Just a short drive from New Orleans, on Lake Pontchartrain’s north shore across the 24-mile-long Lake Pontchartrain Causeway Bridge, is Fontainebleau State Park, a 2,800-acre park that was once, in 1829, the location of a large sugar mill. There is only a ruin of a brick building left now, but there is a nice sandy beach for swimming and watching colorful sailboats on the lake. An old disused railroad track in the park is now a part of the Rails to Trails program and is a great cycling, in-line skating, and hiking path. The park also has a nature trail with many interpretive signs that identify common shrubs and trees. There are more than 400 species of birds in the park, and the park’s streams and waterways are great for kayaking and fishing.
62883 LA-1089, Mandeville, LA 70471, Phone: 985-624-4443
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