Day Trippin' › Louisiana › From Monroe
From Monroe, the Biedenharn Museum and Gardens is minutes away, the Duck Commander Museum under 10, Black Bayou Lake about 15, Chemin-A-Haut and Lake D'Arbonne under 50, Poverty Point about an hour, and Vicksburg's battlefield about an hour and a quarter. The best day trips from Monroe, by drive time.
84 places within a 3-hour drive, by real roads.
Historic site · 1 hr east
Huge earthworks built over 3,000 years ago, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with a museum, tram tours and a 2.6-mile trail.
State park · 40 min east
A lake park near Delhi with a swimming beach area, marina, fishing and cabins.
State park · 41 min northeast
Tall pines on a bluff above Bayou Bartholomew, with a swimming pool, short trails and an equestrian trail.
State park · 44 min southwest
A peninsula park on Caney Creek Lake with a beach, fishing pier, kayaks and a water playground.
State park · 49 min northwest
A pine-wooded park near Farmerville with five fishing piers, trails, tennis and a seasonal pool.
National park · 1 hr 16 min east
16-mile tour road past the siege lines, monuments and the ironclad USS Cairo.
Small town · 1 hr 41 min southeast
Historic river town with antebellum homes, river bluff views and great food.
Museum · 1 hr 13 min east
Free Corps of Engineers museum on the river and how people live and work with it.
Scenic drive · 1 hr 44 min southeast
Slow, scenic parkway that starts in Natchez and runs north across the state. Stop at mounds, swamps and old inns.
State park · 1 hr 4 min west
A clear hill-country lake with a sandy swimming beach, a 6-mile hiking trail and a 5-mile bike trail.
Wildlife · 1 hr 23 min southeast
Deep bottomland forest that holds the state's largest population of Louisiana black bears.
State park · 1 hr 39 min southeast
A quiet oxbow lake park with cypress trees, fishing piers and a water playground in the far northeast.
Family fun · 1 hr 56 min east
Hands-on play museum in Jackson built for young kids, with outdoor gardens.
Small town · 2 hr 1 min southwest
Louisiana's oldest town, founded in 1714, with brick Front Street on Cane River Lake, meat pies and the famous Christmas Festival of Lights.
Museum · 2 hr 55 min northeast
The life and music of B.B. King, plus Delta history, in his hometown of Indianola.
Wildlife · 2 hr 9 min southeast
Swamps and bluffs south of Natchez with a trail to a bird rookery and wildlife blind.
State park · 2 hr 18 min east
CCC-built park on Shadow Lake by Bienville National Forest, with kayak rentals, a pool slide and a scenic overlook.
Food town · 2 hr 46 min northeast
The Delta's hot tamale capital and home of Doe's Eat Place, on the Mississippi River.
Hike · 2 hr 33 min south
Over 5 miles of trails through beech and magnolia forest on rolling hills next to Chicot State Park. Free and peaceful.
National park · 2 hr 10 min southwest
Two Creole cotton plantations, Oakland and Magnolia, with 1840s brick cabins, oak alleys and a rare cotton press.
Waterfall · 2 hr 36 min south
About 50 waterfalls in steep ravines near Woodville. Some of the best hiking in the state.
Drive times are by road on a typical day from ZIP 71201 (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner). Facts checked against official sites; passes and hours change, so check before you go.