Sports and leisure activities Louisiana
25 Sports and Leisure Louisiana
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Practical information : Move & Laze around Louisiana
Budget & Tips
There are plenty of ways to stretch your legs without spending a penny. Town and village councils provide a variety of sports facilities, from swimming pools to tennis courts and baseball diamonds. Access is usually free or at a nominal charge. There's also a whole network of free multi-purpose trails in Louisiana, both for cyclists and hikers. A few dollars, however, are required in state parks and nature reserves. For adventures such as deep-sea fishing or skydiving, however, you'll need to budget accordingly.
What's very local
With the Gulf of Mexico bathing the southern part of the state, sea fishing is a popular activity for locals and visiting tourists alike. Several companies are based south of New Orleans, in Buras, Venice, Grand Isle and Cocodrie, not to mention the Calcasieu River estuary near the Texas border. For those wondering where to fish for crayfish, the options are ultra-limited, almost entirely commercial. The only place we know of that is open to the general public is Crawfish Haven Mrs Rose's Bed & Breakfast in Kaplan, in Cajun country.
Another popular activity, especially when the mercury reaches record highs, is tubing down the river. The Northshore region of Greater New Orleans is famous for tubing, and boasts a number of tubing centers, most of which are located in Bogalusa, Franklinton and Denham Springs.
Last but not least, the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution makes it impossible to ignore firearms, whether you're for or against carrying a gun. Americans are fond of firearms, and have several shootingranges at their disposal, and Louisiana is no exception. You don't need to be a member of the center to test your shooting skills, but conditions do apply and vary from one center to another (all the info is on their respective websites).
Your documents please
Some activities require certification or a valid license. This is the case, for example, if you wish to rent a motorized watercraft, go fishing or scuba diving. The same goes for driving an all-terrain vehicle on public roads (known as an ATV or UTV), where this is permitted, requiring you to carry your driver's license. And for those who'd like to go shooting on a shooting range, conditions may apply, such as having taken a basic firearms safety course or being accompanied by an experienced shooter. In short, find out about the requirements beforehand.
To be booked
Places are often limited, so reservations are recommended, if not essential, for guided outdoor excursions, adrenaline activities (skydiving, zip-lining and aerial courses, etc.), fishing and golf, or spa treatments and massages. The same can be said for the games of New Orleans' professional sports teams: the Saints soccer team (member of the NFL) and the Pelicans basketball team (member of the NBA). Although tickets can generally be purchased on site, during the playoffs, reservations become essential to secure a seat.
Main events
There are a number of high-caliber sporting events in Louisiana, starting with the games of New Orleans' professional sports teams (Pelicans in basketball and Saints in soccer), but also those of the college and university leagues that showcase up-and-coming talent (check out the NCAA - National Collegiate Athletic Association - website for a list of sports and teams: ncaa.com). As for professional soccer, New Orleans will host the Super Bowl in 2025, the NFL's ultimate annual championship and one of the world's most watched sporting events. At the college/university level, don't miss the Allstate Sugar Bowl, held annually in January in New Orleans.
Louisiana also boasts several non-professional sports teams, such as Crescent City FC and the New Orleans Jesters in soccer, and NOLA Gold Rugby in rugby.
Several marathons are also held in Louisiana, notably in Baton Rouge, Lafayette and New Orleans. Also worth mentioning are the Angola Prison Rodeo in April and October in Angola (rodeos), horse racing at the Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans, the Tour du Teche in October on the Teche and Courtableau bayous and the Atchafalaya River (boat races), and the Zurich Classic New Orleans in Avondale, which welcomes the cream of the PGA Tour's professional golfers every April.
Tourist traps
At sporting events, scalpers are omnipresent in the vicinity of the venue. While it's true that you can save a few dollars by buying from them, it would be a shame to waste your money on fake tickets. So use the official ticket booths.