Cajun Coast Paddling Trails offers seven designated paddling routes winding through more than 170,000 acres of wildlife management areas in St. Mary Parish, Louisiana. Drifting through majestic moss-draped cypress trees, acres of bottomland hardwoods, and pristine wetlands, the trails unlock the natural beauty of Southern Louisiana’s Cajun Coast, making it a must-do destination for paddlers who also enjoy birding.

Trails range from easy to challenging, giving paddlers of any skill level a way to explore the region’s swamplands by canoe, kayak, or paddleboard. The surrounding St. Mary Parish area spans more than 700 miles of southern Louisiana’s forests and wetlands, including the Atchafalaya Basin — the nation’s largest river swamp, with nearly one million acres of bayous, swamps, and blackwater lakes. Nearby sites like the Bayou Teche National Wildlife Refuge and Boardwalk and Cypremort Point State Park offer additional opportunities to spot eagles, herons, egrets, and other wildlife throughout the year.

For paddlers looking for a self-guided route system through Louisiana’s Cajun Coast wetlands, Cajun Coast Paddling Trails offers a genuinely scenic, publicly accessible network of seven trails in St. Mary Parish.