Cat Island National Wildlife Refuge encompasses oxbow lakes, ponds, bottomland hardwood forests, and cypress-tupelo swamps. These diverse habitats provide space for wading birds, migratory waterfowl, deer, and other native species. Waterways, wet forests, and swamps each give the landscape its own character.
The Big Cypress Hiking Trail leads visitors to a bald cypress considered a record-breaking tree. The trail therefore also draws attention to a specific natural landmark: a single tree known for its size.
Historic Homes and Gardens
Rosedown Plantation State Historic Site preserves the main house, historic gardens, 13 historic buildings, and the remaining 371 acres of the plantation. Tours and programs illustrate plantation life in the 19th century. The site brings preserved buildings and gardens together with a historical account of life at the time.
The gardens at Afton Villa were part of an estate established in the mid-19th century. After a fire in 1963, only the gardens remained. Work on the terraced garden began as early as 1849; it is a rare surviving example of Southern plantation landscape architecture in Louisiana. These dates mark two distinct moments in the gardens’ history: the start of the terraced garden and the later turning point brought by the fire.
At The Myrtles, tours take visitors through six ground-floor rooms in the historic main house, furnished and decorated in period style. Evening mystery tours are also offered seven nights a week. Those interested in the interiors will find a different way to explore history here than in the expansive gardens of Rosedown or Afton Villa.
Cultural Insights and Memorial Sites
Oakley House at Audubon State Historic Site is a plantation house where naturalist John James Audubon once worked as a tutor. The historic kitchen hosts cooking demonstrations featuring African American influences. Visitors can also tour two slave quarters. The house, kitchen, and quarters offer different perspectives on the history of the site.
The cemetery at Locust Grove State Historic Site has 27 preserved graves, including that of Sarah Knox Taylor Davis. The cemetery offers a quieter contrast to the houses, gardens, and tours at the other historic sites.
Trails, Nature, and Regional Exploration
West Feliciana Parish Parks and Recreation offers year-round programs and facilities open to the public for all age groups. The area covers more than 250 acres and includes a one-mile walking trail, as well as more than six miles of hiking and biking trails. These figures distinguish the shorter walking trail from the more extensive network of hiking and biking trails.
The Feliciana Backroads Trail is a route for drivers and cyclists. By car, it can be completed in half a day, depending on how long you spend at each stop. The half-day estimate applies to the drive and depends on the time you spend at the stops; no equivalent duration is specified for cyclists.
Market History and Local Produce
The St. Francisville Farmers Market takes place on the first Saturday of each month and offers locally grown fruits and vegetables. If you’d like to plan your visit around a specific date, check the latest market dates in advance. Market Hall was built in 1819 as an open-air public market. Its original role as a market building gives it a distinctive place in the region’s history.
Discover more destinations: St. Francisville, Assumption Parish, Acadia, St. Mary Parish, Rapides Parish, St. Tammany Parish, Terrebonne Parish, Beauregard Parish.
Return to the main travel overview: Louisiana.
