Family Adventures on Louisiana’s North Shore

If New Orleans’ party scene isn’t your idea of family travel, look less than an hour north in St. Tammany Parrish for a vacation full of adventures. Louisiana’s North Shore boasts wildlife and nature experiences and active outdoor sports for all ages.

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Get your trip off to an exciting start and meet some local wildlife on a Honey Island Swamp Tour through one of America’s most pristine cypress swamps. Ride in a small, open boat along waterways that thread between the spooky half-submerged roots of cypress trees and learn about the history and ecology of the more than 70,000 acres of protected wildlife area. Look for snapping turtles, deer, pelicans, eagles, racoons or red wolf, as well as the great alligator, on the two-hour cruise.

For an even more up-close and personal alligator experience, take the children to Insta-Gator Ranch and Hatchery in Covington. The farm is home for more than 2,000 alligators, allowing visitors to see the creatures at all sizes and learn about their habits. A visit to the farm will also entail learning about the ranch’s work in restoring the diminishing wild population by releasing adults raised here into the marshes.

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Children can touch and hold baby alligators, even feed them. If visiting in August or September, kids can help hatch them from eggs. This is one of those experiences children will always remember.

See more of this beautiful Gulf Coast countryside while exploring Tammany Trace, a paved hike and bike trail between Covington and Slidell. The old rail line goes through several towns, creating easy access throughout the ride for a stop for lunch in one of the towns. Rent bikes at any one of the three locations of Brooks’ Bike Shop, in Covington, Slidell or Mandeville.