Twilight Paddle on a Louisiana stream, Cane Bayou, a state “natural and scenic” waterway
Saturday, April 15th, 4:00pm departure from Hyatt Regency
Cane bayou serves as a boundary between a national wildlife refuge and a Louisiana state park. This undeveloped bayou flows into Lake Pontchartrain through the wetlands surrounding the lake. The adventure will begin at a launch site on high ground, continues through scattered hardwood trees, past a cypress cove, and finally past marshes to the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain. Our paddle will pass through four different habitats making for a condensed review of the variety of Louisiana wetlands. The sights of paddling in the daylight will contrast with those we’ll see on the way back, paddling in late twilight and some darkness. We often pause on the way back to listen quietly to the sounds of the wetlands at night.
The paddle both ways will be very leisurely with stops for interpretation and appreciation at each habitat. We’ll have our meal where the bayou enters the lake. As twilight gathers, our intrepid paddlers will return on a moonless night back to the launch. The total round trip distance is about 2.5 miles.
PAA paddlers will depart from the front of the Hyatt Regency New Orleans at precisely 4:00 pm on Saturday, April 15. We expect to return to the hotel between 9:30 and 10:00 pm. We recommend bringing along a light jacket and one light snack and drink to have on the drive over and another for when we stop at the lakefront around sunset.
The trip fee is $60 plus taxes and fees (about $68 total), which includes entrance to the state park, the guides’ services, canoes, and all equipment, including life jackets. PAA will be providing transportation from the hotel to the launch site. To sign up, each paddler should access this website: www.canoeandtrail.com/paa
On the above website, you will pay the trip fee and sign the required waiver. For those who sign up, a more detailed fact sheet will be sent out via email before the outing.