Great boardwalk trail over the marsh. It's a good way to see wildlife on the northshore on an easy…read morehike.

"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of…read morelife, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived" ― Henry David Thoreau, Walden I have always felt like Thoreau knew what he was talking about when he wrote that. It's been some time since I've gone to live in the woods, but I do think one can accomplish a lot by taking a walk alone into the wilderness. The boardwalk in this section of the Big Branch Refuge is a great place to take such a walk. Located in between Slidell and Lacombe, this section of the national refuge is somewhat different than the other two areas. This spot in particular is a half mile boardwalk trail that runs from the pine forest to the swamp. The trail lets you see first hand how the forest has subsided over the years and become swamp. The remnants of dead pine trees that could no longer survive the excessive moisture dot the landscape. As the trail continues, you will end a large expanse of swamp and an incredible view. There is also more trails to hike, but on my most recent visit I was running out of daylight. This trail is popular, but I have found that more times than not, you will be the only hiker. On my most recent trip I encountered several groups on my hike back, but only one group was irritating enough that I wanted to push them into the swamp. When people are hiking and enjoying nature, hooping and hollering is not enjoyable to others. My hike though the wilderness was very enjoyable. For the first part of the hike all that could be heard was the wind and the birds. If you need to think, want to take photos, or just enjoy a walk through the woods, check this trail out.

Park is a nice camping ground for picnic, exercising or just some quiet time with natures beautiful…read morescenary.

This area has so much to offer: The Tammany Trace is close…read morefor bicycles and hikers!There's a huge playground for the kids! Extensive trails/boardwalks throughout the park! Lots of wildlife, especially birding! Nice picnic areas/tables! Clean restrooms! Beautiful grounds! History galore! Only drawback is no dogs (except service animals) I would recommend this spot for anyone who wants to see splendid natural southern beauty!

I have had this bookmarked for quite some time now and finally made a point to come before things…read morereally heated up for the summer. I did not make it through all of the trails on the one visit I made, but at $5 per visit (or $25 if you pay for the whole year and can do multiple visits), it is not that bad. I plan on doing the annual plan and coming back. It is not too far from the greater New Orleans metro area. I would love to come back for one of their lectures or nature walks. And come back seasonally to see what grows during different seasons. Truely a lovely spot.

TRULY, a gem!…read more Located in the middle of Picayune is this amazing place. It's sort of a nature center just FULL of trails that takes you thru quite a few different ecosystems. The trails take you thru pine savannah where you can find carnivorous plants and beautiful wildflowers in the spring and summer and trails that take you into old growth forest. In the northern part of the arboretum is a nice little gum pond where you can see fish and turtles, and they're also in the process of building a lookout there. In about the middle of the arboretum is a giant pavilion that looks out over another pond. When you check in, be sure to get a bag of turtle food to feed to the turtles in this pond. I promise you, that's the best fifty cents you'll ever spend! I'm not sure if they offer any sort of guided tours, but it's meant to just walk around at your own pace. There are lots of places that have boardwalk and seats to just sit and....enjoy nature. The arboretum DOES have events from time to time like lectures and specific field guides and even native plant sales. I tend to like it when there's no one else there, though, and it seems I have the whole forest to myself. ;) The people who run this place are INCREDIBLY nice and they'll hook you up with a map and all that. They'll even offer bug spray if you forget your own. The daily entry fee of $5 is SO WORTH IT, and you might find yourself going often enough to sign up for a membership. A membership which is even pro-rated according to the time of year you join! They have a nice little gift shop with books and trinkets and all that related to nature stuff and even drinks if you're thirsty. If you're a nature nut like myself, and even if you're a REAL trekker like myself who likes to trek out in the middle of nowhere, you STILL have to check this place out. It's managed well, and it's situated among several ecosystems like I said before and you won't regret it. You'll very easily spend several hours here walking around checking out things like their bee hives, their pollenator garden, the pavilion, the MANY little coves off the trails that lead to waterfront bulkheads that offer great views of the pond, and so many other "little" things that will delight you in so many ways. And of course, botanists will have a field day with the many different plant species to be found here, INCLUDING carnivorous plants like two species of pitcher plant and dwarf sundews! Totally worth spending $5 and a good portion of your day to check it out! Truly a gem of a place.

WiFi sucks. When you pay over 100 dollars a night. Buccaneer go buy some WiFi boosters not that…read moreexpensive

My husband and I took our new travel trailer here about 2 weeks ago, and we had a great stay. We…read morehad one of the beachside spots and both the view and the breeze were nice. The Waterpark doesn't open until Memorial day since it's still off season and a bit cold. Check in and making reservations was easy and hassle free. The spot was level, had hookups for water, electricity, and a dump drain. Each spot also had its own firepit, which was really nice. It was nice that each spot also had an adjoining parking spot for a vehicle. We didn't use any showers or bathroom, so I can't comment on that. The beachside spots were a little costly at $100 a night ,but worth the splurge. Quiet hours were posted and everyone complied. Rating from F to A +++ it gets an A ++. Minus one + for being a bit costly.

A small nature area just on the side of Hwy 90 appx half way from NOLA to BSL. Older locals may…read moreremember it as the site of the White Kitchen, an almost mandatory stop for food and fuel before I10 existed. The nature site has plenty of parking, a boat launch and a nice walkway well out into the marsh.

