Louisiana
Bayou Teche Paddle Trail
Bayou Têche Paddle Trail is a 135 long paddle trail through 4 parishes and 13 towns along the most historically and culturally significant bayou in Louisiana. Named by the Chitimacha Tribe of Louisiana.
Loop Trail? No
Type: National Water Trails System
Agency: Nonprofit
Entry Fee? No
Secure kayak lockers are available for rental at some trailheads beginning Spring 2014. Lockers can be rented in advance at techeproject.org. Camping is limited.
Parking Fee? No Allowed Uses:
Boating, Motorized
Boating, non-motorized: Canoeing
Boating, non-motorized: Kayaking
Boating, non-motorized: Rafting
Boating, non-motorized: Sailing
Camping
Fishing
Heritage and History
Wildlife Observation
Location: St. Landry, St. Martin, Iberia and St. Mary Parishes. BTPT begins in Port Barre, LA at Bayou Courtableau and runs 135 to Berwick, LA.
State(s): Louisiana
Counties: Iberia Parish, St. Landry Parish, St. Martin Parish, St. Mary Parish
Longitude: -91.54224374
Latitude: 29.83377311
Driving Directions
Access points include Port Barre, Arnaudville, Cecilia, Breaux Bridge, Parks, St. Martinville, Loreauville, New Iberia, Franklin, Patterson & Berwick.
Description
The Bayou Têche watershed is a small watershed within the Mississippi River Basin, draining approximately 58,500 acres of natural, agriculture and urban lands into Vermilion Bay. Bayou Têche runs 136 miles from Port Barre to Bernwick through St. Landry, St. Martin, Iberia and St. Mary parishes and is easily accessed from several state highways and Interstate 10. The water trail flows through the towns of Port Barre, Arnaudville, Breaux Bridge, Parks, St. Martinville, Loureauville, New Iberia, Jeanerette, Charenton (Chitimacha Tribe of Louisiana lands), Baldwin, Franklin, Patterson, Berwick and small villages in between. Each town has a standard motorboat launch and many are being equipped with floating docks specifically designed for kayaks and canoes. Primitive camping is available.
Additional Details
Primary Surface: Not Available
Secondary Surface: None
Elevation Low Point: Not Available
Elevation High Point: Not Available
Elevation Gain (cumulative): Not Available
Year Designated: 2015
Supporting Webpages and Documents
Document: Bayou Teche Paddle Trail Planning DocumentContact Information
For more information and current conditions, contact the trail manager (listed below). For questions, suggestions, and corrections to information listed on the website, contact American Trails.
Public Contact:
Conni Castille
Executive Director
TECHE Project
, LA
(337) 323-9228
Photos
Reviews
Right in our backyard
As a native of South Louisiana, spent much of my youth in the brown waters of the Teche. Paddled from Arneaudville to Breaux Bridge (15 miles) yesterday afternoon and was reminded just how lucky we are to have this scenic waterway in our backyard. The other reviewer has an excellent point, however, and there should be more camping opportunities along the route. I'm still giving it 5 stars because it's a work in progress and having Louisiana represented is worth it.
March 22, 2021
Underutilized and Beautiful.
I have lived on the Teche my entire life and have a great appreciation for its beauty and cultural significance to South Louisiana. I enjoy Bayou Teche literally everyday of my life through either fishing, paddling, or watching it flow by. I recently attempted to paddle the roughly 135 mile long Bayou Teche from it's source at Bayou Courtableau to it's mouth at the Atchafalaya River (loved every minute of it) and was extremely disappointed when I had to end my trip about 72 miles into it at New Iberia because there are simply no places to camp on the Bayou. I know that the info above says that primitive camping is available, but that is not really accurate. The only place where you can legally camp primitively along the bayou that I was able to locate after contacting each Parish and Town governments along the Bayou was in the Village of Parks. They have a very nice/convenient RV park on the bayou that allows tent camping for $10/night. It is wild that Bayou Teche is the only National Paddle Trail in the state and one of only twenty-two nationwide but is super unaccommodating to paddlers looking to trip the entire bayou. I will be going back to finish the trip I started in a few months and I guess I will just trespass with the hopes of not getting caught camping at night. Many, if not all, of the towns along the Teche have bayou-front parks and it seems that the camping issue could/would be an easy fix, but until then I really think that the state is fumbling away a gift that could bring positive tourism dollars to the area each year and the nation is missing out on an awesome time on a beautiful bayou.
September 21, 2020
Submit an Edit
Trail Managers: please use the official NRT update form to update your trail for any of the following changes:
- Change in trail mileage through trail extension
- Change in trail mileage through trail retraction
- Change in trail mileage through significant trail reroute
- Change to trail name
- Change in trail description or use
- Undesignation of trail (removal of NRT designation status)
- Other significant updates
>> Download the official NRT update form.
All other edits can be submitted via the below form:
