It’s not everyday you can see alligators in January. The hike was really relaxing. About 4 miles total. It says that it’s wheelchair accessible but beware that some of the boards are getting weak and uneven. Even as a local I enjoyed just walking and seeing all the nature. Perfect for a weekend walk. And it’s free to enter the park.

Sad, beautiful and amazing. Amazing to walk the fields that proved vital to a very important battle in our nations history. National Cemetery representing not just the Battle of New Orleans. Friendly and knowledgeable rangers as well. Worth the trip if you are into history.

This is such a wonderful and magical place. The trails are amazing, just like they put a nice boardwalk right down through the deepest parts of nature. You will walk along and hear new sounds, see gators that you can reach out and touch, insects as big as your arm, and plants that make you fee like you are in the jungle. The beauty and cleanliness of this place is astounding. This is a great area to escape the city and get back to nature. The welcome shop has some great information about the history of the area and how the marsh lands are disappearing. Every trail is a different kind of experience with different types of sights along each one. I recommend trying all the trails that you can. This is a great spot to take visitors to Louisiana without paying for a swamp tour and treating it more as a choose your own adventure (dont worry, the gators are pretty lazy and wont chase you).

We love to go hiking there. Trails were a little overgrown, but definitely still usable.

This park is beautiful. It was a bit crowded on the Sunday that I was there. Some of the trails were completely empty. I was able to see lots of wildlife including some alligators. Make sure you take sunscreen and bug spray.

Absolutely amazing to see and hear all of that this area had to offer. We came here from up north and we were blown away by the beautiful landscape and wildlife sightings. I would recommend this place to anybody that wants a look at a real bayou. Thank you to the National Park and Preserve for keeping this place protected.

This park was so gorgeous and great for families. It’s a beautiful hidden gem on the west bank.

Went on Park Ranger guided walk. Ranger was very knowledgeable and shared about local history and environmental issues. Went walking on own also. Gorgeous!

This place is such a gem! Stayed on it for 3 days and saw awesome eye catching scenery. The boat launch we used was free and access was easy. Some folks (I feel like) didnt park as they should but we were able to maneuver around them. All the people we spoke to were full of information about the waterways and such because most have been associated with this area for years. Will be going back again!

I enjoyed my visit there last summer. Alas, the offices and buildings were closed when we visited, but they had some information sheets outside.I continue to be amazed by the people who went roaming around in these swamps 200+ years ago.

We came looking for gators, and it did not disappoint — found one in the swamp near the first parking area we hit. Watch your step here and be careful.Beautiful trails and nature, lots of insects (VERY big spiders). I recommend bringing bug spray; made the yankee tourist mistake of having none.

This was so much fun! It was great seeing the alligators in their protected habitat. Our captain jason was funny and knowledgeable. Plus side I got to hold a baby gator! It was a great birthday present!

Worth Visiting!! We went in hibernating season so we could not see much..Just saw few not so big alligators and turtles but heard during summer you get to see a lot of them. Trip is around 2 hrs long. Captain is cool. Best part was they had a baby alligator in the boat. We got a chance to hold it in hand :D Besides that you get few amazing view of swamp.If you are looking for cheaper rates, just check for coupons. We got tickets for 10$ off per person online. Total of 109$ for 6 people as of December, 18.Highly recommend to visit during summers. In winters, it would not be as fun as it would be in summers but still you could give it a shot!

Beautiful, magical park. Easy walking trail through forests, board walk out to bayou with great signage. We even saw a couple Gators. There are 5 or 6 different trails. Helpful rangers at the Visitors Center, with clean restrooms and plenty of parking.

Great place to see a swamp. Very quiet, with good variety of plants and animal life. Unfortunately some areas are closed temporarily due to aggressive alligators.

This was a wonderful park with two different trails you can take. We went for the 10 am walking tour with a guide and although we didn’t get to see any alligators we saw a giant spider and lots of squirrels. The tour guide was very knowledgeable and told us the history of the swamp and the different foliage.

