Bayou Segnette State Park Campground Review
Thinking of staying at Bayou Segnette State Park campground on your next visit to New Orleans? Check out my complete review below to see if this park in Westwego, Louisiana, would be right for your family!
While visiting the New Orleans area, we camped here for several nights, which allowed us to see both the good and bad of this state-run campground.
Located towards the back of Bayou Segnette State Park, the campground is large, but we found that several areas could use improvement.
Below, you’ll find the full review of our camping experience here, including our individual campsite review, photos of the park’s amenities, and how it compared to other campgrounds we’ve visited.
Our Winnebago Micro Minnie 1800BH in our campsite at Bayou Segnette State Park
New Orleans Camping: What to Consider
Camping in a major metropolitan area is always a challenge. Either you stay close to the city center and have to deal with congestion, noise, and navigating traffic with your camper, or you stay outside of the city and have to deal with commutes into the tourist areas.
New Orleans is no different, but the overall camping situation is made even more complicated by the fact that the city is bordered by water: the Mississippi River on one side, and Lake Pontchartrain on the other.
Many areas in and around the city are low lying and swampy, which makes them susceptible to flooding.
This further limits the available properties that could house a campground.
In short, campgrounds within a reasonable commute to the French Quarter, Garden District, and Central Business District are few and far between.
PIN ME
We ended up selecting Bayou Segnette State Park for our time in New Orleans due to its relatively short commute, secluded feel, and reasonable pricing.
Other Options in New Orleans
There are, of course, other camping options in New Orleans, which might be worth a look.
I will say that (after hours of researching) there’s no perfect location or campground in this area that I could find, so you’re going to have to pick either bigger lots, a short commute, or full hookups, as one single campground doesn’t have this in New Orleans.
New Orleans KOA
This KOA in River Ridge was one that I seriously considered, but ultimately didn’t book in favor of Bayou Segnette State Park, which was cheaper.
River Ridge is a part of greater New Orleans that’s about 2 bends in the Mississippi River away from Tulane, the Garden District, the French Quarter, and pretty much everything else you came to New Orleans to see.
One amenity that the New Orleans KOA offered to their guests is a shuttle to and from the French Quarter 4 times a day. While this shuttle is available for a fee, being able to leave your car at the campground and drive is appealing.
One general complaint about the New Orleans KOA is that the lots were very small, and that’s why I decided to try out the state park, which did have huge lots.
Whenever we’re back in New Orleans, we are going to give the New Orleans KOA a try to see how it compares.
French Quarter RV Resort
This campground was one that I waffled back and forth on, but ultimately couldn’t commit to for a few reasons.
If you’ve never been to New Orleans, it’s an amazing town, but it’s highly uneven from area to area on how well received an out-of-towner might be.
By that, I don’t mean that you’re going to get jeered and pointed at, but rather you’re more likely to get mugged or harassed in certain areas (and sometimes, even in the well-trafficked areas like the French Quarter or CBD, depending on your luck).
I mean, New Orleans is a big city, and that comes with the territory. My family was mugged in Paris, and my husband’s car was stolen in South Carolina, so I know that sometimes, things happen.
However, being aware of your surroundings and not walking through sketchy areas at night (or the day, depending on the area) is one way to keep those statistics on your side.
The area that the French Quarter RV Resort is in is not the French Quarter; it’s on the border of the Iberville and Tremé neighborhoods near Tulane. The immediate area around here isn’t terrible, especially in the day, but if you were to walk to the actual French Quarter or CBD, you’re going to have to go through areas that I wouldn’t be comfortable with.
Because of all of that, the RV resort is gated and walled.
We ended up driving by here on our rambles around New Orleans, and the lots are small with no foliage. There are concrete slabs for spots, and you’re nearly underneath I-10, so expect lots of traffic.
While being that close to the French Quarter is tempting, the safety concerns, the nearby highway, and lack of walking options kicked this campground out of the running.
