Upon a whim I was very excited to make an impromptu trip to New Orleans during a very busy festival weekend. Unaware of just how difficult it would be to secure accommodations I decided to check out the local state park, located just a few short miles outside of New Orleans proper.
Information about the campsite was relatively generic, a few good reviews but nothing substantial enough to give me ideas about what exactly to expect. A few videos existed and it seemed like a very interesting place to stay but again with no real feedback steering me one way or another.
I took the plunge to book online since there was limited availability and crossed my fingers that it would fit the bill for a location which met all my needs and exceeded my expectations. I will say it did not disappoint!
Running a bit behind on our travel schedule we were not able to depart until later in the day, which meant we would arrive late into the evening. I called ahead to the campground to let them know we were in fact coming, and boy was I glad I did for several reasons.
Calling ahead when you are running later than typical checkin is valuable in that they will not resell your campsite but also, like in this case, if the park itself has an alternative entrance for campers for post business hours entrance. The park ranger we spoke to gave me a very detailed account of the directions, which proved crucial in the darkness of the night and the confusion of the park's second entrance. Without these instructions we would have simply given up on the campground when arriving late and been very frustrated.
Instead, we were able to enter and find the camping loop and in doing so find our campsite itself. Herein was the only real negative, post a sizable rain, apparently someone had arrived and elected not to stay in their designated campsite and instead had moved their large tent into our reserved site. While their site, just next to ours was left open, and plenty large enough for our much smaller tent, the entire incident could have been avoided if this park would have marked the site like many others do when sites are reserved and prepaid with simple place markers on the posts. Had this have been the case there would have been no confusion late into the evening. We were able to set our tent up, however so we let it slide and just went to sleep in the muggy night.
You have to expect muggy conditions when camping here, it is a bayou, scale back your bedding to light weight materials and just be prepared for mosquitoes. To avoid these we found that keeping the lights off til we were inside the tent was crucial. Those not wanting to feel the Deep South, need not camp here!
By morning, we noticed small rabbits hopping around camp and birds singing to wake you as early as 5:30. The sun starts beaming down by 7:00 and outside the temperatures are quite pleasant til around 9:30 before it starts heating up.(At least in early July)
The first real look we had at the campground was impressive, each site includes water and electricity, a picnic table and grill. The roads around camp are paved and marked for single direction traffic. All sites are compatible for RV or tent campers and are priced equally for each at $33 per night.
Bathrooms are centrally placed on each of the two camping loops and include free laundry and playgrounds. Boardwalks cross throughout the camp for those walking through from one side to the next to allow them bayou views without the swampy feeling grass under their feet.
In addition, a RV dump station is available for those needing one at the entrance and is well lit, otherwise camp has a dim glow at night so to not attract additional bugs in the night.
We met several campers at our visit, everyone was friendly at the campground. With plenty of facilities for social interaction you can enjoy your family or make new friends at the pool, boat dock, shoreside cabins, hiking trails or wave pool.
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All in all of 5 Bunnies I would rank this campground 4 of 5 Bunnies. Though bustling and busy on the weekend it remained quite and calm. The location was a short drive or ferry ride from the city making it have the comfort of the outdoors with the city flair we were seeking. The only negative came from the marking system which could be improved upon, however the staff was very friendly and helpful following the incident and made right of the incident.
Tips For Camping At Bayou Segnette:
- Book Online - this will make sure even on the busiest of weekends that you have a spot, if you wait til the last minute you might not be able to find a space as on weekends the place is a popular favorite.
- Pack A Fan - it is the bayou and with that comes a lot of humidity. I suggest a battery operated fan for your tent of RV which can be directionalized toward each party. Using corded fans will also work, however if you arrive post rain, you are being brave to run electricity across grassy areas.
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