Creole Nature Trail
Written: Jan 25 '00 (Updated Jan 23 '02)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: off the beaten track...few tourists
Cons: Primitive, lacking in malls, hotels, and chain restaurants
The Bottom Line: The Creole Nature Trail is a must see for birders, nature photographers, and those who love unique natural destinations
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| Howard_Creech's Full Review: Louisiana |
Louisiana is so much more than just New Orleans, yet most visitors know nothing of the pirate descendants and Islenos in the swamp country south of NOLA, Cajun country to the south and west of the Big Easy, the River Road between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Caddo Lake in N.W. LA., the Florida Parishes on the east bank of the Mississippi River, or the coastal marshes and rice fields of southwest Louisiana.
Southwest Louisiana has more than half of all the coastal marshes located in the United States. Almost 100,000,000 birds pass through this area every year (two major flyways intersect here) on their way south in the winter and north in the spring. The Creole Nature Trail, a 105 mile loop that passes through much of the marsh country, is southwest Louisiana's premiere natural attraction. The CNT has the distinction of being one of forty four nationally designated "All American Roads and Scenic Byways" and the only one in Louisiana.
Leave Interstate 10 just west of Lake Charles at Sulphur (watch for the LA Hwy 27/Creole Nature Trail exit) and follow the raised highway south, Hackberry is a good place to stop for supplies such as film, cold soft drinks, and munchies. Continue on to the Sabine National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge has a paved trail/raised boardwalk that meanders through the marsh for over a mile. See Herons, Egrets, Roseate Spoonbills, Alligators, Nutria, Coyotes, and every variety of duck and goose known to man up close. "Wildbird" magazine identifies the SNWR as one of the forty best birding locales in the country. The refuge is free, never crowded, and open every day from dawn till sundown (best times to visit are 8-11 am and 3pm until sundown).
Two other refuges that are worthy of mention are the Lacassine NWR (more than 230 different species of birds have been sighted here) The LNWR is not easily accesible without a boat, but you can visit the refuge headquarters. Cameron Prairie NWR has a three mile "drive it yourself" trail that is open from sunrise to sunset each day, and there is a short boardwalk that overlooks the marsh at the refuge headquarters. The kids will love this since the moat around the headquarters building is filled with hundreds of turtles.
Five miles south of SNWR is Holly Beach (one of only two beach areas in the entire state, the other is at Grand Isle) here you can walk along the beach, hunt sea shells, and look at the oil rigs out in the gulf. This is the so called "Coon-@ss Riviera" not to be missed if you enjoy tacky souvenirs. From Holly Beach you will drive east about 5 miles (still on La. Hwy 27) to the Lake Charles Ship Channel, which you will cross at Cameron by Ferry ($1.00 per vehicle eastbound, free westbound) Cameron (along with Morgan City) is the capitol of Louisiana's off shore oil industry. Cameron is a good place to stop for lunch, almost all the restaurants specialize in fresh seafood. Once you are past Cameron (at Oak Grove) the CNT will turn north. Just follow the signs for the Creole Nature Trail back to Lake Charles.
Be warned that the amenities are few and much of the scenery is tiny, run down, dusty Cajun towns (there is a very small town at virtually every high spot in the marsh), pick up trucks, and boats, boats, boats everywhere. If you visit anytime between late March and early October, be sure to purchase some insect repellent, the mosquitos have been known to carry off half grown children. If you are a birdwatcher, a photographer, love unique natural areas, or just like going places that no one else has ever heard of before, then the Creole Nature Trail just might be the place for you.
If you enjoyed reading this Louisiana travel review, please read my other Louisiana travel reviews:
New Orleans
Off the Beaten Path in New Orleans
http://www.epinions.com/trvl-review-1C6C-B84F727-39485E6B-prod2
New Orleans With an Attitude
http://www.epinions.com/trvl-review-27B-148CC64-3888A033-bd1
On the Trail of Jean Lafitte
http://www.epinions.com/trvl-review-7BA1-779DB91-389871D2-prod1
Louisiana Highway One
Exploring Louisiana’s Enchanted Backroads
http://www.epinions.com/trvl-review-23C0-71FABF8-395BAC56-prod2
Traveling back in Time
http://www.epinions.com/trvl-review-55C9-1846C465-39691684-prod5
Into the Cajun Heartland
http://www.epinions.com/trvl-review-206C-260B35E8-398C54E8-prod5
Cajun Country
A Pilgrimage to the Musical Heart of Louisiana
http://www.epinions.com/content_51310136964
A South Louisiana Journey
http://www.epinions.com/content_43274440324
Evangeline Parish, Real Cajun Country
http://www.epinions.com/trvl-review-4AE2-BA4E605-39229E55-prod4
A Quick Tour of Cajun Country
http://www.epinions.com/trvl-review-3AF1-245F61E-38970F4B-prod2
Rendevous Des Cajuns
http://www.epinions.com/trvl-review-42C-C0FA2A-38874480-bd1
Florida Parishes
St. Francisville the Capital of English Louisiana
http://www.epinions.com/trvl-review-1B91-51748AE-391D72B3-prod6
Southwest Louisiana
Creole Nature Trail
http://www.epinions.com/trvl-review-69F8-47FAB2-388DE015-bd3
Just “cut’n’paste” the URL into your browser’s address window
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
Howard_Creech
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Member: Howard Creech
Location: Louisville, KY
Reviews written: 334
Trusted by: 1276 members
About Me:
Photographer/Writer fascinated by Movies, Music, Books, American Diner Food, History, "Popular Culture", and Travel.
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