Cameron Prairie National Wildlife Refuge & Pintail Wildlife Drive

The Pintail Wildlife Drive loops three miles through freshwater marsh — 9,621 acres where you stay in the car and the wildlife comes to you. Alligators sun on the banks. Wading birds stalk the shallows. River otters slip through the water. November through February, when waterfowl migrate down the flyways, the refuge earns its name: this is pintail country, and winter is when you see it at full capacity. The visitor center has exhibits on marsh ecosystems — how water moves, what grows where, what lives in it. The refuge sits on the Creole Nature Trail loop, part of the Southwest Louisiana National Wildlife Refuge Complex formed in 2004. Admission is free. The drive is open year-round, but peak viewing season runs November to February. You don't need boots or binoculars. Roll the windows down. The marsh does the rest.