There are so many hidden gems in Louisiana that are worthy of seeing, it would be impossible to list them all. This road trip will take you to some of our favorite hidden gems in Louisiana, specifically the northern part of the state. Ready to hit the road? Gas up the car and pack some snacks!
We've kept the road trip to just around four hours, so you could technically complete the trip in one day, but we've added a spot in the middle so that you have the option to spend the night and break the road trip into two days.
Tucked away in northern Louisiana on 200 acres of forested lands lies Chimp Haven, the largest chimpanzee sanctuary in the world and one of the most unique places in Louisiana. This primate paradise is home to more than 300 chimpanzees that have been retired from research. While Chimp Haven is not ordinarily open to the public, you can schedule a private tour or wait for one of their Discovery Days, when they open the doors and allow you to observe the chimps in their habitats.
Bonnie & Clyde met their fate on May 23, 1934, on a dirt road in rural Louisiana, and you can visit a museum in Gibsland to learn all about the infamous lives of this criminal couple.
Our next stop brings us to Louisiana’s tallest mountain, Driskill Mountain. There’s a short one-mile trail that will take you to the top where you’ll have the bragging rights to say you’ve been to the tallest natural summit in the state… 535 feet in the sky! While it's no Denali, it does make for a unique hike that can be knocked out in a couple of hours. Keep in mind that this trail (and the mountain) is on private property, but the owners are gracious enough to let the general public use the hiking trail. Make sure you leave no trace! For outdoor enthusiasts, move this special hike to the top of your Louisiana bucket list.
Located on the shores of the beautiful Caney Lake, Jimmie Davis State Park is a picture-perfect park that often gets overlooked. Visitors can enjoy fishing the freshwater lake, swimming during the warmer months, and hiking the trails. This park also offers cabins available to rent, if you’d like to stop for the night before continuing on to the next hidden gem.
Once the private home of Joseph A. Biedenharn, this one-of-a-kind museum is part home museum, part Coca-Cola museum, and also part Bible museum. That's a lot of bang for your buck, and we haven't even gotten to the gardens yet. It's certainly one of the most unique places in Louisiana, filled with fascinating history covering very different topics. You’ll learn all about Mr. Biedenharn, who is credited with the first bottling of Coca-Cola in 1894. After you tour the inside, the outdoor gardens will simply blow you away.
Last on our stop of hidden gems is Poverty Point, a World Heritage Site tucked away in northeastern Louisiana. Built by American Indians over 3,400 years ago, Poverty Point was once a powerful trading hub with a strong community before being abandoned. An engineering marvel, historians and archaeologists are still trying to piece together the day-to-day lives of these ancient people, since they left no written word behind. You can tour the earthly mounds and check out the exhibits featuring some of their discoveries, including clay pots, spear points, and more.
Will you be taking this road trip? What stops would you add along the way? Let us know in the comments below! After you've explored some of Louisiana's awesome hidden gems, check out these seven natural wonders in Louisiana.
There's no better way to see the sights of Louisiana than by car, and luckily for us, there are endless road trips in Louisiana available. Since Louisiana is a relatively small state, you can get around the entire state in a day (New Orleans to Shreveport is about a five-hour drive). The added benefit of taking a Louisiana road trip is having the freedom to stop off wherever you'd like, for however long you'd like, and do things at your own pace. If you're ready to see the Pelican State by car, get your playlists ready, because the best road trips in Louisiana are the ultimate getaways for road warriors.
Route: Venice> Barataria Preserve > Woodlands Conservancy > Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge > Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge > Fontainebleau State Park
Distance: 167 miles
Trip Time: 3.5 hours driving time
This quick and easy scenic drive will only take you about 3.5 hours total driving time, which is perfect because then you can take your time and explore each site fully. This is one road trip you’ll want to get an early start on because the sunrises in Venice are easily some of the most beautiful sunsets in Louisiana. On the flip side, if you can time your last stop at Fontainebleau State Park during sunset, you’ll have a mesmerizing view of the sunset over Lake Pontchartrain!
Route: Cypremort Point State Park> Louisiana State Arboretum > Wild Azalea Trailhead > Driskill Mountain
Distance: 245 miles
Trip Time: 5 hours driving time
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This road trip is perfect for a long weekend and takes you all over the Pelican State. Starting at Cypremort Point State Park, you’ll travel north through Cajun Country and into the Kisatchie National Forest, Louisiana’s only National Forest. Here, you can take a hike on Louisiana’s longest primitive trail, the Wild Azalea Trail. This trail clocks in at around 30 miles, and if you’d like to do the entire trek, just know that you’re welcome to pitch a tent and camp along the trail. The final destination on this Louisiana road trip takes you to Driskill Mountain, where you can take the one-mile trail to the summit where you can proudly claim that you’re standing tall at 535 feet—Louisiana’s tallest natural summit. This is easily one of the best road trips in Louisiana.
