Bayou Teche National Wildlife Refuge - Palmetto Trail

Bayou Teche National Wildlife Refuge is located in the coastal zone towns of Franklin, Garden City, and Centerville along Bayou Teche in St. Mary Parish, Louisiana. The refuge’s Palmetto Trail is about two miles in length. Originally an oilfield location access road, the site was restored in the 1950s, and the access road was converted to a nature trail. It is believed that the Palmetto Hiking Trail may represent the first oil field-to-nature trail restoration in the U.S.

This trail runs westward through bottomland hardwood forest and cypress-tupelo swamp habitats, which may seasonally flood the trail with shallow water. The restored forest is now an outstanding habitat for deep-woods bird species such as Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Mississippi Kite, Northern Flicker, Acadian and Great-crested Flycatchers, Yellow-throated and Red-eyed Vireos, as well as Swainson's, Kentucky, and Hooded Warblers.

Progressing westward, the habitat transitions into the swamp, with bald cypress, tupelo gum, and red maple dominating. Here, look for Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Wood Duck, Pileated Woodpecker, Tufted Titmouse, Prothonotary and Yellow-throated Warblers, and Northern Cardinal. Watch along the treetops for Swallow-tailed Kite, Broad-winged Hawk, and other raptors.

The trail runs through wetlands and occasionally goes underwater, so visitors are advised to bring along knee boots. This site is for serious birders and other naturalists. The site is not handicapped-accessible and amenities are limited to gravel parking and identification/directional/interpretive signage.