Best Tent Camping in Louisiana
Louisiana is known as Cajun country, where the land there was formed from sediment washed down by the Mississippi River, forming huge deltas and massive areas of coastal marsh and bayous with alligators and tree frogs and trees lined with spanish moss. Ibis and egrets fly through longleaf pine forests and wet savannas are filled with orchids, pitcher plants and sundews. Camping in Louisiana is an experience like no other. Whether it’s by RV, tent or just under the starlit sky, camping in Louisiana is an adventure unlike anywhere else in the United States.
But it’s not all wetlands and marshes. Enjoy the best of coastal camping in Louisiana’s beachside community of Grand Isle. Located where Highway 1 meets the Gulf of Mexico, it’s the closest Louisiana beach from Baton Rouge and New Orleans, making these destinations a convenient day trip while you’re camping.
Grand Isle is, in fact, an island and a town, with small, locally-owned shops and a state park just made for camping. With 63 sites available, Grand Isle State Park is a great place to camp on the beach and cook the seafood you just caught during July’s Grand Isle Tarpon Rodeo, an event that brings together the best saltwater fishermen in the world. Or, if you like bird watching, the Grand Isle Migratory Bird Festival offers plenty of opportunities to see a myriad of bird species return home from South America. Of course, there’s plenty of swimming, hiking, crabbing and boating in Grand Isle as well.
Another great place for camping in Louisiana is Tunica Hills, which belongs to the Bluff Hills portion of the Mississippi Valley Loess Plains and extends from the Natchez, Mississippi area to St. Francisville, Louisiana. Managed by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, the Tunica Hills Wildlife Area is northwest of St. Francisville and covers more than 5,900 acres of rolling hills and scenic beauty.
Remember when I talked about the wetland and marshes? Tunica Hills isn’t anything like that; in fact, it’s unlike any other area in Louisiana. In Tunica Hills, you’ll find springs and waterfalls, rugged terrain, cliffs 90 feet high, deep gorges and lush, diverse plant life and animals you won’t find anywhere else in the state.
And while Tunica Hills is known for hunting, a variety of other activities offer campers plenty to do such as horseback riding, hiking, ATV riding and sightseeing. And if you’re a birding enthusiast, then you’ve hit the jackpot because rare birds such as the Coopers hawk and worm-eating warbler live within the thick forests there. It’s no wonder John James Audubon was inspired to paint his famous bird series there in the early 1800s.
Louisiana is full of other places to go camping. Don’t worry, we’ve got more recommendations. And while you’re camping in Louisiana, you might as well cook like you’re in Louisiana.
Let us know how your experience in Louisiana was by leaving a review of your campground on The Dyrt.
