Bayou Sauvage Urban National Wildlife Refuge in New Orleans is one of the last remaining marsh areas adjacent to Lakes Pontchartrain and Borgne. The refuge contains a variety of wildlife habitats — including patches of bottomland hardwood forest, freshwater, brackish and estuarine tidal marshes, lagoons, canals, and natural bayous. These habitats are a haven for wildlife and a great place to enjoy nature.
A trailhead sign with an image of an alligator's head
1st and 3rd Saturdays Ridge Trail Nature Walks

These FREE Nature Walks/Programs meet at the Ridge Trail, a 2/3-mile-long looped interpretive boardwalk trail that winds through a forest and wetland area. Restrooms and a picnic pavilion are available. First and third Saturdays of the month. Binoculars are available to borrow for all programs.

Songbird Saturday: Feb. 3, March 16, May 4, 9 - 10:30 a.m.

Relax at the Ridge Trail and get to know the local songbirds. Discover what you can see and hear when you sit still and observe your surroundings. Feel free to bring a towel or cushion to sit on.

3-D Bird Walk: Saturday, Feb. 17, April 6, May 18, 8 – 9:30 a.m.   

Get ready to look up, down, and all around! Join a guided birding walk at the Ridge Trail to explore how different birds occupy different sections of the landscape. Come observe the diversity of habitats found within a small slice of Bayou Sauvage, and practice using a three-dimensional approach to birding. All experience levels are welcome!  Binoculars are provided.

Birding 101 Gadgets and Gear: Saturday March 2, and April 20, 8 – 9:30 a.m. 

Fluff up your feathers and join us to explore the technology and tools of birding! Discover how birding equipment, apps, and websites can enhance your birding ability and connect you to the bird appreciating community! This easy hour and a half long program will follow the 2/3 mile-long Ridge Trail boardwalk at Bayou Sauvage Urban National Wildlife Refuge. Binoculars are available to borrow.  Tweet! 

Directions to the Ridge Trail here.

Visit Us

Bayou Sauvage Urban 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.

USFWS
There's music in nature at Bayou Sauvage Urban National Wildlife Refuge!

Birding

Fishing

Hiking

Hunting

Location and Contact Information

      About Us

      Bayou Sauvage Urban National Wildlife Refuge, established in 1990, contains a variety of wildlife habitats, including patches of bottomland hardwood forest; freshwater, brackish and estuarine tidal marshes; lagoons; canals; and natural bayous. The refuge derives its name from the Bayou Sauvage waterway, pronounced “Bye-you So vage” which means “Wild Bayou.” The Bayou Sauvage waterway was once the primary east/west route into and out of the City of New Orleans.

      What We Do

      Refuge staff use a variety of resource management techniques to maintain, recover or enhance plants and wildlife and the habitats they rely on. Prescribed burning, water management, mowing, using biological control to reduce invasive species invasive species
      An invasive species is any plant or animal that has spread or been introduced into a new area where they are, or could, cause harm to the environment, economy, or human, animal, or plant health. Their unwelcome presence can destroy ecosystems and cost millions of dollars.

      Learn more about invasive species
      , and marsh grass and tree planting are a few ways we help native plants and wildlife to thrive on the refuge. One of the key objectives of the refuge is to provide opportunities for fish and wildlife-dependent public uses and recreation in an urban setting. The refuge also helps protect east New Orleans from hurricane storm surge.

      Our Organization

      The refuge, located within the city of New Orleans, offers opportunities to connect with nature and experience wildlife. The Urban Wildlife Refuge Program at Bayou Sauvage reaches beyond refuge boundaries and into communities to help them to experience and enjoy these public lands and the wildlife that lives there. The refuge is part of the Urban Bird Treaty Program and is managed to enhance the populations of migratory, shore, and wading birds within the refuge. 

      A bison grazing in the foreground with mountains and a city and electrical infrastructure in the background
      The Urban Wildlife Conservation Program improves lives by expanding access to green space, education and outdoor recreation for Americans living in and around cities. Program members work to clear social and historical barriers and foster new connections that advance conservation and strengthen...

      Our Species

      Refuge habitats include emergent marsh, both tidally influenced and impounded by levees; old natural levee ridges with oak and mixed hardwood forest; spoil banks; canals; bayous; and shallow open water lakes. These habitats support a diversity of terrestrial and aquatic plants and wildlife. The freshwater lagoons, bayous and lakes produce largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, catfish, and crawfish. The marshes along Lakes Pontchartrain and Borgne serve as estuarine nurseries for fish and crabs. 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. Watch for alligators along the waterways, but be sure to keep a respectful and safe distance. Feeding wildlife is prohibited, it is unhealthy for the animals and is unsafe for visitors. 
       

      Projects and Research

      Restoration of the Ridge project: This post-Hurricane Katrina project aims to restore a mixed hardwood forest which suffered extensive damage due to saltwater and wind. Since 2005, local schoolchildren and community volunteers have been planting trees and removing invasive species invasive species
      An invasive species is any plant or animal that has spread or been introduced into a new area where they are, or could, cause harm to the environment, economy, or human, animal, or plant health. Their unwelcome presence can destroy ecosystems and cost millions of dollars.

      Learn more about invasive species
      at this site. An interpretive boardwalk trail explores this area.