9 of the best day trips from New Orleans

The truest way to show your love for New Orleans? To leave it for the day.

Whether you’re fleeing from the brutally hot and humid weather, seeking an outdoorsy adventure or simply looking for a respite from the Big Easy’s riot of colors and sounds, here are a few of the best ideas for easy day trips from New Orleans.

1. Explore the swamps of Barataria Preserve

Travel time: 40 minutes by car

One of our favorite ways to experience south Louisiana’s rich wetlands is by visiting Barataria Preserve, a national park about 25 miles south of New Orleans. Easy dirt trails and boardwalks thread through the swamps here, and you may be able to spot local alligators (although wildlife sightings are often hindered by prolific invasive water flora). On your way back to New Orleans, pop into the superlatively good Tan Dinh for some excellent Vietnamese food.

How to get to Barataria Preserve from New Orleans: Take US-90 and cross the Crescent City Connection Bridge over the Mississippi to the New Orleans Westbank. From US-90, take exit 4B to access Barataria Blvd, which leads to the preserve.

2. Feel the beach vibes of Mississippi’s Gulf Coast

Travel time: 1 hour 30 minutes to Gulfport by car

Despite being completely tied to the water, there’s no real beach access in New Orleans, barring a few stretches of not-very-friendly sand on Lake Pontchartrain. While the beaches of Gulf Shores and Dauphin Island, Alabama, are pretty lovely, they’re also a fair distance away. Consider instead the decent sand, friendly restaurants and generally laid-back seashore vibe at Mississippi Gulf Coast towns like Bay St Louis and Gulfport. While this area can get inundated with day trippers on hot weekends, a relatively quiet escape beckons during the week.

How to get to Mississippi Gulf Coast from New Orleans: Heading east on I-10 will take you along the entire Mississippi coast to the Alabama state line.

3. Get all Cajun in Lafayette

Travel time: 2 hours 30 minutes by car

As fabled a destination as New Orleans itself, Cajun Country is a land of low prairies, deep swamps, good music and delicious meals that you will probably not want to let your cardiologist know about. “Acadiana,” as the area is known, consists of many small towns scattered around southwest Louisiana. The capital of the region is Lafayette, a small, friendly city located 140 miles west of New Orleans…