Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve — Attraction in Marrero

This is an amazing park and preserve I love the different atmosphere, and wildlife compared with Colorados atmosphere. Swamps, alligators, amphibians, reptiles, plants everything that materializes before you... ALMOST everything... Let me just finish the rest of this review off by painting you an emphasized detailed image, of the biggest prehistoric banana spiders and or spider in general that I have ever seen in my life! They are everywhere you turn, now I thought working out at this rough, tough tail kicking gym (my basement) every day is exhausting, (no but seriously that Bowflex is something else)... NOPE! NO SIR NO MAMA, my best friend and I got the full Marine boot camp package of workouts that even came with our very own special bystanders. A 2-year-old and 7 months old, still to this day they look at us funny... Everything from dip, duck, dodge, dive, run, don't run, run in place, stand still, don't stand still (they will drop on you), the stroller is stuck! Don't put the baby first! Ready set go! Rather than don't look down it 's don't look up no exaggeration here. The deeper you kung fu yourself on the path, the more massive in SIZE and QUANTITIES they become, the constant goosebumps, heebie-jeebies, and crawling of your body. God forbid so much as a mosquito hits your face or a fly (aka horse fly aka Massive persistent things that dive bomb you!) your to busy cautiously respecting one cluster of dino spiders (side to side up and every which way) the dive bomb comes...... G-A-M-E O-V-E-R for a 3 minute freak out session thinking it was one of these 8 legged behemoths looking NOPES! Which by the way are none aggressive unless you're all up in their business and monstrosity man-eating webs, trying to cling and hold onto the skin you jumped out of in the first place FOR NO REASON!

All in all its a fantastic adventure much to see, hear and look out for and highly recommend it. BUG SPRAY, BUG SPRAY, BUG...

If you're looking to immerse yourself in the true experience of the bayou and swamp, this is the place to go. Just minutes from the New Orleans suburbs, the park offers over four miles of well-maintained trails and boardwalks. One of the highlights for us was being able to explore at our own pace, wandering through a variety of ecosystems and learning as we went thanks to informative placards along the way.

Spotting alligators, snakes, and small lizards in their natural habitat was a memorable part of the visit. The difference between the bayou and the swamp was clearly explained, and the history behind the park’s name added an extra layer of interest.

We visited in mid-morning during April, and the heat and humidity definitely made things more challenging—checking the weather before heading out is a good idea. Be aware that restrooms and water are only available at the Ranger Station, so plan accordingly.

Guided tours are available on a schedule, but we enjoyed our self-guided experience just as much. The Ranger we spoke with was friendly and knowledgeable, offering helpful tips before we set out.

We’ve visited several times, and each trip has been a great way to unwind, reconnect with nature, and spend a few relaxing hours—at no cost. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a peaceful, educational, and...

This was our favorite touristy thing to do. It's about 30 minutes southwest of French Quarter. And it is a bit confusing on where to park - there aren't very good signs. If you drive down to the curvy road, and enter the park at the only marked, south most entrance - there is a welcome center type thing, with bathrooms, and filtered water to fill up a nalgene bottle or whatever. Then you walk the path up to a second un-marked parking lot, and then to a final third final point. YOU NEED BUG SPRAY or long sleeves / long pants. There are weird biting bug things that look like moths, but fly into your face/ears/arms/legs. My wife rolled her eyes when I was putting on long sleeves, in 90F weather, when we were approaching the entrance. HA! I won that one. (for once). There are well built wooden slat bridges the whole way - because you are over 2ft deep swamp water the whole time. There ARE live alligators along the paths, and snakes too. These can easily get onto the paths. And the park rangers..? Are there any? I don't know. So keep an eye our for "moving black logs". Leave your wallet in the car - this one is...