Urban Park · LA

City Park

City Park, located in the heart of New Orleans, offers a rich blend of lush landscapes and recreational facilities that attract both locals and tourists for various outdoor activities.

Urban Park1,3002+ Trails

1854URBAN PARK

Designation

Urban Park

Total Wilderness Area

1,300

Elevation / Terrain

Diverse Wilderness

Field Editorial Guide

About City Park

City Park, located in the heart of New Orleans, offers a rich blend of lush landscapes and recreational facilities that attract both locals and tourists for various outdoor activities.

Wilderness Landscape & Natural Heritage

City Park in New Orleans spans over 1,300 acres, making it one of the largest urban parks in the United States. Established in 1854, the park is renowned for its historic oak trees, some of which are over 800 years old. The park provides a diverse range of attractions like the New Orleans Museum of Art, Botanical Garden, and the whimsical Storyland. City Park is a favorite spot for families and outdoor enthusiasts, offering golf courses, tennis courts, a driving range, and multiple sports fields. Additionally, the park is a haven for bird watchers and those seeking a peaceful retreat within the bustling city. With its mix of natural beauty and cultural landmarks, City Park is a vital part of the New Orleans community.

Adventure Destinations

Notable Destinations Near City Park

Scenic viewpoints, outdoor landmarks, and notable points of interest within 60 miles.

Key Wilderness Highlights

✦ The New Orleans Museum of Art with its impressive sculpture garden✦ The Botanical Garden displaying vibrant native and exotic plants✦ The centuries-old live oaks that provide a serene canopy✦ Storyland, an enchanting area featuring larger-than-life fairy tale sculptures

Wilderness Visuals & Gallery

Visual Guide to City Park

Wilderness Recreation

Outdoor Adventures in City Park

Explore curated guides for top outdoor sports, trail networks, and wilderness activities.

Park Recreation

Hiking

Available in City Park

Park Recreation

Wildlife Viewing

Available in City Park

Park Recreation

Paddle Sports

Available in City Park

Park Recreation

Photography

Available in City Park

Park Recreation

Jogging

Available in City Park

Park Recreation

Picnicking

Available in City Park

Park Recreation

Golf

Available in City Park

Park Recreation

Tennis

Available in City Park

The Ranger Station

Visitor Logistics & Essential Planning

Everything you need to know about entrance passes, seasons, visitor centers, road transit, and wildlife safety in City Park.

Passes & Fees

Entrance Requirements & Interagency Passes

Free access; fees required for some attractions.

Wilderness Checklist

Carry paper topographic map & compass in remote zones.

Store all food and scented items in approved bear canisters.

Check wildfire / smoke advisories before backcountry departure.

Pack out everything you pack in (Leave No Trace).

Adventure Basecamps

Gateway Towns Near City Park

Stay, dine, and gear up in these mountain towns and scenic basecamps surrounding the park.

⌖ 3.15 miles

Gateway Basecamp

Metairie, Louisiana

Metairie offers easy outdoor access with biking and walking trails, calm bayous for kayaking, and family-friendly parks. It's a low-key spot to enjoy nature near New Orleans with good bird watching and fishing.

Spring and Fall

Explore Town

⌖ 3.76 miles

Gateway Basecamp

Jefferson, Louisiana

Jefferson, Louisiana offers outdoor enthusiasts a gateway to the bayou with kayaking, fishing, biking, and bird watching. Its scenic waterways and nearby protected parks make it a must for adventure seekers visiting the NOLA area.

Fall and Spring

Explore Town

⌖ 5.60 miles

Gateway Basecamp

Gretna, Louisiana

Gretna offers a laid-back outdoor vibe with riverfront trails and paddling spots ideal for exploring the Mississippi River corridor. Perfect for casual bikers, kayakers, and birdwatchers seeking a water-centered adventure near New Orleans.

