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The Bonnet Carre Spillway is an example of an area of land developing its own recreational opportunities with help from the agencies that oversee it.
Constructed to help alleviate rising Mississippi River levels following a 1927 flood, the Bonnet Carre Spillway has seen use for these purposes on 11 different occasions. The rest of the time, the spillway provides a variety of relatively primitive outdoor opportunities from its location just 25 miles from the core of New Orleans.
Among the boat ramp and hiking/cycling trails at Highway 61, there is also a free campground operated by St. Charles Parish. The campground as a whole is relatively primitive, with only a few outhouses and picnic benches nearby. There is no running water, no power, and no dump station. Several sites are marked by only a picnic bench and a fire ring on the grass edge of the waterway, while several others ring a small fishing pond. Small and medium-sized RVs will usually be able to drive on and park in the grass - though the flat-basin grass can sometimes become saturated following wet weather. There is room for maybe two or three larger RVs in the asphalt parking lot.
Camping is free, though all campers must first submit a copy of their driver's license, either online or through the mail with an application to the St. Charles Parish. The process may take several business days. Applications can be filled out online here.
Overall, this is a very minimal campground with no campground hosts and no amenities, and it does get some noise from the adjacent highway and the early morning boat traffic that it shares the asphalt parking area with. However, for those who are fine without the luxuries of more developed campgrounds, it can make a great option nearby to New Orleans.
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