Complete Guide to Bayou Sauvage Urban National Wildlife Refuge in Mississippi, including things to do, history, nearby lodging and camping, directions, and so much more.
Bayou Sauvage Urban National Wildlife Refuge
TL;DR Don’t have time to read the full article? Here are my top finds:
🏨Hotels and Vacation Rentals
📍Tours
🐻 Save time! Buy your National Park Pass before your trip
Bayou Sauvage (Bye-you So vage) means "Wild Bayou," and is where the refuge gets its name.
The Bayou Sauvage Waterway was once the primary east/west route in and out of New Orleans, and now serves as the home to the nation's largest Urban National Wildlife Refuge, all located within the city of New Orleans!
Most of the refuge is located within the hurricane protection levees that were built to help protect the East side of New Orleans from a hurricane storm surge and flooding.
Things to know before you visit
Entrance fee
Bayou Sauvage Urban National Wildlife Refuge does not charge an entrance fee! If you plan on visiting numerous sites on a National Park trip, you may consider buying an America the Beautiful/National Park Pass before your trip.
Duck Stamp - $25.00
Federal Duck Stamps are valid for 1 year, July 1 to June 30, at all National Wildlife Refuges.
The Federal Duck Stamp is so much more than just a hunting stamp. They cover the admittance fee to National Wildlife Refuges, as well as being required for Migratory Bird Hunters (primarily duck and goose hunters). They are also collectible works of art and an easy way for everyone to help support wetland conservation.
Learn more about National Park Passes for parks that have an entrance fee.
$80.00 - For the America the Beautiful/National Park Pass. The pass covers entrance fees to all US National Park Sites and over 2,000 Federal Recreation Fee Sites for an entire year and covers everyone in the car for per-vehicle sites and up to 4 adults for per-person sites.
Buy your pass at this link, and REI will donate 10% of pass proceeds to the National Forest Foundation, National Park Foundation, and the U.S. Endowment for Forestry & Communities.
National Park Free Entrance Days -Mark your calendars with the five free entrance days the National Park Service offers annually.
Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge Map
Refuge Information
Time Zone - Central Standard Time
Size - nearly 30,000 acres, the largest urban national wildlife refuge in the United States.
Date Established: 1990
Phone Number (985)882-2000
Address
17160 Chef menteur Highway
New Orleans, LA 70129
Pets - Dogs are allowed on the refuge. They must be kept on a leash, except for dogs engaged in authorized youth waterfowl hunting activities. The use of dogs is permitted only to locate, point, and retrieve while hunting.
Cell Service - We had cellular service with T-Mobile
Hours - Visitors are welcome at the refuge during daylight hours only. The refuge is closed at night.
Wi-Fi Available - No
Food/Restaurants
There are no restaurants in the refuge; however, there are numerous restaurants near the refuge.
Gas
There are no gas stations in the refuge; however, there are numerous gas stations in the area.
May I fly a Drone on a National Wildlife Refuge?
No. Launching, landing, or disturbing wildlife by aircraft (drones) on National Wildlife Refuges is prohibited by law - Code of Federal Regulations Title 50 Part 27 Sections 34 and 51 (50 CFR 27.34/51).
Electric Vehicle Charging
There are no EV charging stations in the refuge, but there are three charging stations nearby. Click here for a map of EV charging locations.
Don't forget to Pack these Items
Insect repellent is always a great idea outdoors, especially around any body of water.
We use Permethrin Spray on our clothes before our park trips. Please read my article on preventing biting insects while enjoying the outdoors.
Sunscreen - I buy environmentally friendly sunscreen whenever possible because you inevitably pull it out at the beach.
Bring your water bottle and plenty of water with you. Plastic water bottles are not sold in the park.
Sunglasses - I always bring sunglasses with me. I personally love Goodr sunglasses because they are lightweight, durable, and have awesome National Park Designs from several National Parks like Joshua Tree, Yellowstone, Hawaii Volcanoes, Acadia, Denali, and more!
Click here to get your National Parks Edition of Goodr Sunglasses!
Binoculars/Spotting Scope - These will help spot birds and wildlife and make them easier to identify. We tend to see waterfowl in the distance, and they are always just a bit too far to identify them without binoculars.
Getting to Bayou Sauvage Urban National Wildlife Refuge
Estimated Distance from Major Cities
New Orleans, Louisiana - 20 miles, 27 minutes
Closest Airports
International Airports
Lewis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) - 30 miles, 34 minutes
Best time to visit
Weather and Seasons
New Orleans, Louisiana, experiences long, hot, muggy summers and cold but short winters.
The hottest weather in New Orleans is from May 19th to September 22nd, when the average daily temperature is above 87 degrees.
The coldest weather is from November 29th to February 24th, when the average daily temperature is below 69 degrees.
Things to Do at Bayou Sauvage Urban National Wildlife Refuge
Motorized Boating
Most of the refuge is open to boating year-round. Outboard motors with 25 horsepower or less are permitted in the waterways inside the hurricane protection levees. There is no restriction on outboard motors on waterways outside the levees.
Canoe/kayak
paddlers can launch from two sites
- Joe Madere Marsh Canoe Launch (getting overgrown but a great place to go birding
- Crabbing Bridge Road is on the shores of Lake Ponchartrain.
Bayou Lacombe Visitor Center
Bayou Sauvage Urban NWR does not have a visitor center. There is the Bayou Lacombe Visitor for the gateway to exploring the Southeast Louisiana Refuges, including Big Branch Marsh, Bosque Chitto, Brenton, Cat Island, and Delta National Wildlife Refuges.
