AVERY ISLAND AND JUNGLE GARDEN
Louisiana may be a sportsman paradise but did you know it is also a bird paradise, at least for egrets. Bird City is located on Avery Island in Iberia Parish, Louisiana. Avery Island comprises five “islands” that sit on top of the marshlands. These islands rest on top of a massive solid salt deposit that is believed to be deeper than Mt. Everest is tall. Avery Island is mainly known for its hot sauce factory that supplies the world with the AMAZING Tabasco brand Hot Sauce, but what some may not know is that located on the same property you can find the Jungle Gardens!
How’s the trail?
Jungle Gardens is about 3.3 miles of trail that can be driven through from the comfort of your car or you can walk it. My wife and I did both! First we parked just inside the gates, jumped out and started to explore.
This path is very flat and most of the trail is gravel. Most of the gardens can be described as a find-your-own-adventure. It has numerous different shortcuts and detours along the way that you can take to tailor your experience. We definitely tried to do and see everything. The first part of the trail follows along a river.
Trail features water on one side and Asian plants on the other side.
Alligators can frequently be seen sun bathing early in the morning before to many guest come through.
While you have the river to one side of the trail the other has a beautiful marshland. If you go early enough, you can see various birds, turtles and alligators hanging out. As you travel along the winding path you may notice a red gate, this is known as a Torii gate, and is common in Asian cultures. At this point in the trail you can travel straight to the gate and follow that path or you can stay on the main path. For this trip we stayed on the main path.
Along the main path there are several areas with information boards that correlate to your map. They'll tell you about the main points around the gardens from the Boat house, to Bird City, and the different themed gardens that you'll see along the way. Also for you plant lovers, many of the exotic plants have plaques that give you a brief introduction to the plant.
An Asian architectural Surprise!
Remember that red Torii gate I mentioned a little while ago?? Well it's back. Marker number 8 on the map leads away from the main path, through the largest Torii gate (there are 3 in total), to a massive buddha statue housed within the jungle gardens. The statue sat in a New York storage facility unclaimed for years before it was finally claimed by the owner of the gardens, Mr. Mcllhenny. The owner was known for his asian themed plants and the buddha was a wonderful new addition.
Unfortunately, like the day we went, the doors to the statue are typically closed. You can still see the statue behind the clear plexiglass windows to the building, and it is stunning. The statue overlooks a small pond and offers a peaceful and picturesque place to stop and take in the sights.
Don’t forget bird city!
As we continue along the main path again you finally come to the main attraction, in my opinion, Bird City. I have always loved birds growing up and this place brings out the inner kid in me again. For a bit of backstory, growing up there was a swamp/marshland near my house and snowy egrets used to nest in the cypress trees during the migration season. It was so cool just to see all the white spots from the countless egrets in the trees. As you can see from the photo below the birds of Avery Island aren't just in the trees, they were everywhere!
Rows and rows of birds can be seen from the viewing area!
Snowy egret feathers were often used as hat toppers. The original owner of the gardens was worried the birds would be hunted to extinction, to help prevent this he gathered a few birds and raised them on his personal property away from the hunters. Once it was time for the birds to leave the owner did not expect to see them again. He was surprised the following year when the birds returned with a few new friends, ever since then each year more and more birds return to Bird City.
Many different bird families can be seen nesting together.
Overall the trip was very enjoyable. The garden is filled with various signs describing the wildlife and the fauna that grow there. The trail is vehicle friendly so you do not have to get out if it’s too hot, although you will not get to see everything by staying in the car. The trail is a 3.3 mile loop.
Notes : Vehicles over 12'8" will be too tall for low hanging branches and the wisteria arch. Also, you need to pay for admission (please check their website for a list on the current ticket pricing. https://www.junglegardens.org/)
****Bonus****
The Tabasco factory offers tours and has a restaurant on site to easily make this a great day trip!!
TRAIL REVIEW
Difficulty: 4 of 10
Mostly gravel with some unpaved trails branching off to some of the sights. Keep the map on you, because you can get lost on this property.
Ability to find: 9 of 10
There is a gatekeeper at the front that gives out directions and parking passes. If you are going to the gardens then keep driving forward/right. If you are going to the tabasco factory turn left after the gate
Enjoyment: 10 of 10
I always enjoy going to Avery island. Even after seeing it several times, we continually have fun walking around and seeing all the different areas. I love it when the birds are nesting (March-April) because the immense amount of them is always impressive
Facilities :
Gift shop and restroom near the entrance.
