Last Wilderness Swamp & Plantation Tour

About the Last Wilderness Swamp & Plantation Tour

On this all-day tour, we visit the Whitney Plantation in the morning, fuel up with a Cajun lunch, and tour the forested wetland of the Atchafalaya basin by boat in the afternoon.

We start with the Whitney Plantation, which gives visitors a realistic look at life in the pre-Civil War South. While the restored antebellum mansion is beautiful and grand, the walking tour tells the story of this part of American history through the eyes of the enslaved. It’s an educational and moving experience not to be missed.

For lunch, we chow down at one of our favorite local Cajun restaurants and treat y’all to some of our legendary Cajun cuisine!

After lunch, we’ll explore a portion of the Atchafalaya Basin, the largest unbroken forested wetland in the United States, with The Last Wilderness Swamp Tours. Look for birds, gators, turtles and other wildlife while learning about the history, and fragility, of this magnificent water world.

Whitney Plantation

This stretch of the Mississippi River is known as the German Coast and is rich with history and culture. The area is home to many beautiful properties, including the Whitney Plantation. Originally founded in 1752, the Whitney Plantation opened as a museum in 2014, following 15 years and $8 million worth of renovations. It is the only museum in Louisiana with an exclusive focus on the lives of enslaved people. The grounds are gorgeous, like most antebellum plantations, but it’s also an important educational experience for anyone interested in the history of Louisiana and slavery in America.

Lunch

After your Whitney Plantation tour, we drive deeper into Cajun Country for lunch. Choose from amazing gumbo and specialties made with locally caught seafood. Snack on alligator bites, boiled shrimp, or chow down on a classic Louisiana  po’ boy.

The Last Wilderness Swamp Tour

After lunch, we meet The Last Wilderness Swamp Tours, a family owned and operated business. Its owner, Dean Wilson, also founded Atchafalaya  Basinkeeper in 2004 to protect and restore the swamps, lakes, rivers, streams and bayous of the Atchafalaya Basin for future generations. Dean, the Jean-Michel Cousteau of Louisiana’s wetlands, is the Executive Director and Basinkeeper of this vital organization, which defends daily the indispensable resources of the Basin from commercial exploitation. Damages from this exploitation include erosion, the destruction of habitat and the unnecessary loss of wildlife.

Last Wilderness uses only small boats, which enables us to venture deep into these incredible swamps and bayous. The average water levels can change as much as nine feet from season to season, depending on the amount of water coming from the Mississippi River. As the water rises and falls, it provides different habitats for varying flora and fauna, making every swamp tour truly unique. No matter what, you’ll experience breathtaking views, gigantic cypress trees and native wildlife that is never baited or fed.

Why Choose our Swamp Ecotour?

On our swamp boat tours, we ally with only reputable partners that offer exceptional experiences and who never bait or feed the wildlife. We are a 100% Carbon Neutral ecotour company. We believe in respecting the environment and trying to mitigate the threats that face this valuable region of wetlands.

Small, fuel-efficient motors are used, contributing to a quiet exploration of our famous waterways that doesn’t scare off wildlife, as airboats do. Glide around wide river bends at 30 mph with the wind blowing through your hair, and look for gators and other creatures while the boat slowly creeps through narrow passageways surrounded by bald cypress trees draped with Spanish moss.

Our small group size ensures that you can properly relax, avoid the crowds, and ask all the questions of your driver-guide and boat captain that you want. We provide an authentic, educational tour that leaves you with a deeper understanding of what makes the culture and ecosystems here so unique.