River Parishes

Region · Louisiana

River Parishes

Best timeOct–May
From you
Nearest airportBTR · 6 mi
On this page

Overview

The River Parishes are the Louisiana parishes that line the Mississippi River in the eastern part of Acadiana, from the Mississippi state line to just outside the New Orleans metro area. From Baton Rouge north, the parishes are on the west bank of the river (we have placed Baton Rouge in the Florida Parishes). The parishes between Baton Rouge and New Orleans straddle the river and, in particular, form a unique area known as the "Acadian Coast." This was an area that the first Acadian (now Cajun) exiles settled when they arrived in Louisiana from Canada. The region's parishes are Ascension, Avoyelles, Iberville, Pointe Coupee, St. Charles, St. James, St. John the Baptist, and West Baton Rouge.

Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage

Plan your trip

Best time to visit & weather

Most comfortable: Oct–May. Summer highs reach about 92°F; winter lows dip to about 42°F. Very hot (Jun, Jul, Aug) — plan outdoor time for mornings. Wettest: Jun and Jan. (climate data from nearby Baton Rouge)

Jan: 6.4 in rain6.4"Jan: high 62°F, low 42°F62°42°JanFeb: 4.4 in rain4.4"Feb: high 67°F, low 45°F67°45°FebMar: 4.5 in rain4.5"Mar: high 73°F, low 51°F73°51°MarApr: 5.1 in rain5.1"Apr: high 79°F, low 57°F79°57°AprMay: 5.2 in rain5.2"May: high 86°F, low 65°F86°65°MayJun: 6.5 in rain6.5"Jun: high 90°F, low 72°F90°72°JunJul: 5.1 in rain5.1"Jul: high 92°F, low 74°F92°74°JulAug: 6.4 in rain6.4"Aug: high 92°F, low 73°F92°73°AugSep: 4.4 in rain4.4"Sep: high 89°F, low 69°F89°69°SepOct: 4.8 in rain4.8"Oct: high 81°F, low 58°F81°58°OctNov: 3.9 in rain3.9"Nov: high 71°F, low 48°F71°48°NovDec: 5.3 in rain5.3"Dec: high 64°F, low 43°F64°43°Dec

Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).

Getting there

  • From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
  • BTR Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport, Baton Rouge — 6 mi away. Directions
  • LFT Lafayette Regional Airport, Lafayette — 53 mi away. Directions
  • MSY Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, New Orleans — 62 mi away (major hub). Directions
Full “Get in” guide ↓

Sample 3-day trip

  1. Day 1: Vacherie — Oak Alley Plantation, Whitney Plantation, Laura Plantation.
  2. Day 2: LaPlace — 1811 Kid Ory Historic House (old Woodland Plantation).
  3. Day 3: Marksville — Tunica Biloxi Regional Indian Center & Museum Complex, Hypolite Bordelon Home, Northup Trail, Edwards Plantation Site.

Built from the best-covered destinations in this region; open each for its own day plan.

Places in River Parishes

Cities

  • Donaldsonville
  • LaPlace
  • Luling
  • Marksville
  • New Roads
  • Plaquemine
  • Port Allen
  • Saint Rose
  • Simmesport
  • Vacherie – several plantations can be visited by the public

Other destinations

  • Atchafalaya Basin (also known as Atchafalaya Swamp) - enormous swamp around the Atchafalaya River

See

Historical plantation homes dating back to the 1800s are on both banks of the river and some are open to the public, ranging from non-profit educational facilities to commercial tourist attractions with major amenities. Pre-Civil War, there were hundreds of wealthy plantations along this trail, growing mostly sugar cane. Most are gone today, but locals have worked diligently to keep the remaining plantations viable and open to the public for visiting.

  • Houmas House Plantation, in Darrow , is a historic plantation established in the 1700s that operates as a museum and inn.
  • Nottoway Plantation near Plaquemine is reputed to be the South's largest and looks like it could be the White House. It functions as a hotel and restaurant but is also available for tours.
  • From the town of Vacherie, you can visit:
  • Evergreen Plantation: A plantation house constructed in 1790 with a grand staircase and 22 slave quarters .
  • Oak Alley Plantation: Famous for the beautiful alley of multi-century old oak trees at the front of the property, this plantation includes a historic "big house" (where the owners lived), gardens, and reconstructed slave quarters.
  • San Francisco Plantation: "The Most Opulent Plantation in the South". A national historic landmark that is open for tours.
  • Whitney Plantation: The only plantation museum with a focus on slavery. This sugar cane plantation intertwined the lives of German immigrant owners and African-American slaves. Part museum, part art gallery, part living history.

Go next

Nearby

My experience

Write about your trip here. Notes save automatically in this browser as you type; back them up from My journal.