6 Must-Do Outdoor Activities in Lafayette, Louisiana
Whether you want to romp around a swamp, hike through rolling piney hills or paddle along beautiful bayous and basins, there are numerous options for outdoor activities in Lafayette, LA, and the surrounding region. And they can be comfortably enjoyed all year long, as daytime temperatures in the area remain primarily warm during winter months (think 50s and 60s!).
Here’s a list to get you started exploring Lafayette’s great outdoors.
In This Article
1. Paddling
You can find water just about everywhere in Acadiana, which means you have plenty of choices when it comes to places to go kayaking and canoeing.
“If you like getting out on the water, this is definitely a great place to be,” says Stephen Ortego, a local architect and an outdoor enthusiast.
You can start at Lake Martin, located just 10 miles east of downtown Lafayette. The nearly 800-acre swampy ecosystem is home to the Cypress Island Preserve, providing a calm habitat for a substantial nesting population of alligators. And “the sunset there is spectacular,” says Mark Hernandez, grounds director at Lafayette’s Moncus Park, a beautiful area that features amenities like green space, walking trails, a playground and a fishing pier (but more on that to come).
Other popular paddling picks include Bayou Vermilion (with two routes totaling approximately 13 miles flowing from Acadiana Park Nature Station through Vermilionville to Lake Charlo), the 28,500-acre Indian Bayou (located within the Atchafalaya Basin less than 30 miles east of Lafayette) and Bayou Teche (a National Scenic Byway running south toward New Iberia).
2. Walking and Hiking
The 150-acre Acadiana Park has 6 miles of hiking trails, providing a forested oasis not far from downtown Lafayette. The trails include a section of elevated boardwalk that is wheelchair accessible. Plus, the park has several mountain biking trails.
Back out at Lake Martin, a 5-mile loop takes hikers through scenic wetlands, passing pine and cypress trees along the way. The route is a combination of a levee walk and a road walk. And for a true wilderness experience, venture about 85 miles north to Kisatchie National Forest, where you will find numerous trails that traverse rolling hills.
3. Fishing
Fishing is among the top outdoor activities in Lafayette. Bass, bluegill, bream and catfish are among the species that keep anglers busy in the region. You don’t have to venture far to test your fishing fortune, because the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has stocked Girard Park and Spreafico Lake in Lafayette and Southside Regional Park in Youngsville.
Meanwhile, for those who don’t mind traveling a bit, open-water fishing is available at Cypremort Point State Park, which is about 45 miles south of Lafayette along Vermilion Bay. Anglers appreciate the area for the variety of fish available, including speckled trout, flounder and redfish.
4. Camping
For those who enjoy living off the land (or out of a camper) for a few days, the Lafayette region has just what you need.
For a quick getaway, Acadiana Park Campground has 75 campsites, most of which accommodate RVs, or check out Lafayette KOA Holiday, which is west of town and has cabins, cottages and areas for RVs.
Kisatchie National Forest provides more of a remote camping experience. There are not cabins available for rent. Instead, visitors who wish to stay overnight simply bring their own tent and gear and set up accommodations on a first-come, first-serve basis.
The Atchafalaya Basin is home to Lake Fausse Pointe State Park, a 6,000-acre site in St. Martinville. The park has dozens of regular campsites as well as five water-accessible canoe campsites, seven backcountry sites, and a primitive camping area that can accommodate up to 50 people.
5. Geocaching
One of the more popular outdoor activities in Lafayette for families, geocaching allows players to use GPS coordinates and various clues to find caches inside containers hidden by other participants. There are hundreds of known caches in the Lafayette area, including at Louisiana Immersive Technologies Enterprise (an ecosystem of tech, research and innovation on the University of Louisiana at Lafayette campus) and nearby Moncus Park.
Geocaching at Moncus Park can be particularly enjoyable, because the 100-acre urban greenspace is filled with native plants and flowers, including a large collection of Louisiana Irises.
“It’s a horticultural gem,” Hernandez says. “And it’s very accessible. Visitors can walk right up to the plants and experience all they have to offer.”
6. Birding
As part of America’s Wetland Birding Trail, Indian Bayou features numerous songbirds, water birds and raptor species. There are more than 125 nesting boxes installed throughout the area, providing shelter for more than 700 birds annually. Closer to Lafayette, more than 150 species of birds have been recorded at Acadiana Park Nature Station.
Finally, we end where we started, at Lake Martin. Wading birds – including egrets, spoonbills and herons – often congregate in the trees near the shoreline, taking in the same beautiful sights that make the entire Lafayette region a great place for outdoor recreation.
This article is sponsored by the Lafayette Convention & Visitors Commission, Lafayette Economic Development Authority and One Acadiana.