Cane Bayou - Mandeville, LA

Trip Description: Cane Bayou is a good canoe trip for beginner paddlers and a trip that all paddlers will enjoy. It is a short, relaxing trip. Put-in on the southwest side of the bridge where U.S. 190 crosses Cane Bayou and paddle south for about 1.5 miles to the mouth of the bayou and Lake Ponchartrain. Explore the few small cuts along the way. The bayou empties into Lake Ponchartrain, where you can stop for a lunch break.  There is no shuttle needed for this trip; it's the "out & back" kind of trip.  When you are ready, paddle back to the put-in.  On my last trip to this area, I saw a great horned owl inhabitating an osprey nest.

Directions: From New Orleans, take the Lake Ponchartrain Causeway to Mandeville. Take U.S. 190 East and go past the entrance to Fontainebleu State Park. (Do not turn into the park.) Keep heading east on U.S. 190 and about a mile past the park entrance, you will see a small fire station on your left. Almost directly across the from the fire station, turn right on to the (bumpy) dirt road which leads you into the parking lot for the boat launch.
 
Notes: Compass Rose in Covington rents kayaks but they do not provide transportation. ($45 for a solo and $60 for a tandem. This includes pfd, paddles, foam blocks and straps to attach to your vehicle.) 1401 N Hwy. 190, Covington, LA 70433, 985-871-7989. There are no other rentals available in the area, but the bayou is in the Big Branch National Wildlife Refuge and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service occasionally lead canoe trips. Watch the Times-Picayune (each Wednesday's Sports section) for additional information. There is generally not much current to worry about but be careful if you decide to go into the lake,  because the wind and waves can kick-up in a hurry.

Disclaimer: This information is true to the best of the writer's knowledge, and is only intended to be a general guide to paddling the waterway. Feel free to print it out, and use it. If you can add to it, please do so and then mail it back to Tom Dumas 1721 Mill Gardens Dr. Ponchatoula, LA 70454-3541. (504) 342-3861. Canoeing and kayaking are potentially dangerous sports.  Please do not paddle any waters without proper equipment, instruction, and knowledge of the waterway you plan to paddle.  Or email comments to Tom Dumas