7 Great Road Trips to Take in Louisiana

Driving through Louisiana, you might observe that the state is uniquely well-equipped for road trips. The sheer volume of historic sights and natural beauty spots is hard to find in any other state of its size; a road trip in Louisiana can lead you from dense pine forests to marshy wetlands and from modern cities to tiny 18th-century villages, all within the span of a few hours.

To help aid in the planning of drives around the state, the state of Louisiana created the Louisiana Scenic Byways, a series of road itineraries with specific themes pertaining to the history, culture, and scenery emblematic of Louisiana. In some cases, these scenic byways simply consist of a list of destinations that one can visit in any order rather than a specific path down specific roads, and would-be motorists are highly encouraged to check into each individual byway for a full list of all the denoted attractions, but for the sake of simplicity, the itineraries listed will be along specific roads and will not feature too many significant deviations or backtracking. Each trip is listed in ascending order from shortest to longest, with the longest overall being just the beginning part of one of the longest and most celebrated National Scenic Byways in the country.

Cajun Corridor—Gueydan to Avery Island

The Cajun Corridor consists of a single stretch of Louisiana Highway 14, running for 34 miles through the flatlands of Vermillion Parish, the epicenter of the Acadiana region and home to the largest concentration of Cajun French speakers in Louisiana. The trip starts in Gueydan, the "Duck Capital of America", home of the Gueydan Museum and site of the annual Duck Festival, and bears east along LA 14, the road bounded on either side by combined rice and crawfish farms. The road continues east to Kaplan, home of Le Musée de Kaplan and the Krewe Chic la Pie Mardi Gras celebration. This is followed by the quintessentially Francophone town of Abbeville on the Vermillion River, home of the yearly Giant Omelette Celebration and a multitude of excellent Cajun eateries.

About six miles east of Delcambre, turn south onto Avery Island Road. The flat farmlands give way to salt marsh and swamplands, and soon the road dead-ends at the famous Avery Island, home of the TABASCO factory and the associated Bird City wildlife refuge. If done in a completely straight shot without stopping, this drive could be done in less than an hour, but the unique towns, cultural sites, and multitude of Cajun eateries along the way ensure that one could easily spend the better part of a day exploring this otherwise quiet and bucolic part of the country.

Toledo Bend Forest Scenic Byway—Toledo to Logansport

This scenic byway runs for 78 miles through one of the state's quietest and most under-explored corners, in the far westernmost reaches of the state, parallel to Toledo Bend Reservoir. Almost the entire drive is surrounded by dense pine forest, this area being the heart of Louisiana's Piney Woods region. The trip actually begins just before the state border between Louisiana and Texas, at the foot of the Toledo Bend Dam, with the byway beginning in earnest once we cross into Louisiana and head north along LA 191. Shortly thereafter, we pass by South Toledo Bend State Park, a local center for waterborne recreation. The byway continues further north through thick, seemingly endless woodlands before reaching the turnoff for the town of Zwolle, home to the famous Zwolle Tamale Fiesta.

Eventually, drivers will reach the intersection with US 84 and the end of the Toledo Bend Forest Scenic Byway in the historic town of Logansport on the Sabine River, home of the annual Sandbass Tournament. Done end to end without stopping, this drive would take about an hour and a half, and the relative lack of actual towns along the way means that most of the pull-offs are for natural sites; this drive is therefore optimal for those interested in a smooth, contiguous driving experience through distinctive and pristine scenery in an area seemingly invisible to most tourists.

Southern Swamp Byway—Sorrento to LaPlace

The Southern Swamp Byway traces a circuitous 69-mile route through the eastern reaches of the River Parishes and the southern reaches of the Florida Parishes between Sorrento and LaPlace. The itinerary begins just south of the town of Sorrento at Cajun Village, a collection of restored historic Acadian homes. Head northeast along LA 22 through Sorrento, and soon the farms give way to the wild swamps of the Pontchartrain Basin. Eventually, the route over the Tickfaw River and reaches the small town of Springfield, where we find the Louisiana Treasures Museum, which plays host to various archaeological finds collected from the nearby Manchac Swamp.

After Springfield, the topography changes as the route rises out of the swamps and onto the higher ground of the Southern Coastal Plain. We bear due east for six miles before reaching Ponchatoula, the largest town encountered since Sorrento and home to the major annual Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival. Here, travelers have a choice of either joining Interstate 55, which runs largely parallel to the Scenic Byway all the way to LaPlace, or staying on the route of the old US 51, which allows for a more leisurely drive and access to turnoffs for attractions such as the Joyce Wildlife Management Area, which features a boardwalk leading directly into the swamp where one can view local wildlife. The route passes through the Maurepas Swamp Wildlife Management Area before reaching LaPlace, home of the yearly Andouille Festival.

Bayou Teche National Scenic Byway - Morgan City to Arnaudville

This byway beats a 93-mile path across the marshy flatlands of eastern and central Acadiana, largely paralleling the mighty Bayou Teche and eschewing the large and established US Highway 90 in favor of smaller local roads, namely Louisiana Highways 182 and 31. The route starts in Morgan City at the Cajun Coast Welcome Center; from the welcome center, we head into Morgan City proper, where one can find the International Petroleum Museum and its centerpiece, the decommissioned offshore oil well "Mr. Charlie". Further along, the route passes through the town of Jeanerette, home of the 140-year-old LeJeune's Bakery, followed by the sizable Spanish-founded town of New Iberia, home of the country's oldest working rice mill, Conrad Rice Mill, as well as many Cajun restaurants for the hungry traveler.

