Jefferson Parish reads as strip malls and highways from the road, and three walking routes inside it work better than that suggests.
La Salle Park, Metairie
Jefferson Parish acquired one of the last large green spaces in Metairie and split the difference. A stadium went on one half, and a lowland forest stayed on the other.
Two paved loops circle the property. The Sports Complex Loop runs about 1.8 miles and passes an agrarian garden and an outdoor environmental classroom. The Zephyrs’ Loop runs about 1.2. Some walkers report the full circuit measuring closer to two miles now that a formerly closed section has reopened. The trail is blacktop for most of its length with a raised boardwalk stretch running through the forest, and cyclists have to dismount and walk that portion.
Roughly half the route sits under tree cover, which matters in July. Picnic tables sit under oak and cypress throughout, and benches turn up about every quarter mile. Both loops are lit for night use. Coyote warning signs are posted on both sides of the trail, so keep dogs close and leashed. The park is at 6600 Airline Drive, open 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, next to the Jefferson Performing Arts Center and the Shrine on Airline.
Lafreniere Park, Metairie
At 155 acres, this is the largest park in Metairie, opened in 1982 on land that traces back to a colonial grant. Bienville granted 5,000 acres to Nicolas Chauvin de la Frenière, and the family name stuck to the ground.
A two-mile paved loop called the Healthtrak circles the park, passing a 20-acre lagoon, open lawns, mature shade trees, and sports fields. Two warmup areas sit along it, one near the Downs entrance and one just east of the West Napoleon Avenue entrance. The surface stays smooth and the route mixes sun and shade.
Wildlife is the surprise in a park this developed. White ibis, black-bellied whistling ducks, great egrets, black swans, and several goose species all turn up, along with turtles, rabbits, raccoons, opossums, and nutria. One side of the park holds marshland with a wooden walkway cutting through it. Free-range chickens wander the grounds, which reviewers mention with some affection. The park also has a carousel, two playgrounds, eight picnic shelters, and an 18-hole disc golf course.
The address is 3000 Downs Blvd. Listed hours run either 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. or 6 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. depending on the source, so call before planning an early or late walk. Dogs are welcome on leash.
Bucktown Marsh Boardwalk, Metairie
This one runs 1,000 feet along the Bucktown shore of Lake Pontchartrain, part of Bucktown Harbor, and it is the shortest and most purposeful walk of the three.
The structure exists to teach. Interpretive signs along the way cover plants, wildlife, fisheries, and coastal issues, and bird blinds let walkers watch without spooking anything. John Lopez of the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation described the point of it as giving people close to home a look at natural wetlands and a reminder of what the coast is worth.
Benches line the walkway and a covered pavilion with picnic tables sits nearby, which makes this a reasonable place to bring lunch and stay for sunset over the lake. One rule catches people out: dogs are not allowed on the boardwalk.
The seafood markets on Lake Avenue sit a short walk away, so the obvious move is to buy a sack of boiled crawfish at Captain Sid’s or Schaefer’s and eat it at the pavilion after the walk.
