Day Trippin' › Louisiana › From New Orleans
From New Orleans, the French Quarter, the National WWII Museum and the Audubon Aquarium are minutes away, City Park and the Garden District under 10, the Audubon Zoo about 10, Destrehan Plantation under half an hour, and Oak Alley and the Whitney Plantation about an hour. The best day trips from New Orleans, by drive time.
136 places within a 3-hour drive, by real roads.
Historic site · 58 min west
Famous for its quarter-mile tunnel of 300-year-old live oaks leading to the big house. The site also covers the lives of the people enslaved there.
Museum · 50 min west
A museum focused fully on the history of slavery, with original buildings and memorials. A moving, important visit.
Small town · 57 min northeast
Laid-back beach town with Old Town shops, a harbor and local restaurants.
State park · 27 min southeast
A small, quiet park southeast of the city with lagoons, a nature trail, a water playground and good birding.
Bike trail · 43 min north
A 31-mile paved rail trail linking Covington, Abita Springs, Mandeville, Lacombe and Slidell. Flat, shady and great for families on bikes.
Garden · 57 min west
A grand river estate with about 38 acres of gardens, a mansion tour and several restaurants. Good for a slow afternoon.
State park · 40 min north
A shady park on the Tchefuncte River near Madisonville, with a short accessible river trail, crabbing and the historic Otis House.
State park · 40 min north
A big lakeside park in Mandeville with a sandy beach on Lake Pontchartrain, old oaks, a 4.8-mile trail and the Tammany Trace running right through it.
Small town · 1 hr 27 min east
Artsy, walkable downtown under live oaks, with galleries, cafes and shops. One of the best small towns on the coast.
Island · 1 hr 23 min east
A ferry ride from Gulfport to clear water, white sand and Fort Massachusetts. The best beach day on the Mississippi coast.
Wildlife · 1 hr 36 min northeast
Wet pine savanna that protects rare Mississippi sandhill cranes. Short trails and an observation deck near Gautier.
Food town · 1 hr 39 min northeast
College town with a walkable downtown, a brewery scene and nearly 200 local places to eat.
National park · 1 hr 41 min east
The only drive-in part of the Mississippi seashore. Bayou trails, bird watching, fishing and ranger programs a few minutes from downtown Ocean Springs.
Bike trail · 1 hr 45 min northeast
A 44-mile paved rail trail from Hattiesburg to Prentiss, with a separate horse trail.
State park · 1 hr 11 min northwest
Boardwalks wind through cypress swamp, pine woods and river bottoms, with a nature center aquarium and canoe rentals on the Tickfaw River.
Museum · 1 hr 16 min northwest
An outdoor museum of old cabins, a sugar mill and farm buildings showing everyday rural Louisiana life, plus Windrush Gardens.
Small town · 2 hr 47 min northwest
Historic river town with antebellum homes, river bluff views and great food.
Garden · 2 hr 14 min east
A 1930s estate on the Fowl River with big formal gardens, azaleas in spring and a famous holiday lights show. The historic home is open for tours.
State park · 2 hr 59 min east
Two miles of quiet Gulf beach plus Lake Shelby, a fishing and education pier, a nature center and a swimming pool. It is the big outdoor hub of the Alabama coast.
Wildlife · 2 hr 12 min west
A cypress lake near Breaux Bridge famous for alligators and huge wading bird rookeries. Swamp tours run from the landing.
Island · 2 hr 18 min west
The home of Tabasco sauce, with a factory tour and museum, a restaurant and Jungle Gardens all on a salt dome island.
Museum · 2 hr 4 min northeast
Excellent art museum in Laurel, free since 1923.
Scenic drive · 2 hr 45 min northwest
Slow, scenic parkway that starts in Natchez and runs north across the state. Stop at mounds, swamps and old inns.
Hike · 2 hr 53 min northwest
Over 5 miles of trails through beech and magnolia forest on rolling hills next to Chicot State Park. Free and peaceful.
Drive times are by road on a typical day from ZIP 70112 (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner). Facts checked against official sites; passes and hours change, so check before you go.