Fall through Spring

Explore Town

⌖ 6.13 miles

Gateway Basecamp

Arabi, Louisiana

Arabi is a quiet river town that offers outdoor lovers serene paddling, excellent bird watching, and fishing along the Mississippi River and nearby wetlands. It’s a great base for exploring Louisiana’s unique bayou terrain.

Spring and Fall

Explore Town

⌖ 6.51 miles

Gateway Basecamp

Marrero, Louisiana

Marrero is the perfect spot for exploring Louisiana's bayou ecosystems. Kayak through swamps, enjoy birding and fishing, or take a wildlife tour in the Barataria Preserve.

Fall and Spring

Explore Town

⌖ 7.05 miles

Gateway Basecamp

Westwego, Louisiana

Westwego, Louisiana is a gateway for outdoor explorers seeking wetland paddling, birdwatching, and fishing along the Mississippi River coast. Experience quiet bayous, rich wildlife, and the charm of a historic coastal town.

Fall through early Spring

Explore Town

Expert-Led Wilderness Expeditions

Guided Experiences in City Park

Explore scenic backcountry routes and epic wilderness adventures with certified local mountain guides, naturalists, and outfitters.

Verified Outdoor Outfitters

Venetian Calm in New Orleans: 50 Minutes Through City Park’s Moss‑Covered Lagoons

ADVEXPEDITION

New Orleans, Louisiana

Boat TourADV Bookable

Venetian Calm in New Orleans: 50 Minutes Through City Park’s Moss‑Covered Lagoons

A private, 50-minute ride aboard the Venetian gondola Bella Mae through New Orleans City Park’s moss-covered lagoons; includes complimentary crackers and cheese and accommodates two to six riders.

Boat TourPT2HCertified Outfitter

Bookable OnlineBook Trip

Walking Among Tombs: A 90‑Minute Deep Dive into New Orleans’ Above‑Ground Burial Traditions

ADVEXPEDITION

New Orleans, Louisiana

Walking TourADV Bookable

Walking Among Tombs: A 90‑Minute Deep Dive into New Orleans’ Above‑Ground Burial Traditions

A guided, 1.5‑hour cemetery walking tour with DuPont & Company that explains New Orleans’ distinctive family, society and coping tombs and the custom of rotating remains.

Walking TourPT2HCertified Outfitter

Bookable OnlineBook Trip

Marble, Mausoleums, and Mardi Gras Memory: Walking Metairie Cemetery’s Sculpture-Strewn Avenues

ADVEXPEDITION

New Orleans, Louisiana

Walking TourADV Bookable

Marble, Mausoleums, and Mardi Gras Memory: Walking Metairie Cemetery’s Sculpture-Strewn Avenues

A guided, two-hour walking tour of Lake Lawn Metairie Cemetery that traces New Orleans’ grand funerary architecture and the lives of its most famous citizens—useful for travelers who want a concentrated, interpretive look at the city’s public art and civic memory.

Walking TourPT2HCertified Outfitter

Bookable OnlineBook Trip

River Road Revealed: A Private Full-Day Tour of Two Plantations

ADVEXPEDITION

New Orleans, Louisiana

Sightseeing TourADV Bookable

River Road Revealed: A Private Full-Day Tour of Two Plantations

A seven-hour, private outing from New Orleans that visits two River Road plantations with docent-led house tours and the option for a picnic lunch — this guide lays out what to expect and how the day flows.

Sightseeing TourPT2HCertified Outfitter

Bookable OnlineBook Trip

Beignets and Burials: A Morning Walk Through New Orleans’ Private Cemeteries

ADVEXPEDITION

New Orleans, Louisiana

City TourADV Bookable

Beignets and Burials: A Morning Walk Through New Orleans’ Private Cemeteries

A guided, expert-led walk that begins with beignets and coffee at Morning Call and moves through Greenwood, Cypress Grove and memorial sites to explore the city’s distinctive tombs and funeral traditions.