This might be the only nature preserve named after a restaurant. It's located at the intersection…read moreof US 90 (Chef Menteur Highway) and US 190. The area was once home to a state line diner called the White Kitchen. According to local legend, Jayne Mansfield stopped in on her way from Mississippi to New Orleans. She perished in a car accident that night only a few miles away. The restaurant is long gone and all that remains are wide open spaces. The park doesn't offer any hiking trails for exploration but it does provide a peaceful setting for nature watching. The trees drip with Spanish moss and cypress knees poke up from the swamp. If you want to get out on the water there's a boat launch for easy access. If not, you can just stroll the boardwalk. You don't have to worry about close encounters with wildlife since the pathway is elevated from the water. There are alligators, frogs, turtles, snakes, wild turkeys, egrets, brown pelicans and ducks in the area. People have claimed to see bald eagles too. When I visited earlier this month I was only able to spot a few blue herons off in the distance. The place has seen better days. The placard at the end of the boardwalk must be at least twenty years old. It's sun-bleached and too faded to read. There are empty soda and beer cans floating in the water. The lack of maintenance detracts from the natural beauty. I wouldn't go out of my way to visit this park but it's worth a stop if you're in the area.

Nice little Park off the highway and easy to miss., turn around at next exit (we did)…read more Entrance near an industrial area, lots of trucks in and out. Nice parking area along the water, with some picnic tables. An information board located near entrance. Some people were just parked (maybe enjoying the view), a Ranger did drive thru. So the area is monitored. A decent trail with a nice boardwalk takes you into the refuge with views of the marsh and water. We were here mid-day so it was quiet. Some birds, and lots of turtles. On way out, net Blair (local birder) and we talked about sightings in area. He told me about a Kingfisher that hangs out over waterway off main road. The Kingfisher was right where he said it would be - we did not stop (lots of trucks) passing by. Nice to talk to locals, especially fellow bird enthusiasts. Worth a stop !!!

Is the hustle and bustle of city life getting you down?…read more Do you find yourself becoming stressed from traffic? Do you need a break? If you answered yes to the above questions, I have just the thing to cure what ails you. What is this miraculous cure you ask? Dirt. That's right friends, good ole 100% American dirt. Get you some. I realize that the words posted above these may seem ridiculous, and for some it won't help, but for me, getting off the road and into nature helps me every time. The Bogue Chitto National Wildlife Refuge is one such place that I recommend you check out. This NWR is located off of the very last exit before Mississippi (Pearl River Turnaround). If you're heading from Louisiana, exit, turn left and drive down the first dirt road you encounter. There isn't really a very good sign, but you'll know it when you find it. As you first enter the NWR you will encounter a very cool railroad bridge. For many, this will be the coolest thing you see, but for me there is much more. The roads through the NWR are dirt and rock only. They are fairly well packed so four wheel drive is not necessary, but I would be reluctant to take a car back here if it is low slung. The roads run for many miles through the middle of the refuge and you are unlikely to encounter any other humans if you go during the week. If hiking is your thing, there are a few trails that I have yet to explore, but they do look promising for a brief nature hike. Each trail has its own parking area which is convenient since parking on the road wouldn't be ideal. The roads here seem to go on forever. I would guess that it took me nearly thirty minutes to drive the entirety of the main road. It ended up at a weird camp type residential area, finally dead ending at a very run down looking trailer. I haven't fully explored all of the roads yet, but it does seem to be a one way in, one way out situation. The hour or so I spent on my first trip invigorated me and I can't wait to go back.

Awesome place for indoor open play pickleball on weekdays from 8:30 am- 2 pm. There are two sides…read moreto the gym and they can roll out up to 8 nets. The open play system is there is a table and you just put your paddles there to queue. Very friendly and welcoming people here at the beginner to intermediate level. Many of them are intermediate so this is a good place to test your skills!

Nothing quite says summer to me like hearing a baseball bat cracking against a baseball, the smell…read moreof popcorn and hot dogs and hearing the crowd roar. Many of my summers were spent at Fritchie Park listening to just that. I was there for my daughter's soccer games, but the baseball teams had the larger lit up fields at the park, as well as an announcer that you could hear around the entire park. Ahhh, memories. Fritchie Park also has a small enclosed playground that is so shady if you need to entertain your younger kids. It's got all the equipment they'll want and some nice benches for you to chill out on. So, what do you say? How's about taking me out to the ball game? :)

The perfect place for everyone to meet, greet, eat and have fun in the sun. See you all there.read more

This is a festival that takes place in John Davis Park ever year the last weekend in June. It has…read moreamusement park rides for the children and music for the adults- which was awesome this year.. This year Mel Waiters closed the festival. He really put on a great show. The music is in the center of the park under all of the beautiful oak trees with tons of shad and benches and picnic tables to sit. The food is from local venders from around Lacombe. The festival offers a very family friendly atmosphere. Lacombe is a very small community, and this festival offers you that small community feel. You more than likely will know most of the venders if you grew up in Lacombe or Slidell or the other surrounding towns. At this festival everybody knows everybody and it feels like a huge family gathering. Fun times.