Jean Lafitte, La. – The town of Jean Lafitte encourages residents and tourists alike to take advantage of cooler, fall weather by walking the newly added section of the Wetland Trace nature trail.
“We live in such a unique and beautiful part of the state, and I want everyone to have an opportunity to experience the swamps, waterways and bayous firsthand,” said Mayor of Jean Lafitte Timmy Kerner. “This is great chance for locals to get exercise in our local environment, while tourists can add this to the growing list of attractions in Lafitte.”
The new trail adds ¾ mile to the existing mile-long Wetland Trace, which begins behind the newly unveiled Barataria Museum at 4917 City Park Dr. in Lafitte. The original boardwalk trail was built after Hurricane Katrina and loops through a pristine cypress swamp, offering views of alligators and nesting egrets and access to the Adventures of Jean Lafitte Swamp Tours. Now, the additional loop takes walkers along a natural ridge running alongside a waterway.
“It’s a view of the area you can only witness by getting off the beaten path,” added Kerner. “After experiencing nature at its finest, visitors should stop by the Barataria Museum to learn about the history and culture of this place we call home.”
Lafitte’s Barataria Museum opened in April of this year as wildlife and fisheries museum telling the over 200-year-old story of the town of Jean Lafitte, a historic fishing village 20 miles southwest of New Orleans. Featuring a multi-media theatre presentation and an animated museum exhibition, the museum leads visitors on a journey through the life of pirate Jean Lafitte, the stories and folk traditions of wetland dwellers and the realities of coastal erosion and natural and man-made disasters.