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Explore Louisiana's Public Lands
Louisiana's Wildlife Management Areas offer a wide array of outdoor recreation, including hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, paddling, wildlife viewing, and nature exploration across diverse landscapes. These opportunities allow visitors to enjoy Louisiana’s natural beauty while fostering a deeper appreciation for conservation and public lands.
Obtain a WMA Access Permit Only for individuals 18 years or older
Cost: Annual permit is $20 for both residents and nonresidents; 5-day permit good for 5 consecutive days and is $5 for both residents and nonresidents
Anyone 18 or older* must have a WMA Access Permit to enter WMAs, refuges, or conservation areas.
If you have a Louisiana Sportsman’s Paradise License, Senior Hunting/Fishing License, or Lifetime License, the WMA Access Permit is included, so no separate purchase is needed.
*There are some exemptions to this regulation. Please check the WMA Access Permit page for these exemptions.
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Purchase your WMA Access Permit
Complete a Self-Clearing Permit Cost:Free
A Self-Clearing Permit is required for ALL ACTIVITIES on WMAs, refuges, and conservation areas. The permit consists of two portions: check-in and check-out.
All visitors must obtain a Self-Clearing Permit before entering a Wildlife Management Area. There are three ways to do this:
- Paper Permit – Available at on-site Self-Clearing Permit Stations. Complete the check-in portion and place it in the permit box before starting your activity. Keep the check-out portion with you and submit it in the box when leaving.
- LDWF Check-In/Check-Out App – Download from Apple or Download from Google Play to check in and out electronically.
- LDWF Check in / Check out Web Portal – Use the online system to check in and out conveniently.
If using a Self-Clearing Permit Station, you may check in one day in advance, but you must check out immediately upon leaving.
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Download from Apple
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Download from Google Play
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LDWF Check in / Check out Web Portal
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White Lake Conservation Area Features a 2-Mile Birding Trail
There is a 2-mile White Lake Birding and Nature Trail Map (PDF) on the north side of White Lake Wetlands Conservation Area. The trail is open to the public year-round, from sunrise to sunset daily. Visitor parking spaces for trail access are located at the entrance to White Lake, located 7.4 miles south of Gueydan at the south end of Hwy 91. The trail area includes a covered pavilion with tables, two educational kiosks with information on the trail and species in and around the area, and an observation tower (located at the southeast corner of the trail).
Visitors can expect to see a variety of plants, mammals, reptiles, and resident and migratory birds including waterfowl, wading birds, and songbirds. In fact, 174 species of birds have been documented on White Lake, including a pair of nesting great kiskadees, representing one of only two or three known breeding pairs in the state; the second state record of a gray flycatcher; and the first state record of a prairie falcon.
Outdoor Explorer Interactive Map
Image Gallery
About the Scenic River Program
LDWF’s Scenic Rivers Program preserves, protects, develops, reclaims, and enhances the wilderness qualities, scenic beauties, and ecological regimes of designated free-flowing Louisiana rivers, streams, bayous, and segments thereof. It is one of the largest, if not the largest, programs of its kind in the country. Use our Outdoor Explorer Tool to locate a scenic river near you.
Approximately 3,000 miles of water are currently designated as Scenic Rivers in Louisiana, including a great diversity of waterbody types, habitats, and geographic areas throughout the state:
- Large, first-order rivers like the Ouachita River in north central Louisiana to small, spring-fed creeks like the Pushepatapa in Washington Parish
- Fast-running, upland streams complete with waterfalls like Kisatchie Bayou in Natchitoches Parish to beautiful, cypress-filled bottomland bayous like Bayou Dorcheat in Webster Parish
- Sluggish, coastal marsh bayous like Bayou Chaperon in St. Bernard Parish to whoe watersheds like the Tchefuncte River and its tributaries which meander through St. Tammany Parish's savannahs, forests, and swamps.