Route: Rip Van Winkle Gardens > Avery Island > Lake Martin > Vermilionville > Breaux Bridge > Barn Hill Animal Preserve > Bogalusa
Distance: 288 miles
Trip Time: 6 hours driving time
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Even though you could technically take this road trip in a day, extending it over the course of a week will really allow you ample time to see all of the sights. Starting off at the Rip Van Winkle Gardens, this
Louisiana road trip weaves through Cajun Country, stopping off at some of Louisiana’s most famous attractions including Avery Island, Breaux Bridge, Lafayette, and more. There are plenty of local restaurants serving up both Creole and Cajun cuisine, and this is an area of Louisiana with a rich Acadian history that’s worth learning more about. As you make your way through the Atchafalaya, there are plenty of places to stay for the night, including the cabins at the final destination in Bogalusa. Bogalusa is a sleepy little town in Washington Parish right on the Mississippi border, and these cabins offer a peaceful and relaxing setting to enjoy for a day or two
Route: Lake Charles > Sulphur > Sabine National Wildlife Refuge > Holly Beach > Rutherford Beach
Distance: 180 miles
Trip Time: 5 hours driving time
One of Louisiana’s most scenic drives, the Creole Nature Trail is an epic, 180-mile All-American Road that takes you through Louisiana’s Cajun Country, weaving through prairies, marshes, wildlife refuges, and more. Starting off in Lake Charles, the drive takes you deep into the southern portion of Louisiana, all the way to Louisiana’s beaches! Both Holly Beach and Rutherford Beach are picturesque beaches that are wonderful for finding seashells, so keep your eyes peeled! These beaches on the Gulf of Mexico are unique in that you’re allowed to drive right on the beach, and you’re also allowed to camp here.
Route: Louis Armstrong Park > Bayou St. John > City Park > Lakefront > Longue Vue House and Gardens > Audubon Park > Barataria Preserve
Distance: 42 miles
Trip Time: 1 hour driving time
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While New Orleans is known for its busy nightlife scene (and Mardi Gras), you may be surprised to learn that there are plenty of natural spots outside of the French Quarter. Though it only clocks in at 42 miles, this is one road trip around New Orleans that can easily fill the entire day. Both City Park and Audubon Park deserve a full day to explore, but if you’re short on time, you can still visit some of the most popular attractions within these parks and still feel like you did it justice. You can also go kayaking down the bayou, which is a popular pastime in the warmer months.
Route: Covington > Baton Rouge > St. Martinville > Lafayette > Ville Platte > Alexandria > West Monroe > Homer
Distance: 429 miles
Trip Time: 8.5 hour driving time
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Spring is one of the best times of year to spend your time outdoors, so this epic pizza and parks road trip is just perfect for this time of year. This road trip takes you to all the best pizza joints in Louisiana and nearby parks where you can enjoy them. Both smaller city parks and state parks make the list, so you can get a feel for the natural beauty found in those charming small-town parks and the larger parks like the Louisiana State Arboretum. Feel free to pair this road trip itinerary with the 7-day road trip for an awesome adventure.
Summertime was just meant for road trips, and this one will take you from the rolling hills of Northern Louisiana all the way down to the wetlands in the south, bringing you to some of the best campsites in Louisiana. Whether you prefer the comfort of a cabin, your own RV, or an old-school tent, these campgrounds offer a chance to experience the natural landscape in Louisiana like never before, and the hiking trails featured in the road trip offer excellent wildlife viewing opportunities. The summer is the best time of the year to see Louisiana’s most famous swamp critter, the alligator, and you can often find them soaking up the sun on the banks of bayous, swamps, and marshes.
Now, Louisiana may not have the stunning fall foliage that places like New England are known for, but we do indeed have some opportunities to go leaf-peeping. If you can time it right, you can catch
Louisiana’s fall foliage, especially in Northern Louisiana. There’s something very magical about seeing a bayou transform into brilliant shades of red and orange that will just make you fall in love with Louisiana all over again. This road trip will take you to some of our favorite state parks in Louisiana to see the fall foliage, which typically has a late start down here. Try to time this drive towards the end of October or early November for the peak colors.