In New Iberia, we bid goodbye to LA 182 and turn onto LA 31. The road bears roughly north before arriving in historic St. Martinville, the epicenter of Cajun migration and the home of the Longfellow-Evangeline State Historic Site, highlighting the cultural heritage of the Bayou Teche region. Next, you'll encounter Breaux Bridge, the "Crawfish Capital of the World." Finally, the route reaches its endpoint of the Scenic Byway at Arnaudville. If done all in one go without stopping, the overall drive takes about two and a half hours. This drive plants the driver directly in the heart of the hardy communities that the Teche produced and allows one to properly experience the region's assortment of stately homes, museums, swamp tours, and Cajun cuisine on offer.

Creole Nature Trail - Sulphur to Lacassine

The Creole Nature Trail, one of only two byways on this list to be designated an All-American Road, does not follow a single path and instead encompasses a multitude of different highways throughout Southwestern Louisiana. This route follows the byway in its simplest possible iteration for 104 miles between Sulphur and the Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge, largely along Louisiana Highway 27. Start in the town of Sulphur at the Creole Nature Trail Adventure Point before heading south, deep into the sparsely populated wilds of Cameron Parish, better known as "Louisiana's Outback," where the Cajun Prairie gives way to the wetlands of the Gulf Coast. Soon, the route crosses into the Sabine National Wildlife Refuge, the largest coastal marsh refuge on the Gulf Coast. The scenery in this region is unique, with marshes surrounded by lakes and bayous stretching out to the horizon in every direction.

Further along, you'll pass the Cameron Prairie National Wildlife Refuge. The marshes then give way once again to the farmlands of the Cajun Prairie. Our final destination is the Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge, a 35,000-acre tract set aside for wintering waterfowl and a local center for fishing and birdwatching. Doing this drive sequentially without stopping will generally take you about two and a half hours, but this is just a sampling of what the Creole Nature Trail has to offer, with the entire network boasting enough side trips and diversions to warrant at least a day or two of exploration of one of Louisiana's most remote and untouched regions.

Historic US 80 - Ruston to Delta

US 80, as it stands today, follows the route of the old 1914 Dixie Overland Highway between Shreveport and Vicksburg, and this historic byway traces the highway along a 113-mile segment between Ruston and the Louisiana-Mississippi border, outlining many of its historic sights along the way. The route starts in historic downtown Ruston, near attractions such as the Dixie Center for the Arts and the North Louisiana Military Museum, and sets off east along US 80. The scenery in this portion of the state largely consists of thick pine forests on either side of the road, before reaching the city of Monroe on the Ouachita River. Monroe, home to the Masur Museum of Art and the Biedenharn Museum and Gardens, marks the end of Louisiana's Piney Woods region and the beginning of the Mississippi Alluvial Plain, and the topography shifts from thick, hilly forests to flat farmlands. As the route bears east, it passes close by to Poverty Point Reservoir State Park and Poverty Point World Heritage Site.

East of Delhi, we cross the Tensas River next to the ancient Tendal Mound, and about three miles further east lies the intersection with Quebec Road, the most convenient access road for those wishing to visit the Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge. This drive, which can be done in about two and a half hours if no stops are made, explores a region of the state largely overlooked by tourists, most of whom simply whiz by along Interstate 20 without a second thought.

Louisiana River Road - Venice to Lake Providence

This route, directly paralleling the Mississippi River for its entirety, is another All-American Road and a National Scenic Byway, comprising the Louisiana-specific portion of the legendary 2,000-mile-long Great River Road, which stretches from the Gulf Coast to the woods of Minnesota. The Great River Road does not stick to just one side of the Mississippi and, in fact, has two separate parallel routes on either side of the river; this particular 427-mile itinerary incorporates parts of both the western and eastern routes, ensuring that would-be motorists can enjoy the sights of both New Orleans and Baton Rouge. The route starts at the very beginning in Venice, the "end of the world," where Louisiana Highway 23 abruptly starts from nothing in the remote reaches of the Mississippi River Delta. LA 23 winds its way to the northwest through Plaquemines Parish for 69 miles, with the high bridge over the Doullut Canal giving a panoramic view of the river on one side and Adams Bay on the other. It later joins US 90 and crosses into downtown New Orleans, granting access to the city's many attractions, such as the French Quarter.

The next portion of the drive goes through the River Parishes, the landscape changing suddenly between heavy industry and farmlands all the way to Baton Rouge. You'll pass through Burnside, home of the Houmas House Estate and the Great River Road Museum. Then, in Baton Rouge, visit some of the city's major tourist attractions, such as the Old State Capitol and USS Kidd. Further along, stop in Ferriday, home of the Delta Music Museum. Lastly, you'll reach Lake Providence, home of the last major landmark along the Great River Road in Louisiana: the Louisiana State Cotton Museum, which will naturally serve as our endpoint. If done perfectly sequentially without stopping a single time, the trip could theoretically be made in about ten hours, but let's be real here, the Great River Road is not just a tracing exercise for completionists. You'll want at least a couple of days riding along one of America's truly legendary roads.

Road trips in Louisiana are more than just the drive. They are opportunities to connect with some of America's most distinctive landscapes and cultures. Who could forget the sight of the bayou spreading before you at the Sabine National Wildlife Refuge, or the taste of a down-home Cajun meal in Abbeville, or the energy at the ancient Poverty Point State Historic Site? Road trips like these are where memories are made that last a lifetime, so gas up the car and hit the road.