Barataria Preserve Visitor Center — Attraction in Marrero

Barataria Preserve offers an immersive and educational experience in Louisiana’s unique swamp ecosystem. Even during midday, the dense tree canopy provides ample shade, making the walk enjoyable despite the heat. Families, especially those with children, will find much to explore—from spotting alligators and frogs to observing the rich plant life along the trails.

The experience of walking through the swamp on raised boardwalks and natural paths is both exciting and memorable. However, some sections of the trail could benefit from better maintenance. A few were closed due to fallen trees, while others showed signs of wear, with aging or partially damaged boards that might pose a safety concern.

That said, considering there is no admission fee, Barataria Preserve delivers excellent value and a few hours of authentic outdoor adventure. With modest improvements to trail upkeep, it could easily stand out as one of the top free attractions in the area.

Rating: 4/5 Pros: Shaded trails, wildlife sightings, engaging for kids, free admission Cons: Trail maintenance issues, occasional closures due to...

When we visited it had not rained in a while and so the wetlands were not that wet. Sadly that meant that the alligators were not really visible, except for one mama one. Despite this, it was a lovely experience. I'll break down my thoughts to help with the information:

Logistics: it is a short 25min drive from New Orleans. we recommend hiring a car for a few hours since it doesn't seem like a ride share would be readily available near the swamp (I could be wrong) If you want a ranger guided 'wetland walk', they have it daily at 10am and 2pm. Carry a hat and wear sunscreen as portions of it are unshaded.

Experience: Highly informative. The personal touch of a ranger guiding you is wonderful. We learnt soo much about alligators and spiders. The walk is not that long, you can spend about 30mins and be done. I preferred this over a swamp tour since it was quicker, we walked through the alligators ecosystem, they were close enough to see them and we could leave whenever we wanted. The entire experience was 1hour. With a swamp tour boat half the day is...

An excellent preserve, walking the elevated boardwalk through an untouched bayou; it really absorbs you. It is a beautiful preserve. The visitors center is well done and informative. There are multiple boardwalks to walk, however, the day we went there was a thunderstorm that looked to be coming, so we only did the one by the visitors center and bought a couple of souvenir shirts at the gift shop. I expect we'll be back multiple times to walk the other boardwalks as well. Absolutely beautiful walk. Saw two baby gators not much more than a foot long, and a larger one that was at least 6 feet while on this 0.2 mile boardwalk. We also saw several beautiful tropical birds, flowers, Cypress trees, and vegetation. I'm sure we missed a lot more. Take your time to walk through and observe. I'm sure it will pay off. It was free admission and...