Campgrounds and RV parks near Jean Lafitte, LA

Jean Lafitte is a small town on Bayou Barataria in Jefferson Parish, part of the New Orleans metropolitan area and roughly a 30-minute drive from the French Quarter. It sits at the edge of the Barataria Preserve, the largest unit of Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, which protects tens of thousands of acres of bayous, swamps, marshes, and forests on the West Bank of the Mississippi River. RV renters use the town as a low-key base for exploring both wetland ecosystems and the city itself. The closest full-service campground is Bayou Segnette State Park in nearby Westwego, a Louisiana state park on the west bank of the Mississippi River just minutes from downtown New Orleans, with paved loop roads, water and electric hookups, and cabin rentals on the bayou. St Bernard State Park sits across the river to the southeast in Braithwaite, while New Orleans KOA Holiday, French Quarter RV Resort, and Riverboat Travel Park offer private-park options closer to downtown. Sites at the state parks are compact and shaded; the private parks skew toward paved pull-throughs designed for larger rigs and shorter city-focused stays.

The two closest state parks, Bayou Segnette State Park and St Bernard State Park, are reserved through the Louisiana State Parks system online or by phone at 1-877-CAMP-N-LA. A non-refundable fee is assessed on each reservation transaction made online, by phone, or as a walk-in, and cancellation or transfer fees apply. Reservations must be made at least 48 hours in advance, and a maximum stay of 14 consecutive days is allowed in the park. Private parks such as French Quarter RV Resort, New Orleans KOA Holiday, and Riverboat Travel Park take direct bookings through their own websites. Weekends fill quickly at Bayou Segnette because the park is used as a base for New Orleans trips, so book well ahead for Mardi Gras, Jazz Fest, and holiday weekends.