Route: Minden > Natchitoches > Alexandria > Lafayette > Baton Rouge > Lutcher > New Orleans
Distance: 409 miles
Trip Time: 7 hours driving time
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Nothing says winter road trip quite like a Christmas lights road trip, and Louisiana does not disappoint in this department. Turn on your favorite holiday music and enjoy driving through some of the best holiday light displays in Louisiana, including the world-famous Natchitoches Christmas Lights Display. Many of these displays have options to stay in your car and drive through, while others require you to get out and stretch your legs, so be sure to check ahead to know what type of holiday light show you’re heading to.
The entire house will enjoy this family-friendly road trip across northern and central Louisiana, stopping off at incredible attractions like Kiroli Park, Biedenharn Museum and Gardens, and even a stop off at the Louisiana Purchase Gardens and Zoo. This road trip includes one of our favorite waterfront restaurants, Mariner’s, where the views are just as good as the food.
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Road Trip to Louisiana Landmarks & Natural Wonders
Route: New Orleans > Baton Rouge > Atchafalaya Region
Distance: 226 miles
Trip Time: 3 hours driving time
History buffs and nature lovers alike will enjoy this quick road trip in Louisiana that hits all the most historic sites in southern Louisiana. Starting off in New Orleans, you’ll visit iconic sights like Jackson Square in the French Quarter before heading west to Baton Rouge to step on board a decommissioned WWII-era Destoyer, the USS-KIDD which overlooks the Mississippi River. From there the journey westward continues, as you drive over the Atchafalaya River Basin, the nation’s largest river swamp. One of the best ways to admire the natural beauty of this area is to take a swamp tour of the Atchafalaya and see this incredible wetland from an entirely different perspective while learning about the rich history of the basin from knowledgeable tour guides who have grown up here. Doesn't this sound like one of the best road trips in Louisiana?
If you really want to get a feel for what it’s like to live in Louisiana, you’ve got to explore small-town life. Even though this road trip starts off in Natchitoches, which wouldn’t normally be considered a small town, the historic downtown area has a distinctive small-town charm about it, and with its 33-blocks of historic landmarks, it’s sure to keep you entertained. As you weave throughout southern Louisiana, you’ll arrive at the charming towns of DeRidder, Eunice, Breaux Bridge, and other delightfully charming small towns in Louisiana that are all full of history, some mystery, and delicious local restaurants that will welcome you with open arms.
Have you taken any of these road trips? What do you consider to be the best road trips in Louisiana? Do you prefer quick road trips or full weekend road trips? Let us know in the comments below! And don't forget to stock up on snacks, they're the best part of the trip! Check out our Road Trip Essentials Guide which features all of our favorite must-haves for road trips.
This donut trail in Louisiana will give you the perfect sugar rush to drive through the Pelican State.
Are you feeling spontaneous? Gas up the car and check out this epic road trip. Starting from Lafayette and ending in Lake Charles, this road trip in Louisiana takes you through some of the most beautiful parts of Cajun Country. This is my own personal spin on the Creole Nature Trail— another epic Louisiana road trip you should add to your bucket list.
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The road trip begins in Lafayette, but make sure you give yourself enough time to explore the city.
RiverFront is our top pick. Not only does it overlook the Vermilion River, but they’ve got some of the best food in town. All of your Louisiana favorites make an appearance on the menu plus a few specialty creations.
Keep those Vermilion River views going! The splash pad and playground is always a hit with the kids, and the nature trail here is under a mile long (perfect for those little legs).
You can also rent a boat from the park and explore the river from an entirely new perspective! Cabin rentals are also available if you’d like to extend the trip.
Once you hit Pecan Island, you’ll drive through the Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge.
Did you think we’d pass up the opportunity to soak up some sun? Of course not! We love Rutherford Beach for so many reasons: the seashells, the sand…the fact that you can drive right onto the beach…all of it! Just be sure to leave no trace.
The road trip continues west and includes a short ride on the Cameron ferry.
The Cameron Ferry takes about 25 minutes and will run you $1 per car. Quick and easy! Oh, and if you’re lucky you might even spot a dolphin in the water!
From the ferry, continue on LA-27 N for nine miles and enjoy yet another Louisiana beach!
Holly Beach is more popular than Rutherford Beach, but honestly, both are hidden gems. You can also drive onto Holly Beach just like Rutherford Beach and spend as much time as you’d like here. Heck, you can even camp right on the beach!
After Holly Beach, follow LA-27 N. This scenic road takes you through the Sabine National Wildlife Refuge, plus plenty of spots in Hackberry where you can get out and stretch your legs.
Check out Millenium Park and Prien Lake Park for waterfront fun. You may even swing by Creole Nature Trail Adventure Point to start planning your own epic road trip through this part of Louisiana!
Are you inspired to take this road trip in Louisiana? Pack up the car and let us know how it goes! Safe travels!
