The Bonnet Carré Spillway is located in St. Charles Parish, Louisiana between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, and is part of the southernmost floodway of the Mississippi River and Tributaries project. This spillway was built in 1928 for flood damage risk reduction in the Lower Mississippi. However, over the years the spillway grew into something more. The area around its shore developed massively and transformed into a hotspot for recreation activities. Now, nearly 400,000 visitors make a trip to the Bonnet Carré Spillway every year to indulge in outdoor activities with their friends and family.
The Spillway is open to the public as long as their activities do not interfere with the maintenance of the project. The vacationers get a chance to enjoy fishing, crawfishing, dog training, hunting, wildlife watching, and camping in the beautiful landscapes that surround the Bonnet Carré Spillway.
First-timers and young people will get excellent opportunities to learn new skills through the various recreation opportunities provided by the various recreation areas. However, people with specialized skills will also appreciate the trails specifically designated for ATV and Motorcycle riders, the retriever dog field trials, and competitions held for model airplane flying. There are also boat launching sites and a primitive campground at St. Charles Parish for those who love doing both.
The Bonnet Carré Spillway is located just a little over two hours away from the famed De Soto National Park. The Spillway is located 30 miles west of New Orleans, Louisiana in St. Charles Parish and right between Norco and Laplace.
Get on the Interstate Highway 10, and take interstate Highway 310 south to U.S. Highway 61. Turn West along the U.S. Highway 61 and you’ll reach your destination.
Out of all the recreation areas surrounding the Bonnet Carré Spillway, St. Charles Parish is the one that provides a wilderness campground for dry camping. There are 15 campsites at the campground, and they are primitive, so you won’t be finding any electric, water, or sewerage hookups here. The campground is grassy, which makes for a fun experience and propels many RV campers to step out of their vehicles and enjoy lounging in more natural surroundings.
All the campsites are either located at the bank or just a walking distance from it. All the campsites also come with picnic tables. The campground has boat launches and vault toilets. This US Army Corps campground also offers a mountain bike trail, gazebo, and porta-potties. The campground is well known for its spellbinding views of sunsets. Pets are welcomed to stay at the campsite.
The Bonnet Carré Spillway is one of the best places in all of Louisiana for small game hunting. You can have your shot at squirrels, woodcock, rabbits, mourning dove, snipe, armadillos, coyotes, starlings, nutria, hogs, beavers, white-tailed deer, and waterfowl. Make sure to bring your permit and read the hunting brochure thoroughly. You must be aware of the special regulations, hunting and non-hunting areas, and the weapons that can be used for each species to ensure your own safety and the safety of others.
Boating is one of the most popular recreational activities at the Bonnet Carré Spillway. There are three boat launches, namely the Montz Boat Launch, Spillway East Guide Levee Boat Launch, and Spillway Boat Launch. All three boat launches are accessible to the public.
Park rangers are always on the ground to assist the vacationers. If you need more info regarding the boat launches, contact the project office located in Norco, Louisiana on the Mississippi River. Boating enthusiasts can enjoy kayaking, canoeing, and sailing on these calm backwaters.
The fishing opportunities offered by the Bonnet Carré Spillway brings thousands of anglers every year to try their luck at crawfishing, crabbing, shrimping, and traditional angling. You’ll get a chance to do it all here. You might even catch some of the most endangered species of the state, namely the Pallid Gulf Sturgeon, or the very unique paddlefish commonly known as spoonbill catfish.
Make sure to read the regulations so you’ll know what to do when you end up catching either of them. Other common species include speckled trout, ladyfish, needlefish, redfish, Atlantic croaker, sheepshead, and striped mullet.
Very few recreation areas allow ATV and motorcycling enthusiasts to do what they love doing, but the Bonnet Carré Spillway is one of those that do. There are designated roads and trails for motorized vehicles and no other recreational activity is permitted in those areas. There are 850 acres of woods trails and motocross tracks. The trail is basically a landscape of mud, clay, and sand, making it perfect for motorcycles, dirt bikes, four-wheelers, UTVs, and SXS.
As long as the individuals have their valid permits with them, they are good to enjoy their sports with total liberty.
While the Bonnet Carré Spillway was built as part of the flood control project, it ended up giving rise to a productive habitat that became home to many species of wildlife. You’ll get a chance to see gray squirrels, swamp rabbits, wood ducks, white-tailed deer, mottled ducks, alligators, crawfish, and a wide range of aquatic life.
The Bonnet Carré provides trails for just about any recreational activity you can think of. In addition to a designated trail for motorized vehicles and an equestrian trail, bikers and hikers also get to have a chance to enjoy this spectacular terrain as they ride or walk past scenic views.
The trail is a six-mile single-track trail and pets can accompany their owners on the leash. This trail has numerous features and sometimes gets twisty and tight, and at others gives you a large berth to ride along.
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