Louisiana
Nature|Wildlife & Farms

The Boardwalk Hike At Black Bayou Lake In Louisiana That Leads To Incredibly Scenic Views

Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge in Monroe, Louisiana, offers scenic boardwalk trails and picturesque views of nature and wildlife.

Published Aug 11, 2019

Written by 

Jackie Sutherlin

Boardwalk trails are always mesmerizing because they allow you access to parts of Louisiana’s natural landscape that you wouldn’t be able to view otherwise. When you’re looking to get outside and do some exploring, consider heading over to this National Wildlife Refuge in northeastern Louisiana, where they have one of the most scenic boardwalk trails in Louisiana.

You’ll find Black Bayou Lake in Monroe, Louisiana. This 5,300-acre National Wildlife Refuge is the perfect spot for anyone looking to get lost in nature for a few hours.

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Ana Cristina Z./Trip Advisor

The refuge has five trails that will take you around the refuge, each one with their own picturesque views of the surrounding prairies and of course, the 1,600-lake.

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David Armstrong/Google

The one-mile Nature Trail begins as an asphalt walkway before turning into a boardwalk trail that will lead you through a seasonally flooded bottomland hardwood forest.

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Anirudh Girey/Google

The trail leads to a wildlife pier that will take you out onto the lake, offering some of the most picture-perfect views around.

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Casey McGee/Google

The calm waters act as a mirror, reflecting the skies in such a mesmerizing scene that you may never want to leave.

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Shawn Newbury/Google

There’s also a wildlife pier trail that’s only 0.5-mile long and is great for kids.

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Nick/Google

Visitors can enjoy beautiful panoramic views of the lake from this spot. Keep an eye out for wildlife, as the refuge is home to turtles, fish, gators, herons, egrets, and countless other species.

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Green Wolf/Google

The refuge is open seven days a week during daylight hours, and is free to enter.

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Dale Berry/Google

Address: 480 Richland Place Drive, Monroe, LA, 71203

If you love boardwalk trails, check out our previous article here featuring some of the best boardwalk trails in Louisiana. Have you ever been to the Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge? Let us know in the comments below!

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Experiences|Activities

The Audubon Center in Louisiana Where You’ll See More Than 20 Penguins in a Single Afternoon

Published Sep 29, 2024

Written by 

Jackie Sutherlin
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Louisiana Travel/Flickr

The Audubon Nature Institute is a fan favorite for locals and tourists alike. From sloths to scorpions and everything in between, Audubon is one of the top-ranked zoos in the country for a reason. 

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For aquatic enthusiasts, the Audubon Center in Louisiana offers a special treat where you can have an animal encounter with penguins! If your social media feed is anything like mine, you’ve likely seen that jumbo King penguin, Pesto, that was recently born at the Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium in Australia. I can’t get enough of this absolute unit of a bird, and since I can’t hop a flight to Australia, I’ve found the next best thing—a penguin party at the Audubon Aquarium. 

Let’s learn a little about the African Penguin and what the animal encounter experience is like:

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Betty’s Bay, South Africa -African penguin (Spheniscus demersus), also known as the jackass penguin and black-footed penguin at Stony Point penguin colony.

There are 18 species of penguins in the world. Most of them prefer a snowy climate surrounded by glaciers and icebergs, but not the African Penguin. This fella is a unique species of penguin that has acclimated to warmer climates. 

Fun fact: all penguins are naturally found in the southern hemisphere. There are no penguins living naturally in the northern hemisphere. 

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A pair of African penguins on Boulders Beach near Simon’s Town. | Location: Near Simon’s Town, South Africa.

African Penguins live in colonies on the coast of Southern Africa. They have distinctive pink patches above their eyes, but another signature calling card for these flightless birds is the sound they make. African Penguins tend to make a noise that sounds like a donkey, which is how they earned their nickname, the jackass penguin.

The Audubon Aquarium hosts a penguin party every week where visitors can get up close and personal with these endangered beauties. These animal encounters are kept to small numbers both for the safety of the animals and guests, so I’d recommend buying your tickets a few weeks in advance.

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Penguin swimming in water with bubbles. African penguin. Spheniscus demersus. Cape penguin or South African penguin. Copy space.