Bayou Segnette State Park Camping Review
And that brings us to the campground that we actually ended up staying at during our most recent visit to New Orleans!
The campground’s location in Westwego, Louisiana, was a big draw for us.
Westwego is a neighborhood on the western bank of the Mississippi, almost directly across the river from Audabon. This location put us just a couple of neighborhoods away from the Huey P. Long Bridge, which goes directly into the Warehouse District and CBD in New Orleans.
Bayou Segnette State Park is also super convenient to Algiers Point, where you can park for free and ride the incredibly cheap ferry across the Mississippi River to Canal Street. (This is what we did each day we visited New Orleans, and I highly recommend it. Grab the Jazzy Pass for even more savings!)
So, was the campground’s location worth it? And would we return?
Let’s dive in.
Check in Process
Confusingly, there wasn’t one.
Despite my organization for this trip, I couldn’t find an access code on any of the reservation materials. Maybe we never were given one?
To this day, I don’t know.
In any case, we were driving to New Orleans from Dallas, Texas, which is a very long drive made even longer when you’re pulling a travel trailer.
I called the state park as soon as we realized we didn’t have our after hours gate access code. I explained to the employee on the other end of the phone that we were going to be late getting in, and that I needed a code.
She said she’d email me the code.
Spoiler alert: I never got the code.
We were going in and out of reliable cell coverage, so I didn’t know if my phone wasn’t getting the email or if she never sent it.
I called back, but the park office had already closed for the day at 4 PM.
At this point, we were panicking as we were on schedule to arrive at or around 9 PM.
If we’d gotten there later than 9 PM, I wasn’t sure what we were going to do as that’s when the gates would be locked for the night, and we had no way to get in—or contact anyone who’d let us in.
Luckily, we didn’t have any traffic coming into New Orleans, and we arrived at Bayou Segnette State Park around 8:45 PM that night.
It was an unnecessarily stressful experience that could’ve had us locked out of our paid for camping spot, and it didn’t set the right tone for our stay.
Setting Up Camp
Since we arrived so late, we knew that we’d be setting up in the dark.
Speed limit sign on upper loop of campground
That in and of itself isn’t a big deal as we’ve done so multiple times with no issues.
However, we were not prepared for how poorly lit the campground was, and we ended up having to essentially feel our way into the campsite.
At one point, my husband had a headlamp on while I was backing the trailer in. Another kind camper got his truck out and shined his headlights onto the site so we could make sure we weren’t running into the woods.
(As a side note, the guy helping us out saw that I was the one backing the trailer, and he literally cheered me on. Ladies, you’ve got this!)
I’m all for lowering light pollution, but there just weren’t any lights anywhere near our campsite.
While it was the result of a long travel day that we arrived so late, the lack of lighting made it more difficult than it should’ve been.
Individual Campsite Review
Our site, C1026, was flat and high. We had a wide grassy around around our paved site, though there was some dense foliage to the back and side of us.
The sunset over the grassy area to the left of our campsite
Other sites were lower, which would’ve worried me in rain. Several of the sites backed directly up to the bayou and included a small dock area where the picnic table was located. I didn’t want one of these sites when I was booking as I was worried about the possibility of alligators or snakes near my kids.
We were on the top of the upper loop in the campground.
If you’re looking for a higher site like ours, C1028 through C1021 were all similar.
The sites on the inside of the loops nearly all back up to the swampier areas, so keep that in mind. However, even some of the sites on the exterior of the loops back up to swamp area, like C1032 and C1017.
Look at the campground map here carefully before you pick a site.
My husband working on the water for the black tank flush
We had water and 30 amp electric at campsite.
Individual sewer isn’t available at the sites, but there is a single dump station near the front of the campground. It needed repairs, which was frustrating.
When we tried to attach the hose to the water at the dump station to do a black tank flush, my husband realized that the water valve was stuck closed because of a broken handle.
Thankfully, he was able to get the broken piece open (and then closed again) with a wrench.
However, that feels like an easy thing to fix and something that regular maintenance would already have caught.
