Louisiana's Island State Park Is A Hidden Treasure Trove Of Marshes And Swamps For An Authentic Outdoor Escape

Louisiana may be the best known for its most famous street and vibrant adult playground, Bourbon Street, but it's also home to a wide array of state parks, and one of the more unique might just be Palmetto Island State Park. In a state known mostly for its marshes and swamps, Palmetto Island State adds a jungle vibe, a great complement to the Louisiana woodlands playground and scenic forest of Tunica Hills right outside Baton Rouge. 

Palmetto Island State Park really isn't like most forests you've ever been to, especially in the United States. The spiky palmetto plants throughout (which give the park its name make) make it feel like some divine jungle-forest hybrid. Then to make it even better, there are green bodies of marshy water around to drive home the fact that this is a swamp. After all, this is still Louisiana, the Bayou State , and the bayou around the Vermilion River in Palmetto Island makes this nature park feel uniquely Louisiana. The verdant scenery of the state park is the authentic result of the fact that it was set aside in 1981 but didn't open until 2010, allowing the nature to really grow.

Whether you prefer to spend your outdoor escape on a boat, on a hike, on a bike, or on a sightseeing search for wildlife, Palmetto Island State Park has what you're looking for. While you could explore it pretty well in a day, spending the night at their cabins or campground is a great way to take in all this authentic and diverse park has to offer.

Palmetto Island is in the west part of Louisiana, 20 minutes from Intracoastal City, Louisiana's destination for unmatched shrimp, maritime lifestyle, and Gulf Coast charm. The nearest public airport is Abbeville Municipal Airport, about 14 miles away, and the larger Lafayette Regional Airport is an hour away by car depending on traffic. Whether you road-trip it to Palmetto Island or fly in to one of the local airports, you'll have to get to the park by car. Once you pass through the entrance station, there are hiking and biking trails you can choose to cruise to immerse yourself in the lush vegetation and the chirping birds of Palmetto State Park. You could also zoom around in your personal golf cart, but you'll have to bring one yourself. One of the best ways to explore Palmetto Island, though, is over the water.

Palmetto Island State Park has a boat launch on the northwest side where you can take your own watercraft out for some fun on the Vermillion River, under the droopy canopy of cypress trees. You can also rent canoes for a small fee. When paddling through the thin waterways that connect the park's three lakes, keep an eye out for alligators. Yes, gators mostly avoid people. And yes, you still want to keep away from them, but they're cool to see in the wild.

On top of the gators, Palmetto Island State Park is also known for its wild pigs, armadillos, and a wide assortment of birds. Palmetto Island State Park is located along the Mississippi Flyway, a migratory route, and is home to over 200 bird species, including Swainson's warblers, red-bellied woodpeckers, and anhingas. Just like with the gators, look but don't approach. Just watching them is majestic enough. 

There are several options for staying at Palmetto Island State Park, and accordingly, they have a bunch of fun activities to keep you and your family entertained. Choose from 95 premium campsites, a 30-person-capacity primitive campground, or walk-in backcountry campsites. The park also has six deluxe cabins if four walls and a screened porch is more your speed. Once you're checked in, go and enjoy the outdoors.

From Tuesday to Sunday, there's a water playground open for the young — and the young-at-heart — to splash around in the warm Louisiana afternoon. You could also go fishing on Evangeline Pond or in the river and lagoons around the park. Or simply walk the boardwalks running beneath and between the greenery, and maybe rent one of the pavilions by the day-use area to hang out and have a picnic. The views from the pavilions of the Vermilion River and the water playground are pretty fantastic. Then that night, whether in your tent or on the porch of your rented cabin, get lulled to bed by the sounds of the swamp.