- Hours
The Visitor Center is open Thursday-Saturday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
- Phone
(985)882-2000
- Address
Bayou Lacombe Visitor Center
61389 Hwy 434
Lacombe, LA 70445
Birding/Wildlife Viewing
Bayou Sauvage NWR is an epic bird watcher's destination! The refuge provides food and shelter to over 340 species of birds, and waterfowl populations can exceed 75,000 during the fall-winter-summer months.
The refuge has such diversity due to its variety of wildlife habitats, including bottomland hardwoods, freshwater and brackish marshes, lagoons, canals, borrow pits, and natural bayous.
Make sure to click here to see/print the Bayou Sauvage NWR Bird List
Hiking
The Ridge Trail is a .5 mile loop boardwalk interpretive Trail that winds through forests and wetland areas with views of the historic Bayou Sauvage waterway.
The trailhead has restrooms and a picnic pavilion.
Make sure to click here to see the Bayou Sauvage NWR Brochure.
New Orleans Area Tours & Attractions
Jean Lafitte Swamp Tours
⭐️ Rating: 4.7 out of 5 Stars | ⏳ Tour Length: 90 minutes | 🐊 Check Rates and Availability
Get your cameras ready as you experience the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park on a shaded pontoon boat on the calm waters of the Louisiana Bayou.
Your knowledgeable tour guide is someone who was born and raised on the bayou and can tell you about the area's wildlife, including alligators, nutria, egrets, eagles, and many other animals that call the swamp home. You will also learn about the swamp ecosystem and all of its mysterious lore.
Steamboat Natchez Jazz Cruise with Lunch Option
⭐️ Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars | ⏳ Tour Length: 2-3 Hours | 🛥️ Check Rates and Availability
Journey back in time on a two-hour jazz cruise aboard the famous Sternwheeler Steamboat Natchez on the Mighty Mississippi River! You can also add an optional Creole Lunch to your cruise.
New Orleans Demonstration Cooking Class with Meal
⭐️ Rating: 4.9 out of 5 Stars | ⏳ Tour Length: 2 hours | 🍳 Check Rates and Availability
Me and my wife took a cooking class in New Orleans and LOVED IT! The tour was very educational and picked up great cooking tips. We also tasted great Creole dishes and we got copies of the recipies to take home!
Lodging near Bayou Sauvage Urban National Wildlife Refuge
Here are several hotels in downtown New Orleans that I have personally stayed at before. I liked staying at each property and they are also close to some of the big atttractions in New Orleans, as well as the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park and a short drive to Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve.
Lodging Options
Dauphine Orleans Hotel - The Dauphine is a beautiful hotel centrally located in the heart of New Orleans and within walking distance to Bourbon Street, Canal Street, and numerous other restaurants and activities. The hotel also offers an outdoor pool, free WI-FI, and valet parking is available.
Click here to book/learn more about the Dauphine Orleans Hotel.
The Saint Hotel - Located on Canal Street with walking distance Bourbon Street and the French Quarter, The Saint Hotel is a a luxury boutique hotel with very nice rooms, and the suite rooms are fantastic! They also had one of the softest beds I have ever slept in at a hotel, and the Burgundy Bar served great cocktails. They also offer free WI-FI, valet parking, a restaurant, and more!
Click here to book/ Learn more about the Saint Hotel
Sheraton New Orleans Hotel - A beautiful hotel conveniently located on Canal Street near the French Quarter and Bourbon Street. They have a 24-hour fitness center, an outdoor swimming pool, a bar and restaurant on site, valet parking, and is pet friendly.
Click here to book/ learn more about the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel
The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans - Bourbon Street and Caesars Superdome are located near The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans, which provides a grocery/convenience store, a terrace, and a coffee shop/café. Treat yourself to a hot stone massage, a manicure/pedicure, or a body treatment at The Ritz-Carlton Spa, the onsite spa. The onsite restaurant, M Bistro, features brunch. Free Wi-Fi in public areas is available to all guests, along with a garden and a library.
Click here to book/ learn more about the Ritz-Carlton in New Orleans.
Bayou Sauvage Urban National Wildlife Refuge Camping
There is no camping available in the refuge, but there are several lodging options and private campgrounds nearby.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Resources
The Wilderness Warrior: Theodore Roosevelt and the Crucade for America
This is a great book that centers on Roosevelt's conservation efforts and his role in establishing the Wildlife Refuge system.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
This book provides an in-depth coverage of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Federal Agency that manages the National Wildlife Refuge System, protects endangered species, and conducts fish and wildlife research.
Blue Goose Passport Book
The Blue Goose Passport is named after the symbol of the National Wildlife Refuge System and is designed to record your visits to National Wildlife Refuges.
America's National Wildlife Refuges: A Complete Guide
An all-in-one guide to more than 500 sites in the National Wildlife Refuge System. This book lists each refuge alphabetically by state, providing basic information about accessibility, facilities, and habitat types.
Additional Gulf Coast National Wildlife Refuge Articles
Big Branch Marsh NWR - Slidell, LA
St Marks National Wildlife Refuge - St Marks, Florida
Bon Secor NWR - Gulf Shores, Alabama
Grand Bay NWR - Grand Bay, AL
Mississippi Sandhill Crane NWR - Gautier, Mississippi
Cameron Prairie NWR - Bell City, Louisiana
Check out all of the Louisiana National Parks along with National Parks in Texas, Mississippi National Parks, and Arkansas National Parks
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