Bucktown Marsh Boardwalk

Go for: urban nature, a shoreline walk, and plenty of fresh air

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The Bucktown Marsh boardwalk is a public infrastructure project that opened in May, 2020 on the south shore of Lake Pontchartrain.

It is part of the new Bucktown Wetlands project — a 3.4-acre man-made marsh in Jefferson Parish near the 17th Street Canal. Residents and visitors can learn about and experience — first-hand — a beautiful coastal marsh, coastal restoration and wildlife habitat just steps away from some of the area’s most popular restaurants, tucked away behind the levee.

Bucktown Marsh, with its 1,000 foot long boardwalk includes benches, bird watching stands and informative, educational signs about this unique nature preserve. The project was funded by Jefferson Parish, and also includes two recreational pavilions that are perfect gathering spots for friends and family.

The boardwalk curves around a “living shoreline” of marsh grasses and shrubs, that provide a more resilient and natural eco-system that is equal parts beautiful and purposeful. The marsh habitat supports the nearby levee system and protects the shoreline from tidal surge and storms.

As funds become available, a breakwater will be built off the shoreline with aquatic plant life filled in behind it. These new tidal wetlands will reduce storm surge from the lake, improve water quality and provide habitat for fish, birds, crabs and other wildlife.

The Bucktown Marsh is part of the larger, 34 acre Bucktown Wetlands Preserve and Harbor. Along the boardwalk, you will find bird blinds as well as informational signs about plants, wildlife, fisheries, our coastal ecosystem, and the Lake Pontchartrain basin.

Visit anytime of year, but especially at sunset — as the boardwalk faces west looking across the Lake. — Scott McCrossen