Canoeing in South Louisiana

Did you know that South Louisiana has one of the country's premiere paddling playgrounds? Located between Lafayette and Baton Rouge, the Atchafalaya Basin Swamp is 1.4 million acres of paddling paradise! With dense shaded cypress swamps, twisting and turning bayous, and backwater lakes, the Atchafalaya is the place to geaux (pronounced "go") outdoors and explore the very best of Louisiana's most iconic environment. Located just 20 minutes from Lafayette and 40 minutes from Baton Rouge, McGee's Swamp Tours offers you an opportunity to rent canoes and paddling gear for 2 to 4 hours. Plenty of time to get away from dry land and choose your own adventure! Maps are provided that offer a 3.5 mile marked loop trail that takes guests through a variety of paddling environments, or you can simply grab a paddle and go exploring through the Atchafalaya on your own.

Because canoes are much quieter than traditional swamp tour boats or airboats, there's an even greater chance while canoeing to see nesting ospreys, great egrets, white ibis, and even bald eagles while on the water! Additionally, though very shy, canoeing also allows paddlers to see American alligators in their natural habitat without disturbing them. If you do happen across an alligator, no worries! They want nothing to do with a large canoe and noisy humans. In most cases they will immediately dive underwater when you spot them and swim quickly away. If you have any questions about canoeing in the swamp, please let us know. We look forward to seeing you in the swamp this spring!