The best way to experience the diverse topography of the Bayou State? We recommend hopping in the car, pressing that cruise control, and coasting (windows-down, of course) along the 180-mile Creole Nature Trail All-American Road. The route guides visitors through the region's native landscapes, from the Cajun prairies, to low-lying wetlands and, further south, to Gulf beaches. The trail offers an all-in-one route to world-class birding, crabbing, fishing, shelling, and wildlife surveying.
Dubbed "Louisiana’s Outback," this remote wilderness is readily accessible thanks to the Creole Nature Trail and encompasses three national wildlife refuges, as well as twenty-six miles of unspoiled shoreline. Other features include miles of coastal wetlands and a cluster of small fishing communities that make for perfect pit stops, with plenty of fresh seafood to go around. Explore the scenic byway behind the wheel or stretch your legs at one of the refuge boardwalk trails.
Your SWLA backcountry trek begins at the Creole Nature Trail Adventure Point, a free, immersive attraction located in Sulphur featuring imaginative and hands-on exhibits where visitors can learn the best places to spot alligators and migrating songbirds, smell mouthwatering aromas of traditional Cajun/Creole cooking, or join a Zydeco band onstage.
Both the Wetland Walkway at Sabine National Wildlife Refuge and the Pintail Wildlife Drive—a three-mile tour teeming with wildlife within the Cameron Prairie National Wildlife Refuge—are crown jewel experiences. Keep following the trail toward the LA-TX border and you'll reach Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge, one of the most biologically diverse wildlife areas in the country.
The trail reaches the Gulf at the fishing village of Holly Beach, or as this stretch of shoreline is also affectionately known as, the “Cajun Riviera.” Located ten miles west of Cameron, these sandy shores lie less than an hour’s drive from downtown Lake Charles, making barefoot beach days always within reach. Known primarily as a crabbing and sunbathing destination for locals and out-of-towners alike, this area also happens to be one of the best places to go shelling in Louisiana. It sits west of the Mississippi Delta, and the Gulf’s southeast tidal flow deposits an impressive array of shells on the shoreline, all of which make fine souvenirs. visitlakecharles.org.
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