Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve · NPS Photo · Public domain (US federal government)
Road Trip Guide: Louisiana
Explore Louisiana
Interstate 10 crosses the Atchafalaya Basin in Louisiana on a pair of parallel bridges with a total length of 96,095 feet, about 18 miles. The Causeway Bridge over Lake Pontchartrain is longer, spanning 24 miles.
Around 13 breweries sit near the stops we cover in Louisiana. 2 of them are brewpubs with a kitchen, which off the motorway is often the useful part. The kitchen figure is a floor: the source lists some full restaurants as production sites.
Brewpub locations from Open Brewery DB (MIT)
Locations in Louisiana
We have written 3 guides to places in Louisiana, plus 1 stop along the way.
*Check before you go. Entrance fees, seasonal road closures, timed-entry reservations and whether a site suits your family are set by each park and change through the year. Follow the link and check with the park itself.
Park register from the National Park Service (public domain)
State parks in Louisiana
27 state parks we know of in Louisiana. We have not visited these and have no guide to them — this is a list of what exists, so you can look one up.
See all 27
Audubon State Historic Site
Bayou Segnette State Park
Bogue Chitto State Park
Chemin-A-Haut State Park
Chicot State Park
Cypremort Point State Park
Fairview-Riverside State Park
Fontainebleau State Park
Fort Jesup
Fort Macomb State Historic Site
Grand Isle State Park
Hodges Gardens State Park
Jimmie Davis State Park
Lake Bistineau State Park
Lake Bruin State Park
Lake Claiborne State Park
Lake D'Arbonne State Park
Lake Fausse Pointe State Park
Longfellow-Evangeline State Historic Site
North Toledo Bend State Park
Palmetto Island State Park
Port Hudson State Historic Site
Poverty Point Reservoir State Park
Sam Houston Jones State Park
South Toledo Bend State Park
St. Bernard State Park
Tickfaw State Park
*Check before you go. Opening hours, entry fees, campsite availability and whether a park suits your family are not in this data and change with the season. Several of these are day-use only. Please confirm with the park before setting out.
State park locations from Wikidata (CC0)
Lakes in Louisiana
7 lakes in Louisiana that we have checked. These are the ones from our research that we could check against an official page — not every lake there is. We have not been to these; this is what the official pages say, so you can look one up.
Rentals & marinayes (North Toledo Bend SP rents flat boats, canoes, kayaks)
Swimmingpool at North Toledo Bend SP (seasonal); no lake beach verified
CampingNorth Toledo Bend State Park (LA): 63 RV sites + 10 cabins, book at reservations.gooutdoorslouisiana.com
EntryNorth Toledo Bend SP: $3/person (62+ and 3 & under free)
SeasonSP gates open daily 6am-10pm
Many stumps and floating logs; take extreme care outside boat lanes. Hydrilla present. 84.3% full (Texas share) on 2026-10-31.
Run by Sabine River Authority of Texas & Sabine River Authority of Louisiana
*Check before you go. Every lake here links to the official page we checked it against. 6 of these state a price we read off that page on the date we checked. Fees, seasons, water levels, algal advisories and ramp closures change without notice and belong to the agency that runs the water. A blank is something we did not confirm, not something the lake lacks. Never assume a lifeguard. Whether a beach is staffed turns on the season, the day, and which agency runs that particular beach — two beaches on one lake can differ. If that matters to your family, confirm it with the agency before you set out.
North Shore path through Abita Springs and Mandeville
This is a list of what is there, not a recommendation of any of it. Opening dates, lift schedules and trail conditions move every year and we hold none of them, so check before you build a day around it. Every name above links to the operator’s own site.
Days out with the family
Gated attractions with a front door, a ticket and a car park.
