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PAID CONTENT FOR TRAVEL SOUTH USA


FOR THE WILDLIFE Louisiana


While naturalist-led boat and kayak tours bring alligator-filled swamps and lakes to life, boardwalk trails and waterside lodgings get you up close to bountiful flora and fauna. Here are three ways to discover Louisiana’s wetlands and wildlife.


JOIN ‘SPRING IN THE SWAMP’ AT JEAN LAFITTE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK AND PRESERVE Named after the French pirate who sailed the Gulf of Mexico in the early 1800s, this preserve is an oasis of bayous, boardwalks and mysterious maritime history. One of the park’s six sites, the Barataria Preserve protects a particularly rich area of swamps and marshes. It’s also where the annual


‘Spring in the Swamp’ event takes place. Programming includes activities such as ranger-led canoe tours; a nightly ‘frog watch’, where visitors are invited to listen in to the amphibians’ dusk chorus; and naturalist-led sessions for kids.


STAY IN A LAKEFRONT CABIN AT LAKE FAUSSE POINTE STATE PARK Stitched into the Atchafalaya Swamp — the largest of its kind in the region at almost one million acres — Lake Fausse Pointe State Park is a great base for exploring the waters. Fully immerse yourself in the wetland by booking one of the rustic cabins that inch right up to the side of the swamp. The deluxe options are family-sized, plus amenities including bedding and cookware — though the real draw is a front-row view of the swamp, where you might see a great blue heron diving for its dinner. Beyond


your waterside perch, a boat launch provides access to Spanish-moss-cloaked bayous — there’s also a seven-mile-long canoe route and a trio of nature trails.


TAKE TO THE BOARDWALKS OF THE CYPRESS ISLAND PRESERVE If you’re a bird-lover, make a beeline for the swamp-knitted expanse of the Cypress Island Preserve. As winter tightens its grip, hordes of migratory species descend on this 9,500-acre site, making their nests in a jade-coloured canopy of cypress and tupelo trees. Look out for pink-flushed roseate spoonbills or snowy egrets with their distinctive yellow feet. The best way to explore the preserve is


from the boardwalk trail, which beats a 2.5- mile course through the wetlands. And be sure to drop in on the Visitor Center, where cheerful guides will brief you on the various species the park protects. JA


SEE MORE ONLINE AT NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.COM/TRAVEL


IMAGES: ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF PARKS, HERITAGE & TOURISM; TIM MUELLER


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