McGee’s Louisiana Swamp Tours & Airboats

Acadiana has ample amounts of waterways, from gulf fronts to bayous, lakes, rivers and more than our fair share of swamps. There are so many ways to take advantage of each of them. We explored a few water activities that will keep you and your family busy this spring and summer!

Kayaking

Try These Trails The historic Bayou Teche was recently adopted into the National Water Trails System. The official trail runs 135 miles, with 13 designated access points. Paddle trips can range from seven miles to 135! Palmetto Island is a great trail for beginners and families. The waterway offers tons of up close access to wildlife and plants! If it’s an urban kayaking experience you’re looking for, Prien Lake in Lake Charles takes paddlers under the I-210 bridge and through cityscapes.

In and Out There are so many accessible kayak docks and launch spots in Acadiana. As mentioned above, the Bayou Teche trail has 13 access points. The floating dock at the Duperier Street Bridge will allow you to see Main Street from the water! There are four kayak launches maintained by the Bayou Vermilion District. There is one at Nature Station, Vermilionville, Camellia Bridge and Southside Park.

Get the Gear Of course, you can purchase your very own kayaking equipment at local spots like Pack & Paddle and The Backpacker. However, if you’re new to kayaking game and you want to try out the waters first (pun intended), there are places where you can rent equipment. Pack & Paddle rents by the day or for the weekend. The Bayou Teche Experience offers rentals and a shuttle service.

Fishing

For The Family Fishing is always a family affair. It’s a great way to get the entire family out and active. In 2018 Grand Isle State Park was named the top mom-approved place to fish and boat in Louisiana. The criteria for this designation is that a locations must have everything a family needs to enjoy the great outdoor – play areas, family-friendly amenities, picnic areas, safe water and boat access, and of course, ample fishing opportunities.

Stay Awhile If fishing is what’s on your mind, you should make a weekend out of it. There are tons of locations in Acadiana known for both the fishing and the camping options! Lake Fausse Pointe State Park offers overnight visitors the options to rough it at the campgrounds or to take advantage of one of their various cabins. If you choose Cypermort Point State Park as your destination, you’ll have the option of deluxe cabin rentals and access to a pavilion. If RV hookups and Gulf access are what you’re looking for, look no further than Burns Point Park & RV Campground.

Get A Guide If you want to go directly to the big catch and not waste any time, get a guide. In New Iberia you can take your pick of Acadian Outdoors Charters or Smokin’ Reels Fishing Charters is a Lafayette based charter company that specializes in Vermilion Bay’s Marsh Island. If you’re camping at Cypremort Point, you can call on Cypremort Charters, LLC.

Swamp Tours

Lead The Way Maybe you are more of a waterways novice, then taking in the great outdoors via swamp tour is the way for you! Lake Martin is one of the most popular areas for tours. Acadiana Swamp Tours offers an up close and personal look at native wildlife and flora and fauna in their smaller boats. Cajun Country Swamp Tours are led by experts in the fields of zoology and biology.

Airboats If it’s the Atchafalaya Basin you’re looking to explore, one of the best ways to do so is by airboat. Not only is it a great way to see a lot of the terrain, it’s also fun and exciting. Atchafalaya Basin Landing Airboat Swamp Tours has a variety of tour options. And while McGee’s Louisiana Swamp Tours & Airboats have tour boats that can accommodate nearly 50 people, they also have a fleet of airboats!

Paddle Maybe the aforementioned kayaking really piqued your interest, but you’re not quite ready to paddle out into the swamps on your own. There are multiple guided kayak swamp tours you can take advantage of. Champagne’s Cajun Swamp Tours has kayak rentals as well as guided group tour options. Pack & Paddle has a calendar full of group events and trips that range from beginners to advanced.