Fall: Mon & Wed-Fri noon-5pm; Tue 10am-5pm; Sat 9am-6pm; Sun 10am-5pm (last entry 1 hr before close)
Season
hours change seasonally
This is a list of what is near you, not a recommendation of any of it. 2 of these carry an accreditation we confirmed against the accrediting body’s own register. Where there is no badge we did not confirm one — that is not a judgement on the place, and a good many municipal, state and university sites belong to no register we check. 2 entries are marked with an asterisk: we could not confirm part of what is listed, and the note under it says which part. Opening times, prices and seasons change without notice, so check the operator’s own site — every name above links to it.
Ride park inside New Orleans City Park; listed as a current City Park attraction. Hours not confirmed.
This is a list of what is near you, not a recommendation of any of it. Prices, hours and ride closures change without notice — every name above links to the park’s own site.
Distilleries in Louisiana
2 producers in Louisiana that we have checked. These are the ones from our research we could check against their own site — not every producer there is. We have not been to these; this is what their own sites say, so you can look one up.
Rum distillery off I-10 with tastings and a cocktail lounge.
HoursTue-Sat 9am-5pm; closed Sun-Mon
Toursyes; distillery tours, book online
Phone(337) 588-5800
20909 Frontage Rd, Lacassine, LA 70650
*Check before you go. Every producer here links to its own site, which is where we read these details on the date we checked. Opening hours, tour times, tasting fees and who may come in change without notice and belong to the producer. A blank is something we did not confirm, not something they lack. None of these say anything about children, so do not plan around it without asking them.
Landmarks and curiosities
What is worth stopping the car for, from the formally designated to the frankly odd.
A private paranormal-themed museum in a 200-year-old French Quarter building, with haunted and occult collections, Voodoo altars and a Voodoo shop. The operator itself describes it as not for the faint-hearted.
Content: ghosts, occult, 'the dead' and, per the ticket page, 'true crime'; operator's own warning 'not for the faint-hearted'
Operator is a tour company also selling ghost hunts, séances, psychic readings and bachelor/ette parties
Hours conflict between pages: museum page gives Fri-Sat 12-6 / Sun-Thu 12-5; ticket page says 'Opens 12pm every day'
Operator pages make unverified claims ('America's first Ghost Photo Gallery', resident ghosts) and superlatives
Voodoo is a living religion; copy should describe it neutrally
The quoted 'faint-hearted' line is followed on the page by an invisible zero-width character before '!'
The city page says bollards close the street for 'pedestrian-only times' but gives no times. Older city traffic-study PDFs (not fetched) give closure windows; not used.
Admission
Public street; the page states no fee and does not say free.
Season
Not stated.
A French Quarter street whose blocks from Canal Street to St. Ann Street the city closes to cars at set times for pedestrian-only use.
Pedestrian-only times not given on the city page
City search results include a NOLA Ready page about the New Year's 2025 mass-casualty incident at Canal and Bourbon; keep it out of copy under the no-violence rule
Run by City of New Orleans (Department of Public Works maintains the street and its bollard system)
St. Louis Cathedral is open daily to the public from 9:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.--last visitors admitted at 3:45 p.m.--with variations related to certain holidays and special events such as weddings. source
Admission
Neither the home page nor the visit page states an entry fee or says entry is free; a paid early 'exclusive-access' guided tour (Mon-Sat 9 a.m.) is booked through third-party links.
Season
No seasonal schedule stated.
A three-steepled cathedral facing Jackson Square and the Andrew Jackson statue, open to visitors daily; inside are stained glass windows and artworks. No food or drink is allowed, and hats come off before entering.
Closes to visitors at times for weddings and special events; the cathedral asks visitors to check its calendar
Cathedral restoration campaign under way ('Cathedral Restoration Updates' on site)
Founding date differs between pages: home page 'Established 1718', visit page 'origins dating back to 1720'; not used in the note
Working church: Mass times listed on the site
Run by St. Louis Cathedral parish (Archdiocese of New Orleans)
Hours: 7 days a week, 8am-6pm in the winter, 8am-7pm during Daylight Savings Time source
Admission
The city page states no fee and does not say free.