(On a side note, this is why you always want to have a small tool kit with you when you’re traveling. It’s one of our most used items on the list of travel trailer must haves!)
Our campground did have a raised picnic area, a well tended and large grassy area, and a wooden pole that we determined was for hanging a lantern.
The camping pad was paved and level, and the hookups were easy to access.
Bayou Segnette Campground Overview
Bayou Segnette has a large campground in a large state park within 20 minutes of downtown New Orleans.
Given all of those things, you’d think this place would be packed year round.
Yet, in early summer, when I’d assume that families were beginning their summer vacations in earnest, this campground was one of the least busy ones we encountered on our entire 6-week camping trip from South Carolina to Arizona.
(And that includes campgrounds far, far away from a major metro center like the Tucumcari KOA!)
This campground is one that has so much potential, but just isn’t living up to that potential at the moment. Maybe that’s why we had so few neighbors?
Campground Layout
When looking at the campground from above, it has 2 loops with main access road where the 2 loops touch. In total, there are 98 campsites that the website touts as “premium,” though I’m not sure what they might mean by that.
The upper loop seemed to be the preferred loop as the majority of the campers we saw on our trip were on the same loop as we were.
Both loops were open for reservations during our stay, so, again, I’m not sure why more people weren’t staying here.
Even with the issues I’ll get more into below, the campground is cheap (around $30 a night), which I’d think would attract campers who could overlook needed upgrades and repairs.
There was one bath house and a playground near the entrance road.
The campground area of the state park is towards the back of the property, past the park office, picnic area, pavilion, group camping, and conference area.
I did like that the campground was set so far back from the Westbank Expressway, which was a large road. Due to the campground’s position within the park, we couldn’t hear any road noise at all.
Cabins at Bayou Segnette
The state park does have cabins in 2 different categories.
First, they offer up what they call the “Deluxe cabins,” which can sleep up to 8 people. There are 16 cabins of this type in the state park.
Your other option is the group camp, which is great for family reunions or school groups. The Group Camp comes with access to a dining hall with kitchen and 2 large dormitories, which collectively sleep 80 people.
Both of these are outside of the campground area. You’ll pass the group camping area on the way into the campground from the park’s entrance.
The deluxe cabins are down the road from the campground, and are directly on the bayou.
Bayou Segnette Campground Amenities
What you get at a state park campground varies wildly. For example, at Oconee State Park campground in South Carolina, you’ll have access to a fenced-in lake swimming area, weekly line dancing lessons, and mini golf.
But other state parks, like Bayou Segette State Park, offer only the basics. (As a side note, it turns out that the park used to offer much more than it does now, but more on that later.)
Bath house
The exterior of the Upper Loop campground bath house
The campground does offer a bath house for use by its campers.
However, the stalls were so small, poorly lit, and felt so gross.
That gross feeling partially came from the fact that we didn’t see anyone touch the bathrooms during our multi-night stay, and partially because there were so many bugs everywhere.
During our early summer visit, there were these fuzzy white caterpillars that crawled on the grass, in the trees, along the sides of the bath house, on the playground equipment, and on the sides of our trailer.
I mean, I know I’m in nature, and bugs are, too, but I expect that a bath house is cleaned reasonably well enough that I’m not dealing with caterpillars, spiders, and wasps in the shower with me.
Just a small sampling of the bugs, caterpillars, and dirt directly outside of the men’s bath house entrance
On the men’s side, one of the 3 shower heads was broken. On the women’s side, all 3 shower heads seemed to work, but the shower floor was so aggressively slanted towards the individual drains that I couldn’t actually stand anywhere near the drain or I’d jam my foot into it.
We’ve stayed in many state parks across the U.S., and this one wins the worst bathroom, hands down. I’d rather have no access to a bath house than one that was as poorly looked after as this one.
Also, there are only 2 bath houses for nearly 100 campsites.
The loops are large enough that you’d have to bike or walk a quarter mile or so to the bath house if you’re on the opposite side of the loop from the bath house.
