Facility Activities

Visitors are welcome on the refuge seven days a week, during daylight hours. The refuge is closed at night. Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge is rich in wildlife and in recreation opportunities. It is a popular place to enjoy fishing, crabbing, hiking, paddling, bird watching, nature photography, youth waterfowl hunting, self-guided tours, and interpretive and educational programs. 

blue goose logo for national wildlife refuge system
Image Details

Wildlife biologist and author Rachel Carson said to watch for "the sign of the flying goose - the emblem of the National Wildlife Refuge System. Wherever you meet this sign, respect it.  It means that the land behind the sign has been dedicated by the American people to preserving, for themselves and their children, as much of our native wildlife as can be retained along with our modern civilization."

Certain regulations are necessary for the protection of wildlife and wildlife habitat, and for the safety of visitors. Observance of these rules will help make the refuge a better place for you and the wildlife you enjoy.  Learn more here.

Be safe and have fun! 

Hunting

Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge contains the only public hunting lands in Orleans Parish. Hunting on Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge is limited to youth waterfowl hunting. Hunting opportunities include ducks, coots, mergansers, teal...

Fishing

There are great opportunities for fishing and crabbing. Freshwater lagoons, bayous and ponds are home to largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, catfish and crawfish. The marshes along Lakes Pontchartrain and Borgne are estuarine nurseries for several saltwater species, including flounder, red fish...

Birding

Bayou Sauvage's marshes and waterways provide food and shelter for over 340 species of birds. From pelicans to phalaropes, buntings to buffleheads, there are always birds to see and hear on the refuge. The refuge's habitats — bottomland hardwood forest, freshwater and...

Boating - non-motorized
Paddling the Refuge 

Bayou Sauvage NWR waterways are accessible from two public launch sites on the Refuge.

The Hwy 11 Boat Launch provides access to canals and shallow interior lakes. It is located on the west side of Hwy 11, approximately 2.5 miles south of...

Hiking
The Ridge Trail

This site has restrooms and a picnic pavilion, and is the most popular access point on the refuge. A 2/3 mile-long interpretive boardwalk loop trail provides views of bottomland hardwood forest and marsh habitats. The Ridge Trail is located on US 90 two miles west of the US 11...