Cane Bayou Paddling Corridor

A corridor through old-growth cypress between Mandeville and Lacombe, Cane Bayou runs unlogged — its canopy intact while swamp surrounding Lake Pontchartrain's 125,000 acres of wetlands has been severely degraded by past logging. The estuary's brackish-to-fresh gradient makes Cane Bayou part of one of the largest wetland systems along the Gulf Coast, fed by rivers and bayous flowing into Lake Pontchartrain from the north. Roseate spoonbills and bald eagles nest in the canopy. Multiple outfitters run kayak and canoe launches year-round. Some routes end at restaurants reachable only by water, the bayou serving as the front door. Go early morning to catch wildlife before afternoon thunderstorms move in.