Groups of eight will be led to the encounter area where the experience will last about 45 minutes. Visitors will need closed-toe shoes to participate, so plan accordingly! 

The majority of an African Penguin’s diet consists of sardines, shellfish, and anchovies. If you have shellfish allergies, this may not be the animal encounter for you. 

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The Audubon Aquarium hosts penguin parties every Friday and Saturday morning at 9:30 a.m. Participants are asked to arrive at the Information Booth at least 15 minutes beforehand. 

This is an awesome experience for families, as long as everyone is six years old or older. How often do you get the opportunity to pet a penguin?!

If you've ever been to one of the Audubon Aquarium's penguin parties, let us know! If you love this, then you absolutely need to check out Barn Hill Animal Preserve. They have even more animal encounters, including sloths and otters! It's about a two-hour drive from New Orleans, but I promise you it's worth a road trip.

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Nature|Wildlife & Farms

Here Are The 4 Absolute Best Pumpkin Patches In Louisiana To Enjoy In 2024

Discover the best pumpkin patches in Louisiana, each offering unique activities and photo opportunities for the fall season.

Updated Aug 6, 2024

Written by 

Jackie Sutherlin

It might not feel like it, but fall in Louisiana is on its way to us. This is my favorite time of the year, and I couldn’t be more excited to share some of the best pumpkin patches in Louisiana with y’all. Even though we still may be experiencing some summer temperatures, these pumpkin patches will soon start opening their gates and letting you come through with your crew to pick up some pumpkins to decorate for the season. I know there are dozens and dozens of pumpkin patches around the state, but these pumpkin patches in Louisiana go the extra mile with endless activities and photo opportunities to enjoy.

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1. Mrs. Heather’s Pumpkin Patch

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Travis Griggs/Google Reviews

Mrs. Heather’s is one of the best pumpkin patches near New Orleans, and it’s worth a road trip. The pumpkin patch is open from September 25 - November 8, 2024, and you’ll want to plan to spend the entire afternoon here. Mrs. Heather’s Pumpkin Patch offers a lengthy list of activities for the family to enjoy, including face painting, a corn maze, a hay maze, seesaws, a jumping pillow, and so much more. Special cartoon characters often make an appearance, so be sure to follow Mrs. Heather’s Pumpkin Patch on Facebook so you never miss out on any announcements.

2. Curry Farms

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Curry Farms/Facebook

This pumpkin patch near Monroe is perfect for a fall afternoon. The pumpkin patch opens on September 28 and runs until November 3, 2024, and admission is $15 per person. Curry Farms boasts nearly 20 activities to enjoy including a tractor tire carousel, sluice mining, a corn maze, hay rides, and so much more. After the season is over Curry Farms transforms into a Christmas tree farm, so you can come back after pumpkin season and snag your perfect tree!

3. DixieMaze Farms

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Samantha McGhee/Google Reviews

One of the best pumpkin patches near Shreveport, you’ll find yourself visiting DixieMaze Farms a lot this season. Opening September 28, 2024, Dixie Maze Farms will have a wide range of pumpkins to choose from, as well as all your favorite farm activities. The corn maze at DixieMaze Farms is one of the best in Louisiana, and every year it’s something different. The entire Fall Fest at DixieMaze Farms is memorable. They host movie nights on the weekends, and closer to Halloween the corn maze gets a haunted upgrade on select nights.

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4. Poche’s Patch & Maze

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Daniel Veloza/Google Reviews

Folks living in Cajun Country will have a blast picking the perfect pumpkin at Poche’s Patch & Maze. As one of the best pumpkin patches near Lafayette, the whole family will love an autumn day spent here. The pumpkin patch opens at the end of September, and runs until Halloween. They haven't announced a specific opening date for 2024 yet, but it's coming! Poche’s has awesome events planned for each weekend, so be sure to check the schedule beforehand!

Did your favorite Louisiana pumpkin patch make the list? Let us know in the comments below! Of course, fall is so much more than just pumpkins. Check out our guide to fall in Louisiana where we highlight some of our favorite hiking trails, festivals, and upcoming events.

After you've plucked the perfect pumpkin and decorated your house, you may be inspired to do a little leaf-peeping! Here's everything you need to know about when the leaves will change in Louisiana.

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