Go Play Outside in Lafayette, LA
Explore the region’s amazing outdoor recreation activities.
Many people find themselves drawn to Lafayette, Louisiana, for its amazing food and culture – it is known as the “Happiest City in United States,” after all. And while these are compelling reasons to visit or live in Lafayette, the area has another huge selling point that often gets overlooked: outdoor recreation.
Lafayette and surrounding areas in the Acadiana region offer an abundance of opportunities for outdoor adventure and family fun, from parks, green spaces and trails to natural features, like swamps, rivers, bayous and basins — not to mention unique activities like bird-watching, photography tours and sunset dinners in the Atchafalaya Basin.
Parks, Playgrounds and Pads
Residents are spoiled when it comes to picking a park to enjoy. Throughout Lafayette, multiple parks feature not just playscapes, but splash pads, sports courts and even ponds.
Take Girard Park, for example. This 33-acre complex includes a jogging trail, spaces for basketball, tennis, racquet ball and disc golf, and a pond where you can feed ducks. It also has a splash pad for kids, but it’s by no means the only splash pad around.
In fact, there are at least eight in Acadiana — and all are perfect for cooling down during hotter months. The pad at Parc Sans Souci downtown is a popular hot spot that is open all year long, and Palmetto Island State Park’s splash pad features fun sprayers, dump buckets and geysers that make you feel like you’re at a water park.
Another popular spot in Lafayette is Moncus Park, a 100-acre green space that’s owned and operated by Lafayette Central Park Inc., a nonprofit. This gorgeous piece of Louisiana land offers a massive selection of fun and entertainment for the whole community: a playground, a dog park, a splash pad, a treehouse, an amphitheater, restrooms, a veterans memorial, a 4-acre lake and oak trees that are over a century old.
“After the nonprofit was formed, thousands of Acadiana citizens came together at public workshops to dream and design the park that would be, and thousands more raised funds and donated to make those dreams a reality,” says J.P. MacFayden, executive director of Moncus Park.
Because the park isn’t government funded, it takes a real community effort to maintain its landscape. Nearly 300 volunteers work hard each year to keep the park thriving, from weeding and picking up litter to event assistance. The park hosts many events throughout the year, some on special occasions and many on a monthly and even weekly basis.
“Our most popular event is Christmas in the Park, a three-day seasonal celebration filled with children’s activities, live music and beautiful holiday decor,” MacFayden says. “We also have weekly events, such as Food Truck Friday, Wellness Wednesday and the Lafayette Farmers and Artisans Market each Saturday.”
On Water and Land
Grown-ups who crave a bit more adventure than what a splash pad or playground can offer will want to check out other water-based activities, including paddling and fishing.
Rivers, lakes and bayous in and around Lafayette offer ample appeal for those inclined to explore via kayak, canoe or paddleboard. The Bayou Vermilion Paddle Trail is a major draw for canoers, kayakers and boaters. Nearby Lake Martin is not only great for water exploration, but it’s a gorgeous spot to go bird-watching in the spring. Fishing enthusiasts gravitate to West Cove for flounder, Hebert’s Landing for trout and Fred’s Launch for both.
When dry land sounds more appealing, you don’t have to go far to find amazing hiking trails. In fact, Acadiana Park Nature Trail has 6 miles of hiking trails available within city limits, and sections are wheelchair and stroller accessible. Venturing a little farther, Cypress Island Preserve is just a 20-minute drive away and includes the Lake Martin Levee Trail, a 2.5-mile trek that includes signage to help you spot different species of birds on your journey.
Many area hikes lead you to a campground where you can live in the wild for a night or two. Acadiana Park Campground is ideal for those with RVs, while Indian Creek Recreation Area is more suited for those who like to pitch a tent. Other fun spots to camp include Lake Fausse Pointe State Park and Palmetto Island State Park.
Swamp Sightseeing
If you’re interested in exploring beautiful swamp lands but aren’t necessarily keen on paddling, a swamp tour is an excellent option. McGee’s Swamp Tours is a local business that offers multiple ways to experience all that the swamp has to offer, including boat tours, airboat tours, photography tours and a sunset dinner set in the middle of the Atchafalaya Basin. These narrated tours shed light on the area’s flora and fauna as well as highlight the cultures of Cajuns, Creoles and Native Americans who settled in the region.
“We want people when they leave to ultimately have a better understanding of this place,” says Ben Pierce, executive director of Swamp Base, which owns McGee’s Swamp Tours. “Our goal is to break down myths and misconceptions about swamps and show people how beautiful this place really is.”
That beauty is certainly on full display during the sunset dinner experience that McGee’s offers. After a boat ride to watch the sunset, guests are taken to a floating dining hall, where they are served local cuisine while live music plays.
The swamp’s majesty also attracts photographers from around the world who want to capture images of the wildlife and environment.
“There have been a lot of folks winning international photography competitions using images from Louisiana’s cypress swamps, so it attracts other photographers to come down,” Pierce says.
Many who visit Lafayette and go play outside are often converted from visitors to happy, fun-loving, permanent residents.
This article was sponsored by the Lafayette Convention & Visitors Commission, Lafayette Economic Development Authority and One Acadiana.
