The Outdoors Awaits
By water or land, Livingston Parish offers endless outdoor adventures
With its close proximity to major metropolitan areas like Baton Rouge and New Orleans, Livingston Parish is a rugged respite for anyone looking to spend a day (or two, or three) in Sportsman’s Paradise. The beloved nickname rings especially true here, where nearly half of the parish is water. A whopping 400-plus miles of waterways, along with the 124,000-acre Maurepas Swamp Wildlife Management Area, make Livingston the dream playground for adventurers and outdoors enthusiasts.
If you've never experienced it, embarking on a waterborne airboat tour of Livingston's bayous, swamps, and rivers is the way to go, but paddling via canoe or kayak is just as fine a way to spend a summer day. Get lost beneath the moss-laden cypress trees and let Livingston's natural beauty work wonders.
The parish's natural areas are the ultimate escape for the avid outdoorsman (or woman) who opts to work hard and play even harder. Ample in game for hunting or fishing, load up on crappie sac-a-lait and bass-bream in Lake Maurepas, the second-largest lake in the state. At the Maurepas Swamp WMA, you can camp, hike, or hunt popular game like white-tailed deer, squirrel, and rabbit.
Springfield’s Tickfaw State Park offers a variety of different swamp and forest ecosystems for nature lovers to explore, along with the Tickfaw River. Recently added to the Gulf Coast Birding Trail, the park is a popular spot for birders and wildlife enthusiasts. Embark on a night hike or nature walk via miles of boardwalk trails, or take to the park’s basketball and volleyball courts for a little healthy competition. Or if you prefer a few rounds on the green, the expansive estate at Carter Plantation serves as the grounds for an award-winning golf course and dates all the way back to a Spanish land grant in 1804.
Denham Springs is also notably home to Bass Pro Shops, where you can stock up on all the sporting goods necessities prior to your outdoor adventure. Careful not to lose track of time browsing around the 163,000-square-foot store, equivalent in size to three-plus football fields! Whether you’re in need of a sporting sojourn or a slow-paced getaway from city life, Livingston’s niche in the natural world undoubtedly has something for you. livingstontourism.com.