The rangers were great and provided fantastic insights into the land and its history. The trails were well maintained and had great views. Even on a cold day I saw multiple alligators and dozens of birds species. Well worth the trip!

Our swamp tour was so awesome! And we got to hold an alligator as well as see several in the water, carp, a turtle, and blue herring

Our Cajun guide was pretty funny and very knowledgeable. I saw quite a few alligators and I got to hold a live one.

Massive place, certainly the best introduction to the swamp that I can imagine. Youll come across tons of gators, spiders, and the like, plus the nature you immerse yourself in really feels like one of a kind. I wish we had been able to get onto a swamp tour, but hiking through here easily made up for it.

Great quite outdoor fun! It was exactly what we needed, a get away and lots of adventure!

Amazing place to go and enjoy nature and all that it has to offer. We loved walking the trails and watching the alligators. The entire experience was amazing and we recommend this place to everyone. We just love the Louisiana parks.They just take pride in the parks and take great care of them and the guests that visit the area. We travel quite a ways to visit and would recommend to anyone doing the same.

Love this place! If its warm bring lots of water and sun protection! Also closed toed shoes! This place is beautiful and wild! So many insects, birds, deer and Gators! There are a few bridges with stairs, but most of the trail is stroller friendly. There is a nice lookout area where we like to eat lunch. There are benches along this trail as well.There is a visitors center. On some GPS systems this will take you to the visitors center in New Orleans.... In the French quarter.... This is not where you most likely are wanting to go. You will want to type in Barataria preserve, which is not far from New Orleans in Marrero near Jean Lafitte.

Was not able to see any gators but.., it was a really great experience to walk though those trails.

Absolutely beautiful. Worth your time if you have it. The trails are well done and wind through some great scenery!

Amazing place, so much wildlife to see here. The Rangers were so friendly and good with the kids. We saw a bunch of snake species and alligators. Wonderful hikes.

A every great adventure for any group. We had a group of 4 and our guide was amazing. His name was James and he made it an experience to brag about.

Boardwalk hikes are my favorite. This was a wonderful place. Rarely see other people so you can really be on your own!

It was wonderful. Very interesting. Had a great time

Trails are to narrow but seems to work ok.cause people will walk in a single line to make it a lil easier to get by.

The Jean Lafitte National Park consists of several locations in and around New Orleans, including: Chalmette, Barataria, French Quarter, Thibodaux, Lafayette and Eunice. While a very successful privateer (pirate) Lafitte, also played a pivotal role in the Battle of New Orleans. Its worth checking them all out.

Good tour. We saw several alligators very close to the boat and got some great pictures. At the end of the tour, we even got to hold a small one and get a picture with it. Our captain provided lots of good information along the way.

Great tour. Saw quite a few alligators. No snakes thank goodness. Held a baby alligator. It was a great time.

We enjoyed our visit. Loved the guided tour and recommendations from the visitors center staff!

Great spot for a quick hike while spotting wildlife. Highly recommended!

Neat way to learn about the swamps and the history if the area. Definitely recommend catching the free 10am tour so you can learn something on your walk. Its an easy board walk where you can view cypress trees and marsh grasses. We saw a snake, but no alligators because it was too cold. Not a thrilling hike by any means, but a nice relaxing jaunt.

Incredible and unique park. Walk along the bayou right along and over the swamp. See everything from spiders to alligators. Also can go in boats to go along the water. Highly recommended.

Absolutely beautiful park full of wildlife! In one hour we saw two gators and many armadillos. The lush scenery is stunning.

Definitely do a swamp tour- check Groupon as most of the tour companies have deals there

Free and did the trail from the visitors center. Beautiful place. Theres other parking lots and Id probably try that next time....

Had a great tour. Awesome lots of gators and turtles.

We had a great time! The guide was awesome, very knowledgeable and funny. My kids loved it.