A 2.5-acre square in the French Quarter, also called the Place d'Armes, overlooking the Mississippi River; the city lists no playground there. Open daily from 8 a.m., closing at 6 p.m. in winter and 7 p.m. in Daylight Saving Time.
City page last updated 5/30/2024
City news on the same site mentions a Lower Decatur & St. Peter St. construction project affecting French Quarter businesses; may affect access nearby
Address quote keeps the page's typo 'Sreet'
Run by City of New Orleans Department of Parks & Parkways
This is a list of what is near you, not a recommendation of any of it. Opening times and prices here are quoted from each operator’s own page on the date we read it, and both change without notice. Where this list says an operator does not publish their hours or their price, that is what we found on their page — 1 of these publish no hours and 3 state no price. A blank is not “free” and not “always open”, so ring ahead where it matters. Every name above links to that page.
These are things you can go and look at, not a recommendation of any of them. Oddities move, get sold and quietly disappear more than anything else we list, so check anything you are driving a long way for. Where this list says we did not find a price or opening times published, that is exactly what we mean. A blank is not “free” and not “always open”. Some sit on private land and can only be seen from the road — please do not go onto anyone’s property. Every entry links the page we read it off.
Festival days ticketed; racing season late Nov-March
Address
1751 Gentilly Blvd, New Orleans, LA 70119
Racetrack that hosts the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.
* We could not confirm: address from reference, not checked on official site this session; history/capacity from reference, not re-checked this session. Check their site before you go.
Housed in the 1835 Old U.S. Mint at the edge of the French Quarter and Frenchmen Street.
* We could not confirm: address from reference, not checked on official site this session; building year from reference. Check their site before you go.
This is a list of what is near you, not a recommendation of any of it. Events are listed by the month they usually fall in, because that is what we hold — we do not publish dates, and a month is not a promise. Check the organiser before you plan around one. 19 entries are marked with an asterisk: we could not confirm part of what is listed, and the note under it says which part. Opening times, line-ups and ticketing change without notice, so check the venue’s or organiser’s own site — every name above links to it.
On the road
Before you set off.
Scenic roads through Louisiana
Federally designated scenic byways and All-American Roads, with the places we publish along each one in the order you meet them.
Spring is often warm, with rain and cooler spells.
Wear
Pair a breathable tee or relaxed shirt with lightweight chinos, joggers, or an easy midi skirt. Add an open overshirt for cool stops.
Shoes
Broken-in walking sneakers; water-resistant shoes when rain is forecast.
Pack
light cardigan or overshirt
packable rain jacket
sun hat
spare socks
Summer 91°/72°F (33°/22°C)
Summer is hot and humid, with rain possible throughout the season.
Wear
Choose a loose, breathable tee or shirt with quick-drying shorts, lightweight pants, or an airy dress. Carry a thin layer for chilly indoor stops.
Shoes
Breathable walking sneakers; secure sandals for casual paved stops.
Pack
sun hat
sunglasses
light indoor layer
light rain shell
spare tee
Fall 79°/57°F (26°/14°C)
Fall often starts hot before cooler weather arrives.
Wear
Pair a tee with lightweight pants or a casual skirt, then add a cardigan or overshirt as evenings cool. Swap to a sweater later in the season.
Shoes
Comfortable walking sneakers; water-resistant shoes for rainy days.
Pack
cardigan or overshirt
light rain shell
sun hat
warmer late-season layer
Winter 62°/42°F (17°/5°C)
Winter is typically mild, but cold fronts can bring freezing weather.
Wear
Wear a tee or long-sleeve top with pants and a sweater. Add a medium-weight jacket on colder days and a rain shell for wet stops.
Shoes
Closed-toe walking shoes; water-resistant shoes when showers are forecast.
Pack
sweater
medium-weight jacket
rain shell
warm socks
light gloves for cold spells
Adjust for your route. Northern Louisiana has greater cold-weather variation than the Gulf-influenced south. Carry a warmer jacket for winter northern routes.
