Since we got our passport books in Hot Springs, AR in 2018, we have been doing our best to collect as many stamps as possible, and visit every National Park site we can. This year, for Mother’s Day, the Traveling Igoes decided to knock off some of the low-hanging fruit.
There are two site within a few minutes of where we live in Louisiana, the New Orleans Jazz National Historic Park and the Jean Lafitte National Historic Park and Preserve. The Jazz Heritage Site has been closed since COVID began, but Jean Lafitte has recently become very accessible, and has a whole lot to offer.
We woke up early and headed down to French Quarter for brunch, where we at the Red Fish Grill. The restaurant is actually on Bourbon Street, just inside the Quarter, and is a great option for families. The food is extraordinary, but the atmosphere is very casual, and they offer a very diverse kid’s menu.
Afterwards, we wandered the Quarter for a bit, including Jackson Square and the riverfront, we made our way back to the car, changed into our hiking gear and headed south towards the tip of Louisiana.
The Jean Lafitte site is about 30 minutes outside of New Orleans, and for those visiting the city with kids, it is a good option. New Orleans offers far more adult attractions than it does for the younger members of the family, so having a National Park Site within half an hour at which you can spend an entire day is a nice option.
The park actually has six sites scattered across South Louisiana. Each location is unique in its focus, and they all reflect a place where traditions can be generations old, but the ground under your feet can change with the weather. The focus of this adventure was the Barataria Preserve.
The 26,000 acres include swamps, bayous, marshes and forests, and is crisscrossed by boardwalks that are frequented by humans, snakes and gators alike. When we arrived, we hit up the Visitors’ Center, got some info from the ranger, a few Junior Ranger Packets and headed out along the Visitor Center Trail.
This is only a 0.25 mile boardwalk near the Visitors’ Center that we were actually planning to skip, but the ranger told us that a mating pair of alligators were basking near the end. As usual, the ranger was telling the truth, and less than five feet from the boardwalk were two good looking gators. We saw several alligators in the wild at the Everglades, but it never gets old, and getting up close and personal is a bit exhilarating.
From there, we got back in the car and drove to the Bayou Coquille trailhead. There is a boardwalk connecting the Visitors’ Center to the Bayou trail, but, according to the ranger, it is not at all shaded, so we skipped the Palmetto Trail. Perhaps if we return at a cooler time of year, we will give it a go, but from April to September in Louisiana, it can be very unpleasant to walk 0.9 miles in zero shade, 90% humidity.
The Bayou Coquille Trail is an eerie trek through a Louisiana bayou that might have been pulled from a storybook. Within five minutes, we saw a small gator swimming up the bayou, leading to a baby gator sunning itself on an island. This trail is about half a mile, and in that half mile, we also ran across three harmless, but nonetheless creepy, snakes.
This trail dead ends at another trail, the Marsh Overlook, where we found a clearing overlooking a lily-filled marsh. On this portion of the walk, we came across two more alligators, culminating in a large gator resting in the marsh itself.
Most of these hikes are along boardwalks and are well tended, and the walk itself is relatively easy, to the point that we were able to do it with a stroller. There is no denying that we were sweaty by the end, but it was a great two-mile trek.
It is also worth noting that the Junior Ranger packet was relatively easy. Those of you that have gotten multiple badges know that some are very straight forward while others can actually be a pain in the ass. This packet was appropriate to the level of the park, and was easily completed in one day.
If you are visiting New Orleans, either with or without kids, and you want an excursion that will take you out of the city for a few hours, Jean Lafitte is a great option. If you want a longer excursion, there are several companies that offer airboat tours of the area as well.
Prior to going, I was optimistic that perhaps one day, this site might get re-designated as a Louisiana’s first National Park. Having visited, it seems unlikely to me, as the potential activities are a bit limited. That said, if you are in the area, I highly recommend you take the time to experience this beautiful cross-section of our underrated state.