Mississippi Delta
Known as America’s “third coast,” the Mississippi River Delta formed thousands of years ago. Boasting remarkable diversity across all its landforms and species, Louisiana is the jewel in the Gulf Coast’s crown. Featuring a wide variety of flora and fauna specifically adapted to our wetlands, coastal Louisiana has many distinct zones. Moving from inland to the coast, the area features bottomland hardwood forests, cypress-tupelo forests, saltwater, freshwater and brackish marshes, open waterways and bays.
The importance of these zones cannot be overstated. Not only do they provide needed habitats for our wildlife — including marsh fowl, shellfish and the iconic American alligator, a genuine conservation success story — but they also provide crucial protection for the people who live in the area. As research into coastal dynamics has long shown, the more land there is to absorb the impact of storm surges, the lesser the risk to Louisiana’s coastal communities, and the lesser the damage on the nearby homes, businesses, and infrastructure of national importance.
Swamp Tours
VIP Swamp tours with Eco Tours New Orleans explore a truly unique part of this area. Our land — what we call “The Estuary” — is situated on 1,500 acres of private property contiguous to natural bayous and waterways, and is an active part of the Louisiana State Department of Wildlife and Fisheries conservation programs. The Estuary is a celebrated refuge for alligators and other large fauna, showcasing every ecological zone in the area as well as examples of hydrological infrastructure that tell the story of industrial impacts on our coasts. The Estuary offers an unparalleled opportunity to see a detailed cross-section of coastal Louisiana in one experience, minutes from New Orleans’ historic French Quarter.
As part of your swamp tour, Eco Tours New Orleans will point out the many processes and features involved in restoring a damaged wetland environment to health and vitality. Coastal restoration is a process, and The Estuary is a living, working example of how the restoration of ecological function happens. With Eco Tours New Orleans, you’ll be inspired, educated, and informed.
Swamp Tours
Eco Tours New Orleans is located 22 miles (30 minutes) south of Downtown New Orleans.
Eco Tours New Orleans is located 22 miles (30 minutes) south of Downtown New Orleans.
Driving Directions:
- From Canal Street, take Magazine Street towards I-10 and US-90 BUS W.
- Just past the World War II Museum, cross Calliope Street and continue on Magazine Street underneath the overpass and take the immediate onramp to the left onto US-90 BUS W.
- Take US-90 BUS W (the Crescent City Connection) over the Mississippi River and continue 7.5 miles until exit 4B, LA 45/Barataria Boulevard, keeping left to avoid earlier exits.
- Take Exit 4B, LA 45/Barataria Boulevard, and coming down the offramp, turn left at the light to cross back underneath the expressway onto LA 3134 South (Leo Kerner Lafitte Parkway).
- Continue on LA 3134 South for 9.5 miles. At the end of this highway, continue straight to cross over the bayou and double back onto yourself, and after a few hundred feet, come to an intersection with Jean Laffite Blvd/LA-303 (an Exxon station will be right in front of you).
- Take a right onto Jean Laffite Blvd/LA-303, and continue one mile before turning right onto Estuary Road. You’ll see the signs for Eco Tours New Orleans at the intersection of Jean Laffite Blvd/LA-303 and Estuary Road.
Email: info@ecotoursneworleans.com
Physical Address:
Eco Tours New Orleans, LLC
4926 Estuary Road
Jean Lafitte, LA 70067
29°45’52″N 90°05’03″W
