Inspiring Road Trips

For the ultimate road trip through Louisiana, look no further than our 19 Scenic Trails and Byways. Each route weaves through the state, allowing travel enthusiasts to taste the flavors and learn the distinct cultures as you make your way through each area. You’ll be pleasantly surprised to experience the different personalities and the not-so-hidden treasures across Louisiana — from quaint historic towns, to beautiful scenery and wildlife, to unique attractions you don’t want to miss. It’s all here waiting for visitors to experience, and our trails and byways are here to guide them along the way.

Each path presents a little taste of everything for both visitors and locals alike to soak up all that Louisiana has to offer. Take in the scenery with Louisiana’s lush swamps, moss-draped bayous, gardens, and wildlife refuges. Learn some enriching history and stories of our heritage as you tour stately mansions, museums, and historic sites. Spice up your life at local eateries, dance halls, and the “Cajun Music Capital of the World,” a stop in Zydeco Cajun Prairie Byway. 

Movie buffs can check out the Cane River National Heritage Trail and stop by the Steel Magnolia House Bed & Breakfast in Natchitoches, where Steel Magnolias was filmed and what is now part of the Louisiana Film Trail, or take the Northup Trail and learn the fascinating true story behind Twelve Years a Slave.

If you’re a camping fiend, check out the Toledo Bend Forest Scenic Byway and plan a stay at a Louisiana State Park right on the largest manmade lake in the South, the Toledo Bend Reservoir. Dive in with water sports of all kinds, go for a bike ride on a trail, or take a swing at the Cypress Bend Golf Resort. This route is for lovers of the great outdoors.

No one route is exactly like another, giving travelers the chance to plan multiple trips for each point of interest. But one thing is for certain, no matter where a Louisiana road trip takes you, you’ll find a uniquely Louisiana adventure and the state’s legendary hospitality.