CANOE TOURS FOR SPRING 2023 ARE FULL
Free guided canoe tours at Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge
Spring 2023 canoe tour dates are: Saturday, March 11 and Saturday, March 25. Tour is from 9 a.m. to noon.
Want to learn more about wildlife and the natural and cultural history of Southeast Louisiana? Join a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Refuge Ranger to explore Bayou Lacombe at Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge
All canoes and paddle equipment are provided by USFWS. The tours last approximately three hours, beginning at 9 a.m. on selected Saturday mornings. This adventure is geared towards adults, but children 5 and older may attend and children at least 10 years old may paddle. The canoes have two seats for paddlers — younger children will sit in the middle of the canoe. Participants should be prepared to paddle for up to two to three hours on flatwater with several stops to discuss wildlife and natural history.
Registration for tours opens Monday, February 27, 2023 at 8 a.m. CST and is open until March 3 at 5 p.m. CST or until tours are full. Registration is open to individuals on a first-come first served basis. Registration requests received before or after these dates and times are not accepted. To better serve the community, priority will be given to individuals who have not previously participated in one of our free canoe tours, and the number of spots an individual can request is limited to 6 seats.
Reservation requests must contain this information:
- Name of each individual
- Age of the individual if they are a minor
- Email address for confirmation and communication regarding the details on tour (if an individual does not have an email address a phone # is needed)
- State if any individuals listed in the reservation request have previously participated in a USFWS canoe tour. Yes/No
Reservation requests made by email and voicemail/phone are time-stamped and processed in the order in which received. People who request a reservation by phone need to provide all the information listed above.
Register by email to Refuge Ranger Jo Anne Dolan at joanne_dolan@fws.govor by phone: 985-882-2015.