Paddling near Lafayette, LA

At the heart of Acadiana in Lafayette Parish, Lafayette is wrapped in a dense web of bayous, cypress swamps, and basin lakes where paddling is the primary way into the region's wild country. Bayou Vermilion threads right through downtown, while the Atchafalaya Basin — the largest river swamp in North America — lies just 20–25 miles east. The 135-mile Bayou Teche National Water Trail and bird-thick Lake Martin round out a paddling scene with few equals.