St. Mary

Known as the “Cajun Coast,” over half of St. Mary Parish is covered in water. There’s beautiful Cypremort Point State Park, which offers man-made beaches, fishing, and sailboating. The Bayou Teche ends its 125-mile journey to merge with the Lower Atchafalaya River near the town of Patterson—the lower section that winds through the parish is well worth a drive down the Bayou Teche Scenic Byway. The Bayou Teche National Wildlife Refuge merges 9,028 acres of protected cypress-tupelo swamps, hardwood forests, and freshwater marshes offer a plethora of paddling trails and serve as the primary sanctuary for the Louisiana black bear, the state’s official mammal. The historic district of Franklin, the parish seat and a former sugar boom town, is perfect for a stroll beneath the moss-covered oaks and cast iron street lamps—over 420 buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In Morgan City, the parish’s largest town, the International Petroleum Museum and Exposition is the only place in the world where visitors can experience life aboard an authentic offshore oil rig. The Native American Chitimacha Tribe (often translated as the “people of the many waters”) makes their home at a bend in the Bayou Teche near Charenton—their famed weaved baskets are on display at the Chitimacha Museum.