Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, Louisiana
Everything the RV Renter Needs to Know
Everything the RV Renter Needs to Know
It might not be fair to consider Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve just one destination. In truth, it’s six entirely unique sites, each one worthy of at least a full day of adventure. If you’re looking to explore Louisiana and the rich culture and history of the New Orleans area, you can’t beat a trip designed to lead you along the many sites of Jean Lafitte, which take you from sprawling natural preserves to the music and bustle of the famous French Quarter in New Orleans. The best way to see it all? From behind the wheel of your very own rented RV, which promises a comfortable and affordable place to stay as well as the transportation you need to take you around the park’s many sites. Here’s everything you need to know to plan an unforgettable family vacation to Southern Louisiana via Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve.
Outside Marrero, Louisiana, Barataria Preserve is a 26,000-acre swath of untouched land home to a wide array of plant and animal life for you to encounter. Start your visit at the preserve’s excellent visitor center, which includes educational exhibits that teach you about the land, its inhabitants, and ranger activities to preserve it all for generations to come. There, you can grab a trail map or get info on the convenient cell phone tour, which allows you to chart your own path through the preserve with digital audio and text to help you along your way. Kids can also get a Junior Ranger activity book to earn their very own ranger badge.
Inside the preserve, which is free to enter, a winding system of trails and raised boardwalks take you through the Louisiana lowlands created by the Mississippi River. You’ll get a chance to see plenty of animals, including the bayou’s famous alligators, plus hundreds of species of birds and wildflowers. On your way out, don’t miss the gift shop, which offers books, apparel, and everything you’ll need to remember your trip to Barataria Preserve.
Underneath a lone willow tree on an otherwise nondescript field, sky blue cannons mark the site of the Battle of Chalmette, what many historians consider the final battle of the War of 1812. Though the treaty ending the war had been signed in 1814 following Jackson’s victory over the British in New Orleans, this final battle in early 1815 marked America’s final defeat of their former colonizers. Today, Chalmette Battlefield is one of the major attractions of Jean Lafitte National Historical Park.
The visitor’s center offers historical exhibits that examine the events leading up to the battle and the actual battle itself. Guests can pick up guides and activity books for the little ones, then head out to walk in the footsteps of the soldiers who fought to preserve America’s newly won independence. Right beside the battlefield, Chalmette National Cemetery is the final resting place of 14,000 brave men and women who fought in conflicts including the Civil War, Spanish-American War, both World Wars, Vietnam, and even the War of 1812.
Though it might seem odd, the famous French Quarter itself is also part of Jean Lafitte National Historical Park. Originally dubbed Nouvelle Orleans by the French settlers who established New Orleans, the French Quarter today remains one of the top tourist destinations in America for its unique culture, historic buildings, incredible bars and restaurants, and buzzing nightlife.
What makes this area a formal part of Jean Lafitte is the park’s French Quarter Visitor Center, a museum that celebrates the history and cultures of the French Quarter through the centuries. Exhibits introduce visitors to the history of the entire Mississippi River delta and the rich traditions of New Orleans, a film sets the tone for a trip through the French Quarter, and a gift shop offers memorabilia plus guidebooks and other tools to help you enjoy your visit to the Big Easy.
There are several cultural centers dedicated to the culture of the Acadian peoples who settled the Southern Louisiana area that make up half of Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve’s six main sites. The Acadian Cultural Center in Lafayette is dedicated to charting the origins of the Acadian (also known as Cajun) people and their settling of the Atchafalaya Basin. Free audio guides are available in three languages to allow guests a go-at-your-own-pace experience of the museum’s exhibits, which include a look at the contemporary Cajun culture in Louisiana.
The Prairie Acadian Cultural Center in Eunice is another center, this one dedicated specifically to the Cajuns who settled Louisiana’s prairielands. The story of these hard-working and fun-loving people is told through hands-on exhibits, films, and ranger programs. But the real attraction here just might be the next-door Liberty Theater, known to locals as “the Cajun Grand Ole Opry,” which offers visitors an unforgettable show celebrating the area’s Cajun and zydeco music traditions every Saturday night.
The final cultural center in Jean Lafitte is the Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center in Thibodaux. This one is worth its own entry on this list because, as the name implies, it’s focused on the bayou culture of the Wetlands Cajuns. The center itself is a great attraction showcasing the Wetland Acadians’ lifestyle, with artifacts testifying to their homelife, fishing traditions, and musical accomplishments.
Of course, the best way to experience the bayou is to get out into it for yourself, and that’s why the center also offers guided boat tours of Bayou Lafourche every Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday morning at 10:00 am. Rangers will teach you about the history and ecology of the land as you cruise along the bayou. Keep an eye out for gators swimming through the waters and basking on logs!
Sun Roamers RV Resort just over the state line in Picayune, Mississippi is a top-rated Good Sam Club park that offers comfortable RV sites and all the amenities you could want for a family vacation. Recently renovated, the resort offers 155 sites with full hookups that can fit even the largest of rented RVs. Enjoy the on-site fishing pond, Olympic-size pool, and other great bonuses.
Another great Good Sam Club park just off I-10 in Slidell, Louisiana, Pine Crest RV Park of New Orleans offers large, pull-through RV sites with full hookups in a quiet and relaxing setting. The on-site lakes are a beautiful addition to the park, which also offers car rentals so you can leave your RV hooked up while exploring Jean Lafitte and the broader New Orleans area.
Reunion Lake RV Resort is another Good Sam Club favorite, but this park boasts a coveted 10/10/10 perfect rating from Good Sam members. It’s no wonder, with its close location to New Orleans in Ponchatoula, and its incredible on-site waterpark. While away a day on the lazy river while your RV sits waiting in your spacious, full hookup-site. This spot can’t be beat for a memorable family vacation.
Poche Plantation RV Resort’s main appeal is right there in the name—it’s located on an old-fashioned plantation in Convent, Louisiana. Located just off River Road down the way from New Orleans, it’s a quick drive along the Mississippi River to find this historic park with its excellent RV spaces deep in the heart of Cajun country.
Finally, if you’re looking to stay right in the heart of the action, Jude Travel Park in New Orleans has to be the top choice. The park features great RV campsites, a saltwater pool and hot tub, and a concierge service to help you coordinate trips and tours throughout the French Quarter and Jean Lafitte. They also operate some of their own walking tours for free.
Looking for a great breakfast treat before heading out into the park? Don’t miss Café Du Monde and its world-famous beignets and chicory coffee served in an open-air setting near the river. From there, the French Quarter has no shortage of classic Louisiana restaurants, including Antoine’s Restaurant—the oldest restaurant in the city and a destination for original creations like Oysters Rockafeller. For a true taste of Cajun cuisine, head to Mulate’s, which bills itself as the city’s original Cajun restaurant.
Explore all of the amazing restaurants the city has to offer on the Visit New Orleans website.