounds Hiking Trails Looking for nice hiking areas to take a hike? Choose from these scenic hiking trails: Louisiana Hiking Trails Related Link(s) More Louisiana Recreation Areas Sabine NWR,about 8 miles south of Hackberry, on State Highway 27, was established in 1937 to provide habitat for migratory waterfowl and other birds. The refuge consists of a basin of wetlands located between the Gulf’s beach cheniers (oak ridges)and the coastal prairie, which is one of the most productive

Directions Please call the Southeast Louisiana Refuge Complex for directions at 985-882-2000. Phone 985-882-2000 Activities BOATING, FISHING Camping Reservations Reserve your campsite at these camping areas: Louisiana Campgrounds Hiking Trails Looking for nice hiking areas to take a hike? Choose from these scenic hiking trails: Louisiana Hiking Trails Related Link(s) More Louisiana Recreation Areas Established in 1907, Shell Keys National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is one of the oldest refuges in the National Wildlife Refuge System. It is also a testimony to the fast eroding shoreline of Louisiana. Its boundary was and still is rather loosely described as “… a small group of unsurveyed islets located in the Gulf of Mexico about three and one half miles south of Marsh Island, LA, and approximately at latitude 29 degrees 26 minutes north, longitude 91 degrees 51 minutes west from Greenwich…” The boundary of the refuge has been interpreted to be those areas

Directions Although Upper Ouachita NWR does not have a visitor center, many points of access are available to the public. Access Finch Bayou Recreation area and the scenic River Road on the west side of the refuge by way of La. Hwy 143. From Haile, Louisiana, turn east on Hooker Hole Road. Drive four miles and turn north onto River Road. Visitors can access the east side of the refuge in Morehouse Parish by way of Bastrop, Louisiana. From U.S. Hwy 165 turn west on Hang Out Road and travel 5 miles. Turn left on Meter Station Road. Go straight into the parking lot. For more access points onto the refuge, refer to a refuge brochure. Refuge headquarters are located on D’Arbonne NWR. Phone 318-726-4400 Activities BOATING, INTERPRETIVE PROGRAMS, FISHING, HUNTING Camping Reservations Reserve your campsite at these camping areas: Louisiana Campgrounds Hiking Trails Looking for nice hiking areas to