I am hoping to do some sort of overnight swamp paddle in a Louisiana swamp (I suppose a neighboring state would be OK too), but haven’t been able to find much on the web. Does anyone have any suggestions. I would love to do some sort of out and back, with a night camping in the swamp in between. A chickee type platform, of the type you might find in Okefenokee or the Everglades would be ideal, but camping on a bank would work too. I would prefer to be in a swamp forest (i.e., overhead trees and shade and lots of wildlife spotting opportunities). If anyone has any suggestions for where I might do such a thing, I would be quite thankful. For me, no kayak camping trip is complete without some nice meals of local cuisine after……so if you have any recommendations about that as well….all the better.
Thanks
Dave
A fellow named Herndon has written
a guidebook for LA which would give you many ideas.
“Canoeing Louisiana”
by Ernest Herndon, University of Mississippi Press, Jackson. Probably Amazon can get it for you.
In many of the swamps, the problem is knowing where reliable above water camping ground is to be found. I’ve toured several bayous and swamps, and seldom saw waterside land that would make for good camping. But Herndon’s book should provide some ideas.
Texas side of Caddo Lake?
I haven’t paddled it yet, but always wanted to. You could car camp at the state park and paddle to one of two designated primitive camping areas, one on Goat Island.
I read that Caddo Lake has been choked with giant salvinia in recent years—better check before you go.