Chef Menteur Highway

This access point on Lake Pontchartrain provides convenient launch facilities for kayakers, canoeists, and motorboaters in the New Orleans area. Located along Chef Menteur Highway near the 24,000-acre Bayou Sauvage Urban National Wildlife Refuge—the largest urban refuge in the country—the site offers both a boat ramp and paddling dock. The refuge protects one of the last remaining marsh areas adjacent to Lakes Pontchartrain and Borgne, making it an excellent destination for wildlife viewing and exploration.

To reach the access area, carefully turn left onto the frontage road that runs between the lake and the westbound interstate ramp. Follow this dirt road approximately 1.4 miles until you reach the old bridge over Irish Bayou. The site serves duck hunters, trappers, and fishermen as well as recreational paddlers, so expect shared use during peak seasons. This location provides a good launching point for exploring Lake Pontchartrain's eastern waters and accessing the nearby Bayou Sauvage refuge's diverse habitats and wildlife.