Baton Rouge Travel Answers

If you look at Louisiana's official tourist website ( louisianatravel.com/index.ht... ), you'll notice that the Gulf Coast beaches are hardly mentioned. That's probably because the Gulf Coast beaches of the upper Texas coast and Louisiana are not very attractive compared to many of the beaches in more famous places like Florida or even Padre Island. The Mississippi River drops so much silt into the Gulf that the water is brown and opaque, not clear as it is much farther away from the Mississippi Delta. The sand is also generally not bright white but often a light brown. As kids growing up in Beaumont (just across the border in Texas), we went to the beach every summer. In Texas, at least, there are dozens or even hundreds of miles (it seems) of public beaches, where you can drive your car looking for an isolated spot and picnic, swim, and just hang out. The lack of crowding goes a long way in making up the less than perfect conditions. I haven't been along the Louisiana beaches since I was a child, but I recall similar situations on the beaches closer to the Texas border, such as near Lake Charles. I still recall looking at one scoured area where Hurricane Camille (or Betsy or whatever - they all run together) came through and wiped out all the structures. However, note that the laws regulating beaches vary from state to state, and I don't know if all beaches in Louisiana are public like they are in Texas. In any case, you might look at http://www.lastateparks.com/ - this site lists all the state parks in Louisiana, although, unhelpfully, you need to look at each link to figure out where it is. Note that a lot of attention is focused on parks at lakes rather than on the Gulf. Cypremort Point State Park is south (more or less) of Avery Island, where the Tabasco company is located (worth a trip itself if you're at all interested - it's a beautiful area). Look at the site above for info. Both Grand Isle State Park and Port Fourchon are more or less south of New Orleans proper out on the end of the delta. You can see more about them at the site above, or also at lafishmag.com/publicbeach.ht... and crt.state.la.us/crt/parks/gr... . I am totally unfamiliar with the beaches to the east of New Orleans, so forgive me if I leave them out... Bill

Wow, what a detailed answer and with links. I will check out these links and hopefully there will be some information. I wonder if I should just plan to swim in a lake instead but I just love the ocean. I have looked at a place called Holly Beach online and it doesn't look silty but it is hard to tell. It might be clearer because it is further west (near the tx border). It might be worth it to check out the large lakes as you mention even though I am not a big fan of lakes. Thanks for your reply :)

I was in Baton Rouge last year on business and I took a great weekend to explore nearby Cajun country. I recommend the guidebook Cajun Country Guide by Macon Fry, Julie Posner amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de... It is a little outdated, but if you do not mind a few wild goose (camel?) chases, it is a lot of fun. I went to Grand Isle, but as stated above, the sea is kinda brown because of the Mississippi. My favorite experience was staying near Houma at Wildlife Gardens Cabins B&B http://www.wildlifegardens.com/ where I had my own little cabin on stilts over the swamp and my personal alligator came to be fed every evening at 5pm! I also recommend a swamp boat tour, and all the cajun music and gumbo you can find.

Wow, what a detailed answer and with links. I will check out these links and hopefully there will be some information. I wonder if I should just plan to swim in a lake instead but I just love the ocean. I have looked at a place called Holly Beach online and it doesn't look silty but it is hard to tell. It might be clearer because it is further west (near the tx border). It might be worth it to check out the large lakes as you mention even though I am not a big fan of lakes. Thanks for your reply :)

Wow, what a detailed answer and with links. I will check out these links and hopefully there will be some information. I wonder if I should just plan to swim in a lake instead but I just love the ocean. I have looked at a place called Holly Beach online and it doesn't look silty but it is hard to tell. It might be clearer because it is further west (near the tx border). It might be worth it to check out the large lakes as you mention even though I am not a big fan of lakes. Thanks for your reply :)

err, I am not sure how that posted 2 times again. I refreshed the page and I guess it was the posting page from before :( How on earth did you stay in that cabin and not be afraid of alligators when you walked off the porch?? I looked at the picture and it doesn't seem like there is any fence or anything to stop them from coming out of the water!

There is some chicken wire from the deck floor up to the railing, and the cabins are on stilts a few feet out of the water, so the alligators would have to leap quite a way to feast on you. :) You have more chance of being eaten alive by the skeeters. And these gators are only a few feet long, not like the giant ones that the also B&B has on display in some pens with stout fences. If you ask, they will give you a coffee can of catfish food to feed the gators from your porch. The place is kinda funky and there were several peacocks strutting around and making their wierd crys when I was there. The cabins are widely separated so you feel you are out in the swamp alone. And there are lots of interesting swamp noises at night to lull you to sleep. My kinda place.

Yea but it didn't look like there was any wire from the walkway to the cabin. Can the alligators come onto the sidewalk?

Hmmm. Yes, I don't think there was any fence between the bayou/swamp and the path to the cabin. Guess you need your running shoes there. ^^^^^U^^^U^=___

I've been to Holly Beach, and although I enjoyed just collecting shells and listening to the waves break, I wouldn't go swimming there. The water is too murky and dirty looking. Holly Beach has it's own charm, in a redneck riviera sort of way. Don't expect luxury; expect a different culture. Along the road on the way there is a wildlife area, and we counted 60 aligators in the canals by the highway. Baton Rouge is just as close to Mississippi beaches as it is to Holly Beach: Gulfport and Biloxi are nicer than Holly Beach, if you can stand all the gambling casinos cluttering up the place. It would almost be worth it to drive a couple of hours farther and go to the Alabama beaches at Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. Beautiful sand, clear water, but lots of people. And apparently lots of sharks this year. Be careful. I hope you enjoy your stay in Baton Rouge.

Hey, thanks for the information. I might try to just go to one of the other beaches mentioned. I still want to check out Holly Beach but probably just for a day trip. Thanks again, for everyone's help!

My husband and I live just outside of Baton Rouge (we both work in the city) and have yet to go to a beach in LA that meets our picky criteria: clean water and waves. Louisiana's coastline is more brackish and swampy than anything else although it has it's own beauty. We're at or below sealevel down here and the soil is what we call "gumbo" which means it's thick, clay-like, and creates a whole lot of muddy water. We have loved Gulf Shores, AL (about 4 hrs from BR) and the beaches near Biloxi, MI (about an hour and a half from BR). I know you'll like BR because it's a small city but very friendly. Let me know by e-mail if you need more info. And, like someone else suggested, look into Cajun culture and food while you're down here! Great fun.

Thank you, I am indeed looking forward to seeing this region and the people do seem very friendly and helpful. I have been trying to gather together ideas for day trips......there seems like there is quite a bit to see and do. Do you think a trip toward New Orleans on top of the river wall is worth it?

how about nowhere in louisiana are their any beach spots. best bet is to hit textas or alabama and farther east

Margaret, I was born in Louisiana and have lived here most of my life, and if there is a "beach" somewhere it's the state's best kept secret. The land is marshy and not sandy where the Gulf Coast meets with our land area. It is not somewhere you would want to swim or even see for that matter. Sorry to break the news to you. But, Texas and Mississipi are nearby with some fairly nice beaches. Corpus Christi in South Texas is great, as well as Padre Island, Texas. Also, you are only about 8 hours away from some of the most beautiful beaches in the world- in Florida. Hope this helps! *Try visiting a Plantation home, or taking a "Swamp Tour" while you are here.