---
template: byway.jade
id: "2069"
name: Jean Lafitte Scenic Byway
distance: "178"
duration: "Take 2 days to fully experience the roadway. "
description: Driving the Jean Lafitte Scenic Byway and stopping frequently to see things up close and personal is a good way to discover the real character of the Cajun country.
contact: "**Lafayette Convention & Visitors Commission**  \r\n 337-232-3737  \r\n 800-346-1958  \r\n\r\n"
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designations: 
  - Louisiana State Scenic Byway
states: 
  - LA
ll: 
  - -92.13858440534602
  - 29.98388146485769
bounds: 
  - - -93.08017699956883
    - 29.646579999867072
  - - -91.81694799995023
    - 30.21730999965672

---

<p>This byway crisscrosses through the heart of central Acadiana
and has so many points of interest that you could easily spend a
week on it and not see everything there is to see. So, your best
bet is to cover the trail in segments over a period of time,
possibly on a two- or three-day trip.</p>
<p>A Trip Thru the Marshland: Walking on the Wild Side</p>
<p>From Abbeville, the southern leg of the Jean Laffite Scenic
Byway begins on Hwy. 82 South. Also known as the Hug-the-Coast
Highway, this scenic roadway eventually travels through some of the
most extensive marshlands in North America. But between the town of
Perry and the Intracoastal Waterway, the drive winds through
picturesque scenes of cultivated crawfish ponds and verdant rice
and sugarcane fields, with farmers on tractors working their crops
and old red barns that are still in operation. The marsh is
spectacular, especially in the spring when the marsh flowers are in
full bloom, including water hyacinths, Lousiana iris and other
native species you won't find in a typical nursery. On Hwy. 82
there are also nice spots for crabbing and fishing, one of them
being Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge. You will know that you are
approaching the Refuge, when you begin to see massive live oaks
alongside the road. It is the best known wildlife refuge in
Lousiana, and one of the best known in the world. The refuge plays
host to hundreds of thousands of ducks, geese, coots, and many
wading birds each year, in addition to serving as a resting area
for migratory birds.</p>
<p>From Rice Fields to Fine Art</p>
<p>Again starting in Abbeville, take Hwy. 14 west to Kaplan, a
French-Acadian rice-farming community home of the country superstar
Sammy Kershaw. Vincent Refuge, a 640-acre tract of land for birds,
is located north of Kaplan. Then you'll come to Gueydan, home of
the annual Duck Festival. Westward from Gueydan, is "Lousiana's
Beauty Spot," Lake Arthur. To the north, is Jennings, a town that
has beautiful Victorian homes, the W.H. Tupper General Merchandise
Museum, the Louisina Telephone Museum, and the Zigler Museum. The
Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge is your next stop on the Jean
Lafitte Scenic Byway, whose 33,000 acres are mostly comprised of
freshwater marsh.</p>
<p>Fresh Shrimp, Victorian Homes and Wild Animals From Africa</p>
<p>If you drive eastward from Abbeville on Hwy. 14, you will go
through the towns of Erath and Delcambre, home of the Acadian
Museum and Shrimp Festival each August. Jefferson Island, "a place
of peace and beauty," is located just off Hwy. 14 between Delcambre
and New Iberia. The "island" features 25 acres of landscaped
gardens. Just outside of New Iberia, continuing on Hwy. 90, head
north toward Lafayette, but visit the Zoo of Acadiana and the town
of Broussard's Historic District first.</p>
<p>Lafayette: Metropolis of the Cajun Country</p>
<p>From stately plantation homes to world-class restaurants and the
hip-swaying of tempos of a Cajun or Zydeco, Lafayette is one of the
most distinctive cities in the South. It is the home of two of the
finest festivals in the country- Festival Acadiens, and Festival
International. In addition, the city also hosts the second-largest
Mardi Gras celebration in the country. Vermilionville and the Jean
Lafitte National Historical Park and Acadian Cultural center are
two important cultural attractions in the city which a thriving
arts community. Among the art places to visit are the USL
University Art Museum, the Artists Alliance Gallery, and the
Lafayette Museum. For a little older art, visit the St. John
Cathedral, a mixture of Dutch Romanesque and Byzantine
architecture.</p>
<p>The Last Leg</p>
<p>North of Lafayette, the village of Maurice is one to visit for
the world-famous Maurice City Bar. Leaving Maurice and continuing
southward on Hwy. 167, is Abbeville, the finishing or starting
point of the Jean Lafitte Scenic Byway, depending on how you see
it.</p>