The Beautiful Louisiana City That's Surrounded By Water On 3 Sides

Founded in 1883, Slidell has humble beginnings. Slidell began as a small railroad camp, just a pitstop for railroad workers laying tracks to connect New Orleans to Meridian, Mississippi. Baron Frederick Erlanger, a railroad financier, decided to name the site after his father-in-law, John Slidell who was an important political figure in the area.

As the railroad gained success, the tiny little town of Slidell began to grow. More and more businesses began to set up shop, including brick factories and lumber yards.

But it hasn’t lost its small-town charm. In Olde Towne Slidell, you’ll find tons of antique shops, boutiques, and restaurants to keep you occupied. Be sure to pop into the Slidell Museum, which is housed in the old town hall. You’ll learn all about the history of Slidell and even get to step inside some of the old jail cells for a fun photo op. You can find the Slidell Museum at 2020 1st St., Slidell, LA 70460.

From Lake Pontchartrain to the Honey Island Swamp, Slidell is surrounded by water.

Named for a population of honey bees that were once spotted nearby, the Honey Island Swamp is one of the least-altered river swamps in the country, and also one of the most pristine.

That’s right, this legendary bipedal creature is believed to be seven feet tall with gray hair and yellow eyes. You can read more about him in our previous article here, or ask your tour guide about him when you take a swamp tour. We’d highly recommend this swamp tour.

Nestled against the banks of Bayou Bonafouca, Palmettos on the Bayou serves some of the most amazing Cajun and Creole cuisine in town, and the views of the bayou are simply mesmerizing. Learn more about this rustic restaurant in our previous article here.

Located just outside of Slidell over in Lacombe, this NWR features 15,000 acres of beautiful pine flatwoods and coastal marsh. For a picture perfect day, take a stroll down the boardwalk trail and see if you can spot some wildlife. You can find Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge at 61389 LA-434, Lacombe, LA 70445 and you can learn more about this beautiful refuge in our previous article here.