Post Hurricane Rita status

180 miles

of Bayous, Marshland & Shores along the

Gulf Of Mexico

National Hurricane Museum info

TRAIL NEWS

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The Creole Nature Trail All-American Road was severely impacted by Hurricane Rita in September 2005. Rebuilding is progressing on the man-made facilities. The marshlands and animals, in nature's time-honored manner, have made a full recovery.

The latest visitor facility status is below. These are listed in order along the trail starting from Sulphur and looping west through Cameron and back up to Lake Charles.

NOTE: Public restroom facilities, gasoline and eateries are limited along the trail, especially south of the Sabine National Wildlife Refuge's Wetland Walkway on LA 27; LA 27 south of the Cameron Prairie National Wildlife Refuge; or on LA 82 from the Texas State line to the Vermilion Parish line.

Intracoastal Park (under the Ellender Bridge north of Hackberry) - is open.

Brown's Grocery & Deli, Currie's Hardware, Circle A Fast Food convenience store and Babe's Cajun Grill & Motel, in Hackberry, are all open as are several other establishments.

Sabine National Wildlife Refuge - The Wetland Walkway, the 1-1/2 mile long walking trail in the marshlands of Sabine, is now open as is the Blue Goose Trail. (Note: The Blue Goose Trail may be closed intermittently to accomplish additional repairs throughout the next year.) Hog Island Gully, the Blue Crab (formerly 1A/1B), and West Cove Recreation areas are also open to the public. During the Louisiana inshore shrimp season cast netting for shrimp is permitted at Hog Island Gully and the Blue Crab (formerly 1A/1B)Recreation Areas. West Cove Recreation Area is closed to cast netting.

Peveto Woods Bird & Butterfly Sanctuary is open for birding and photography. Some of the trails have been re-worked and new trails are in the process of being made. No visitor facilities are available.

The Cameron Ferry is open daily from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. however the ferry to Monkey Island is closed.

Restroom facilities in the basement of the Cameron Parish Courthouse are open during regular business hours on weekdays. Additionally, two convenience stores-carrying ice, soft drinks, and snacks but with no restroom facilities-are open in Cameron.

Jetties Fishing Pier - currently closed but plans are underway to rebuild the facility.

A convenience store, with restroom faciliities for customers, is open on LA 82 at it's intersection with Trosclair Road.

Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge is open with the exception of the Price Lake Nature Drive, which is closed indefinitely.

Cameron Prairie National Wildlife Refuge - The refuge is open but the office and visitors center are closed until early fall of 2008. (All persons needing to do business with refuge staff during the closure will need to call in advance to make arrangements about when and where to meet-337-598-2216.) The restroom facilities at the headquarters are open and accessible to visitors. Pintail Wildlife Drive--just south of the Gibbstown bridge--and the Cameron Prairie Bank Fishing Road--directly across Hwy. 27 from Pintail Wildlife Drive--are open.

Fishing is booming in Calcasieu Lake (also known as Big Lake). For information on guide services--fishing or hunting--please visit http://www.visitlakecharles.org.

Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge is open.

Site by Graham Group Interactive. Developed by the Creole Nature Trail All-American Road District and funded in part by the Federal Highway Administration through the America's Byways collection.