St. Bernard State Park
Get a feel for the bayou life just 20 miles’ drive from New Orleans.
Drive just a few miles southeast of New Orleans, through oak-lined expanses of St. Bernard Highway that hug the Mississippi River, and you’ll find yourself in the swamps, forest and lagoons of St. Bernard State Park.
This is the perfect day trip or overnight excursion from the Big Easy. Find picnic tables and barbecue grills at spots overlooking the forest, and enjoy getting together with friends or family no matter the weather under the covered pavilion near the center of the park. Summer is one of the best times to visit, when kids can run free in St. Bernard State Park’s water playground.
Short hiking trails run between the roads leading into the park. One takes visitors across a lagoon onto an island overlooking wetlands typical of New Orleans' surrounding natural areas. For overnighters, RV campsites are conveniently located throughout St. Bernard State Park.
Plenty of nearby attractions await visitors just beyond the park’s boundaries. The charms of New Orleans’ French Quarter, Garden District, music and architecture are a short drive. Closer to St. Bernard State Park, you’ll find Chalmette Battlefield, part of Jean Lafitte National Historical Park & Preserve where the deciding battle in the War of 1812 was fought. For some fun on the water, catch a charter boat out from nearby Venice and into the gulf.
Entrance fee: $2 per person, age 16 and older; $1 per person, age 15 and under.