Creole Nature Trail is located in the Cajun country of Louisiana’s southwest. It forms an open loop from Lake Charles to Sulphur with a western spur road to the Texas state line and an eastern road to the Vermilion parish line. The byway follows LA 27, LA 82, LA 834, and LA 385; all are two-lane paved roads. Creole Nature Trail is open year-round and is 180 miles long.
Visitors to the Creole Nature Trail can begin their journey in Sulphur, just north of Interstate 10. From here, the byway travels south through the marshlands of southern Calcasieu and Cameron Parishes to Holly Beach on the Gulf of Mexico. From Holly Beach, the byway continues east along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico through the town of Cameron to Creole. From Creole, you can continue driving north to the byway’s end in Lake Charles. You also have the option of driving west from Holly Beach to the Texas state line or east from Creole to the byway’s end at the Vermilion parish line.
The Creole Nature Trail travels near four national wildlife refuges. The first encountered traveling south from Sulphur is the Sabine National Wildlife Refuge. This refuge provides over 124,000 acres of marshland for migrating waterfowl in addition to recreational opportunities for the byway traveler. A 1.5-mile trail here provides excellent opportunities for viewing the wildlife, including alligators. Over 150 miles of canals, bayous, and waterways are open to the public for boating and fishing.
The Cameron Prairie National Wildlife Refuge plays host to ducks, geese, herons, egrets, and the endangered peregrine falcon. A boardwalk here overlooks the marsh. The Rockefeller and Lacassine NWR offer a total of nearly 117,000 acres of marshland. The Rockefeller NWR is open to the public from March 1 through December 1 for the purpose of sight-seeing and sport fishing. Lacassine NWR is primarily a freshwater marshland with a variety of wildlife including alligator, coyote, mink, muskrat, and white-tailed deer.
Camping and picnicking facilities may be found in the Sam Houston Jones State Park in Lake Charles. The park offers 73 RV and tent campsites, some with electrical hookups. The park also has 12 cabins available for rent.