Very impressed how nice the trails were! Love this place!

We love to come to this place with our son, is beautiful and they take care of it very well.

It was a great tour. Our guide was extremely informative. The kids had a great time too!

We did the Laffite swamp alligator tour.It was very nice and the guide was pretty awesome.

Super cool place to go walking with family and friends. Great place for taking pictures. The walking trails are really nice[wooden trails], there are benches here and there and signs they have cool information about the area. The longest trail is over two miles and its very interesting and scenic. At some parts of the year there are huge yellow orb spiders all along the trails. So if you have arachnophobia maybe not the best place to go. Youll see alligators sometimes just chilling off to the side. There is a security guard that monitors the trails as well. Best to go a little earlier in the day because they close the parking lots at 5pm and if you leave your car there you wont be able to get it out until the next morning so beware of that. Its a really cool place so I definitely recommend going for the experience. Oh and there will be the occasional snake here and there.

Knowledgeable guide, good service. Great nature!

Super fun. Never been to Louisiana so I wanted to see some of the nature they have to offer. This your didnt dissapoint. The guide was friendly and informative and a huge plus was the weather was fantastic. I would highly recommend this tour to any just visiting.

Swamp was beautiful, and captain Brent was very informative!

This was one of my highlights on my visit. We saw snakes, alligators, and even a great big owl. Everything was in its natural habitat. Make sure you take but repellant. The park is kept clean and maintained.

An excellent stop to walk through the bayou! We saw an alligator while walking on the elevated board walk. I would imagine it would be very hot if the sun were out, but I happened to be there on a rainy day, which was actually pretty nice.

Saw a gator! I was so excited. It was fun! Don’t recommend if you don’t like bugs, haha. Felt like a scavenger hunt searching for any gators and other wildlife.

Very cool trails! Lots of wildlife! We seen snakes, a gator, turtles, squirrels, crabs and much more!! Feels like you are walking in South America. A beautiful gem!

Very enjoyable boat ride thru the Bayou...the tour guide was very knowledgeable and funny. You get to hold a baby gator!

Gators right by the trail. Wildlife everywhere. This was a great walk.

Love this place saw a few gators

I visited this place looking for gators, all I found instead were big spiders. I believe they are called golden orb weavers. They look like little bananas and I guess that explains their colloquial name: banana spiders. Ive been told they are harmless but I still would not eat one. Attached is a picture of one of those magnificent creatures.

This preserve is close to NOLA and has several trails . We were on the one by the canal and saw many alligators. The best time is early in the morning, the birds are active and so are the Gators: they were talking to each other and one even swam up to check us out. Our swamps are a valuable resource and need to be preserved. This is a great place to visit with children. Please observe the park rules.

Did a swamp tour here and it was well worth it! Incredible guide and amazing flora and fauna! Learned a lot and got to hold a young gator!!!

Definitely recommend coming here and spending a day exploring the park.

Fun experience, but not as fun as our tours!

Great tour and guide. Saw a lot of gators and learned a lot.

Our Captain, Jason, was the best of all things Louisiana. Personable, knowledgeable and competent but a strong Louisiana accent makes it seem like we were the only ones on the boat. Well worth your time & money to see a little of the bayou, the alligators and wild life -- even a bald eagle!

Please please vote to support our national parks. This preserve is a precious gem in the middle of the city thats built up around it.

Great place to see these seeming prehistoric creatures up close. And not a far drive from the city

No guarantee you will see gators, but youll see a multitude of small creatures in a beautiful setting.

Awesome place to walk around and see alligators.

This national park is just extremely educational, beautiful and a great way to workout and have fun.

Nice hike through the bayou. Easy flat walking. I did see a 4 foot alligator.