I thought the campground could use at least one more bath house for more convenience.
Laundry Room
The campground did have a laundry room, which we used during our stay.
There were a couple of older coin-fed washers and dryers in the laundry room, which was attached to the bath house.
Given how untidy the bathrooms were, the laundry room was surprisingly clean and bright.
There was also a small snack and drink machine here.
Playground
Playground on upper loop of campground
The campground has 2 dedicated playgrounds for its guests: one near each bath house.
While we didn’t spend a lot of time at the playground, the kids did make use of it for a few minutes each day we stayed here.
It’s basic with plastic slides, swings, and climbing areas, but it’s enough to let kids burn off some steam at the end of the day.
Gated entrance
While the campground felt secluded thanks to its position away from the highway, I also appreciated that the park grounds are locked at night.
I noted above that we weren’t given an access code when I booked and were nearly locked out.
However, we went up to the park office the next morning to get that issue sorted out, and were then provided with the gate code.
It was a nice safety feature, though it was annoying to have to seek after that information.
Nature Trail
There are 2 nature trails that cut through the upper and lower loops of the campground.
The trails are slightly raised boardwalks which take you into the heart of the bayou, so you could see birds, snakes, alligators, and more.
The trails aren’t long—about 1/4 mile each—but are worth a quick walk through if you’re looking for a stroll one afternoon.
Access the upper loop trail from the bath house; this trail ends just across the circle, where you’ll find a tiny parking area for 2-3 cars.
The layout of the lower loop is similar with trailheads at the bath house and then directly across the lower loop.
Wave Pool
Whenever we travel, we love looking for campgrounds with water features (pools, lakes, water parks) as they are a great way for my kids to wind down after a long day of hiking or sightseeing.
When I read on the park’s website that there was a wave pool available for park guests, we were excited to check that out.
However, it was closed while we were there. We stayed there in mid-June and over a weekend, which seems like it would be prime time to have the water park open. Other than a sign on the gate, there wasn’t any reason provided as to why it was closed or when it would reopen.
NOTE: As of the writing of this post, several months after we visited, the wave pool is still closed per the official state park site with no mention of if or when it will reopen. This is disappointing as the wave pool is one of the park’s major amenities that they tout.
Access to New Orleans
Westwego, New Orleans, is not far by car from downtown New Orleans and everything you’re in town to see: the French Quarter, Cafe due Monde, the riverboats on the Mississippi, Mardi Gras World, the Super Dome, and the Garden District.
While you could hop on the Westbank Expressway and drive directly into downtown, we preferred to drive to nearby Algiers Point.
Here, you can park for free in the ample on-street parking to then catch the ferry to downtown NOLA.
We much preferred this method of getting into New Orleans than having to hunt for high priced parking somewhere in the city.
Final Thoughts on Bayou Segnette State Park Campground
I have mixed feelings about this campground, and I’m not sure if I would stay again.
On one hand, the park felt secure, and it was quiet, which are probably the 2 most important things in a campground. On that count, it was worlds better than our tough time revisiting Lakewood Camping Resort in Myrtle Beach (which was a bit of a free for all).
The entrance to the state park was next to restaurants, gas stations, and grocery stores.
And we loved being able to drive 20 minutes or so to Algiers Point to grab the ferry over to downtown New Orleans.
However, coming from the pristine Vineyards Campground in Grapevine, Texas, directly before our stay at Bayou Segnette really emphasized the less desirable parts of the state park.
Our experience here also made us worried about what we might find at the next site on our road trip, the Davis Bayou campground in Mississippi.
In so many ways, Bayou Segnette State Park felt forgotten.
From the repairs that were desperately needed on essential equipment like the bathroom showerheads and dump station water hose to the pot holes in the roads throughout the park, this area needs some love.
The sad part is that this state park could be incredible with that focus and attention. Here’s to hoping that it gets that soon so visitors can better enjoy this part of Louisiana.
