Our bayous are slow-moving streams or small rivers. Louisiana's most famous swamp is the great Atchafalaya, part of the Mississippi River flood plain west of Baton Rouge. It's America's largest river-basin swamp, stretching some 75 miles along the Atchafalaya River. It is also the nation's largest undeveloped wetlands.
Outfitters acros the state can provide rental canoes, maps and aid with scheduling canoe trips.
Louisiana's bayous offer a wide variety of adventures. They traverse woodlands, provide passage through dense swamplands and even cut through the grassy marshes that fringe the Gulf Coast . A portion of Saline Bayou in the Winn Ranger District of the Kisatchie National Forest has been designated a National Wild and Scenic River because of its unique qualities. This beautiful area is typical of the few relatively undisturbed bottomland hardwood bayous remaining in Louisiana. In this peaceful setting, mystery reigns as cypress and other hardwoods along the banks are reflected in the bayou's quiet water.