City TourPT2HCertified Outfitter

Bookable OnlineBook Trip

Voodoo Garage Sale at Marie Laveau’s Old Homestead — Shop the Haunted Courtyard with Voodoo Queen Bloody Mary

ADVEXPEDITION

New Orleans, Louisiana

History TourADV Bookable

Voodoo Garage Sale at Marie Laveau’s Old Homestead — Shop the Haunted Courtyard with Voodoo Queen Bloody Mary

An afternoon-long market and meet-and-greet at the historic Rampart Street homestead offering vintage clothing, voodoo dolls and haunted oddities — this guide orients you to the sale, the hosts and what to expect.

History TourPT2HCertified Outfitter

Bookable OnlineBook Trip

Three Hours Through New Orleans: Cemeteries, Katrina Context and a Garden District Walk

ADVEXPEDITION

New Orleans, Louisiana

City TourADV Bookable

Three Hours Through New Orleans: Cemeteries, Katrina Context and a Garden District Walk

A focused, 3-hour city tour departing near Jackson Square that combines a climate-controlled bus route beyond the French Quarter with a historic cemetery stop and a guided walking tour of the Garden District.

City TourPT2HCertified Outfitter

Bookable OnlineBook Trip

Gators, Egrets and Full‑Throttle Airboat: A Four‑Hour Swamp Run from New Orleans

ADVEXPEDITION

New Orleans, Louisiana

Guided TourADV Bookable

Gators, Egrets and Full‑Throttle Airboat: A Four‑Hour Swamp Run from New Orleans

A 4‑hour guided airboat tour with transportation from New Orleans into the bayous of south Louisiana for close-up wildlife viewing and high‑speed boat time.

Guided TourPT2HCertified Outfitter

Bookable OnlineBook Trip

Three Hours Through the Big Easy: A Guided Bus Tour of the French Quarter, Garden District, Cemeteries and City Park

ADVEXPEDITION

New Orleans, Louisiana

Bus TourADV Bookable

Three Hours Through the Big Easy: A Guided Bus Tour of the French Quarter, Garden District, Cemeteries and City Park

A 3-hour guided bus sightseeing tour of New Orleans that shuttles you to the city’s historic highlights—useful as a compact orientation for first-time and repeat visitors.

Bus TourPT2HCertified Outfitter

Bookable OnlineBook Trip

Guns, Gators, and a 90‑Minute Roar: Full‑Auto Range Time and Airboat Swamps out of Lafayette

ADVEXPEDITION

Lafayette, Louisiana

Air ActivitiesADV Bookable

Guns, Gators, and a 90‑Minute Roar: Full‑Auto Range Time and Airboat Swamps out of Lafayette

A 5.5‑hour combo of full‑auto shooting and a 90‑minute airboat swamp tour with hotel/AirBnB pickup — this guide explains what to expect and how to prepare.

Air ActivitiesPT2HCertified Outfitter

Bookable OnlineBook Trip

Pedal Through Porches, Plazas and Above‑Ground Memory: A Three‑Hour Sweep of the French Quarter and Garden District

ADVEXPEDITION

New Orleans, Louisiana

Bike TourADV Bookable

Pedal Through Porches, Plazas and Above‑Ground Memory: A Three‑Hour Sweep of the French Quarter and Garden District

A 3‑hour bike tour that links Jackson Square, the original 1718 footprint of New Orleans, the Garden District’s antebellum mansions and an iconic above‑ground cemetery—useful as a compact orientation to the city’s layered history and culture.

Bike TourPT2HCertified Outfitter

Bookable OnlineBook Trip

Learning to Sail on the Crescent City’s Waterways: A 16‑Hour Beginner Course in New Orleans

ADVEXPEDITION

New Orleans, Louisiana

SailingADV Bookable

Learning to Sail on the Crescent City’s Waterways: A 16‑Hour Beginner Course in New Orleans

A structured, 16-hour beginner sailing course in New Orleans that takes absolute novices onto the water with small class sizes and a 4:1 student‑instructor ratio.

SailingPT2HCertified Outfitter

Bookable OnlineBook Trip