Bayou Teche
The Bayou Teche Paddling Trail begins in Jeanerette and ends near Calumet. Six boat docks are located along the trail.
The Bayou Teche is a flat, slow-moving body of water that is great for paddling. Oak trees draped with moss, cypress, magnolia and redbud trees are all seen along the Bayou Teche. You may also see bald eagles, turtles, snakes, alligators, egrets and nutria. 002 The Bayou Teche, meaning “snake,” was named by the Chitimacha based on a legend. Throughout the years, the Bayou Teche has been used for transportation, moving people and products between its cities. Franklin was once a thriving interior sugar port, as evidenced by the grand homes that align the banks of the Bayou Teche. From Jeanerette to Calumet, there are two working sugar mills. During the last quarter of the year, sugar cane is harvested and the sugar is shipped down the Bayou Teche by barge.
History is rich along the Bayou Teche. It winds through the site of the Chitimacha people, the earliest of residents along its waterways. Plantation homes built before and after the Civil War still remain a part of the beauty of the area. Remnants of the Civil War Battle of Irish Bend and the Battle of Bisland include sites where gunboats were sunk. Today, much of the history of the area is preserved in local museums such as the Chitimacha Museum, the Young-Sanders Center, Grevemberg House Museum, and Shadowlawn. Visit www.chitimacha.gov for the Legend of Bayou Teche.
While paddling along the Bayou Teche from Jeanerette to Calumet, there are several noteworthy properties that can be seen, such as: Albania Plantation, St. Mary Sugar Co-Op, The Chitimacha Indian Reservation, Oaklawn Manor, Sterling Sugar Mill, Grevemberg House Museum, Young-Sanders Center, Downtown Historic Franklin, Franklin City Courthouse and the beautiful homes along the water. You are welcome to stop at any of the boat landings for a picnic lunch, although there is no place to camp overnight.
Nearby Cities:
Mileage
Approximately 37 miles
- Jeanerette City Park to Sorrel Bridge – 3.82 miles
- Sorrel Bridge to Adeline Bridge – 1.91 miles
- Adeline Bridge to Covenant/Charenton Bridge – 4.27 miles
- Covenant/Charenton Bridge to Katy Bridge – 5 miles
- Katy Bridge to Oaklawn Bridge – 5.4 miles
- Oaklawn Bridge to Sterling Bridge – 4.9 miles
- Sterling Bridge to Willow Street Bridge – 1 mile
- Willow Street Bridge to Centerville Bridge – 4.7 miles
- Centerville Bridge to Calumet Locks – 6.1 miles
Type of Trail:
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Notes:
Invasive grasses may clog waterway. Please be aware of sugar barges. May through September can be very hot! Bring sunscreen, plenty of water and bug spray.
Access:
- T. J. Viator Memorial Park (Jeanerette City Park) (337) 276-4424 – From Hwy. 90, take Jeanerette Exit 668, which turns into LA 671 (LA 671 is also Canal Street). Turn left onto Hwy. 182 (Hwy. 182 is also Main Street). Travel 0.5 miles on Main Street and take a right onto Wormser Street. Take a left onto Tarleton and follow the road to the boat ramp on the Bayou Teche.
GPS: N29 55' 08" W-91 40' 01" - Chitimacha Boat Launch – From Hwy. 90, take the Baldwin Exit (LA 83). Turn left at the stop sign. Take a right onto Hwy. 182. At the traffic light, take a left onto LA 326. From LA 326, take the first right after the street named Chitimacha Trail Loop. The road leading to the boat launch is unmarked, but there is a sign with the name of the boat launch on it once you turn down the road.
GPS: N29 53' 19.0" W-91 31' 51.0" - Baldwin Boat Launch – From Hwy. 90, take the Baldwin Exit (LA 83). Turn left at the stop sign. Turn right onto Hwy. 182. From the light at this intersection, travel 0.3 miles on Hwy. 182. Turn left at the United Methodist Church Cemetery next to the Sager-Brown Facility (the road is unmarked).
GPS: N29 49' 59.0" W-91 32' 34.0" - Roseville Street Boat Launch – From Hwy. 90, take the Franklin exit (Exit 3211). Turn onto Northwest Blvd. At the light, take a right onto Hwy. 182. At the cemetery, the road will fork: stay to the right. Turn left onto Roseville Street, located just past the cemetery on the left. The landing is behind the cemetery.
GPS: N29 47' 58.0" W-91 29' 51.5 " - Bayou Teche Boat Launch – From Hwy. 90, take Franklin exit (Exit 3211), turn onto Northwest Blvd. At the light, take a right onto Hwy. 182. At the cemetery, the road will fork: stay to the right. Turn left onto Adams, Jackson or Commercial Street. Turn right onto Teche Drive. The boat launch is on the corner of Willow Street and Teche Drive.
GPS: N29 47' 31.0" W-91 29' 57.0" - Schwan Park & Boat Launch – From Hwy. 90, take the Centerville/Burns Point exit. Head towards Centerville on Hwy. 317. At the red light, take a left onto Hwy. 182. Take a right to cross the Centerville Bridge over the Bayou Teche. At the stop sign, take a right onto Hwy. 87. Travel one mile and take a right into Schwan Park. You will see a picnic pavilion, swing set and a boat ramp. The area will not be lit after dark.
GPS: N29 45' 41.0" W-91 25' 02.0"