Stopped by the Jean Lafitte National Preserve this past weekend when we had an hour and a half to kill before a swamp tour. I think I enjoyed the Preserve more than the Jean Lafitte Swamp Tour. We only saw a small piece of the Preserve so I definitely need to go back for an all day adventure, but the little I saw was impressive. We spent the majority of our time on walking trails. The trails we hiked were essentially elevated walkways through the swamp. There were other people hiking but not so many where it was crowded. We saw alligators, snakes of different varieties, turtles and a blue herring. The area where we were was also free which is nice. Free outdoor fun with the kids is always good in my book. From nola its probably a 25 min drive, from the northshore obviously add causeway time.

We went during the government shutdown, so unfortunately, we didnt get to go to the welcome center. We were still able to walk some of the trails, but it wasnt terribly scenic.

Loved the tour it was so much fun and the experience overall was educational. We really enjoyed it l.

It is a beautiful site where it is possible to walk on the bayou by wooden fittings very well made. it is very beautiful, very calm, with alligators very easily observable and a real immersion of what the conquistadors could live on their first arrival in Louisiana.

Beautiful park with good trails and boardwalks through wetlands. Lots of wildlife and views. Different types of yes are marked and theres an audio tour you can access by calling a NPS phone number.

Captain Aaron was great! Super friendly staff. Parking was right by the launchpad.

Incredible swamp walk. Youre on a path right on the swamp and walk through several bayou biomes. Alligators easily viewable from the path.

Excellent family outdoors. It was less expensive to take uber to get there from the city. Petting one year old, one foot long baby alligator was unexpected thrill for the whole group

This place is great and offers a lovely way to see and hear the wetlands of Louisiana without having to engage in too harsh of a terrain due to the elevated walkways. In the summer it can be very hot and sunny though, så bring plenty of water and preferably a nice shady hat. Some insect repellent might also be useful.

Great place! We have seen Aligators every time we go.

Beautiful place! Saw several alligators near the path...like right underneath! Lovely scenery.

Beautiful! Worth the two hours to do the whole hike. The view of New Orleans was a bit of a let down, but the scenery on the trail was amazing. Saw several Gators of varying sizes.

Great way to learn about nature in Louisiana. Gators, snakes, moss covered cypress.

We had a great time walking the trails and taking in the natural beauty of the bayou. We saw a large variety of wildlife in the reserve including many alligators, snakes, and bird species. Highly recommend this stop.

Amazing place.Mother nature in its splendor stage just fee minutes away from the busy city.Full of exuberant vegetation, alligators, snakes, birds, awkward insects, even we saw a racoon

So beautiful. Could spend hours here.

Beautiful park, close enough for regular visits. Seems to have plenty of parking. I assume the trails and boardwalks are nice, but can’t give first hand info because they don’t allow dogs on the trails. Very disappointed, especially since it never occurred to me this would be an issue.

Informative and enjoyable; our captain Jason was full of witt making it entertaining as well!

Always beautiful here, nice and clean. Dont forget a water bottle

So much history ! Excellent ranger. Informational plaques as you ride around t he grounds.Well kept cemetery.Well worth your time.

I would recommend this place to Anyone and everyone great time!

If you are wanting to truly experience a new Orleans swamp this place is for you!

It would be in your best interest to bring mosquito repellent. That is a must. Also bottle of water, good walking shoes, sunscreen in the summer and a flashlight just in case!Ya never know!

True magical swamp mystery. Walk among half a dozen routs in the national park. For free. See gators, snakes and birds.

Always a nice experience.

Captain Brent was very funny and knowledgeable! The bald eagles were probably the coolest part.

A great nature hike through the swamp to see snakes, gaters, spiders, lizards, squirrels, and birds in their natural and beautiful swamp habitat...most within striking distance! You dont need to pay for a swamp tour. Park gates close at 5pm, but they actually encourage you to park on the road outside the park and hike after hours. But no way would you catch me on this trail after dark!

Enjoy my beautiful wetlands

We really enjoyed this boat ride seen a lot of alligators. It was very cool watching the tour guide interact with the alligators.

Quite the place. The real Louisiana. There are mosquitoes though.