April is when New Orleans can enjoy the last gasp of spring before the unrelenting heat of the summer envelops the city. Though the great outdoors can be enjoyed year-round, it is during these few cooler months, such as April, when florals are blooming and greenery is refreshed. Below is a compilation of some urban walkabouts — places to exercise, meditate or enjoy nature. (For some of these trails, check the websites ahead of visit.)
Audubon Park (6500 Magazine St.): This 1.8 mile loop flanked by ancient oak trees is a favorite for Uptown New Orleanians to walk, run or bike ride, while the surrounding greenery invites picnicking and includes a golf course. The Riverview Park (aka The Fly) has views of the Mississippi River and many people picnic there, as well. Audubon Park hours: 5 a.m.-10 p.m. audubonnatureinstitute.org/audubon-park; @auduboninstitute
Bayou Sauvage Urban National Wildlife Refuge: Established in 1990, this area (17160 Chef Menteur Hwy.) adjacent to Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Borgne includes a variety of habitats — hardwood forest, tidal marshes, lagoon, canals and bayous. The Ridge Trail is a 2/3 mile long boardwalk loop through the refuge. fws.gov/refuge/bayou-sauvage-urban
Crescent Park: The rust-colored “rainbow” bridge at Piety and Chartres streets in the Bywater is just one of the entrances to this 20-acre linear park following the Mississippi River for 1.4 miles. Walk, contemplate the ships going by while the city is a scenic backdrop. Hours are 6 a.m.-7:30 p.m. frenchmarket.org; @crescentparkneworleans
City Park: Nestled in 1,300 acres in the heart of New Orleans, City Park (1 Palm Dr.) has six nature trails of varying difficulties and landscape: Couturie Forest Perimeter Trail, Scout Island Perimeter Trail, Festival Grounds Multi-Use Path, Zemurray Multi-Use Path, Native Plant Trail and New Orleans City Park Loop. The park also includes the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden, which melds nature and art seamlessly, and the New Orleans Botanical Garden. neworleanscitypark.org; @neworleanscitypark
Lafitte Greenway: Stretching from Treme through Mid-City, this 2.6 mile linear park is like taking a stroll — or bike ride — through history with sights including St. Louis Cemetery No. 1. lafittegreenway.org; @lafittegreenway
Jean Lafitte State Park Historical Park and Preserve/Barataria Preserve: More than 26,000 acres of wild Louisiana wetlands in Marrero (6588 Barataria Blvd.) have a number of trails to explore. Trail hours: 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. nps.gov/jela/index.htm; @jeanlafittenps
Woldenberg Riverfront Park: Starting at the Aquarium of the Americas and running along the edge into the French Quarter along the Mississippi River — becoming the Moon Walk — this pathway is a favorite for locals and tourists. @auduboninstitute
Woodlands Conservancy: Get back to nature on 11 miles of trails, including the Bottomland Trail, which has a grouping of 10 World War II ammunition magazines when the area was used by the U.S. military. Located in Belle Chasse (449 F. Edward Hebert Blvd.), it is open seven days a week, dawn to dusk. woodlandsconservancy.org; @woodlandsnola
Nature Shows Off
When New Orleans City Park blooms, the Spring Garden Show is soon to follow. Scheduled for April 5 and 6, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. in the Botanical Garden (5 Victory Ave.), the event — sponsored by the LSU AgCenter in cooperation with the Louisiana Master Gardeners and Metro Area Horticulture Foundation — offers a cornucopia of plants, lawn, horticultural accoutrements for sale, as well as educational programs, arts and crafts, cooking demonstrations and more. neworleanscitypark.org; @neworleanscitypark
Encore Energy
The Friends of the Cabildo is closing out its 2024-2025 concert season with two noteworthy shows: The Iguanas (April 4) and Sonny Landreth (April 17). Set in a small (100 seats) space within the New Orleans Jazz Museum (400 Esplanade), this popular music series was founded in 2014 to record musicians for the Louisiana Historical Center in the Jazz Museum. The program has recorded over 75 musicians in more than 10 years. Tickets go fast, so don’t wait! friendsofthecabildo.org; @friendsofthecabildo
Letting Out the Lyons
Music, crawfish and conviviality — you can find that and more at the Lyons Street Fest presented by the NOLA VFW (531 Lyons St.) on April 5, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Bands include Dave Jordan, Kathleen Moore, The Marine Band and Craig the Canine Crooner. A VIP Crawfish Experience is $35 of all-you-can-eat crawfish plus two drinks (pre-sale.) lyonsstreetfest.com; @nolavfw
