BATON ROUGE IS GREENER THAN YOU’D THINK Nature Sights to Visit in LA’s Capital Area By Steven Melendez
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LSU Preview | Where Y'at Magazine
Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center 10503 N. Oak Hills Pkwy., Baton Rouge Bluebonnet, run by the Baton Rouge-area park and recreation district known as BREC, boasts a scenic network of easy-to-walk trails and wooden boardwalks wending their way through a swamp and forest. There’s also an indoor nature center with live animals like reptiles on display, information about the ecosystems of the region, and an interesting collection of bird decoys. A gift shop offers postcards and other items with a heavy emphasis on nature-related children’s toys. Admission is $3 for adults and $2 for kids under 18. Keep in mind that dogs are only allowed on designated days. Port Hudson State Historic Site 236 U.S. Highway 61 Jackson Port Hudson, which overlooks the Mississippi River, was the site of a grisly Civil War conflict in 1863, considered the longest siege in U.S. military history, with the Union ultimately seizing the strategically important site after losses on both sides. Plaques throughout this site commemorate and point out facets of the siege, and the park hosts an annual reenactment, but it’s
STEVE MELENDEZ
If your experience in nature in the Baton Rouge region has been limited to walking around the Louisiana State University campus, and perhaps the area around the State Capitol building, you’re simply missing out. The capital and surrounding region are home to a variety of parks, trails, and nature centers, including some right in the heart of the city, that are worth exploring whenever you’re in town. Check out the various park agencies’ websites for details on opening hours and, if you have a dog, which parks allow them on leash. Keep in mind that unlike parks in New Orleans, many of these facilities don’t allow alcohol. Here are a few of the most beautiful parks in Baton Rouge.
