Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser and the Louisiana Office of Tourism announced 2026 as the “Year of Outdoors” in Louisiana.
The official announcement came Jan. 17 during the grand reopening of the Walter B. Jacobs Nature Center in Caddo Parish. The yearlong initiative invites visitors and residents alike to discover the state’s natural beauty and recreational opportunities and puts a special emphasis on outdoor activities.
“Louisiana has earned the title ‘Sportsman’s Paradise’ because nowhere else offers our unmatched variety of outdoor experiences,” Nungesser said. “From more than 7,000 miles of coastline to 21 state parks and countless waterways, forests, and wildlife habitats, our outdoors are as diverse as they are unforgettable. ‘Sportsman’s Paradise’ isn’t just a slogan — it’s a promise we deliver on every day.”
The “Year of Outdoors” will promote an array of outdoor opportunities. The great Louisiana outdoors has much to offer with activities including hiking, biking, birding, paddling, fishing, camping and RVing, swamp tours, festivals, agritourism, walking tours, ziplining and outdoor dining.
Nungesser added, “In Louisiana, the outdoors aren’t just something you see — they’re something you feel. Cast a line at sunrise, watch bald eagles soar above cypress swamps, stroll an outdoor art garden, or pick fresh fruit from a family orchard. However you choose to explore, the ‘Year of Outdoors’ invites you to slow down, reconnect and feed your soul right here in Louisiana.”
The great Louisiana outdoors is expansive and world renowned, a press release said. Poverty Point World Heritage Site in north Louisiana is one of 26 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the country. The Atchafalaya Swamp Basin, which is larger than the Florida Everglades, stretches across 15 parishes in south-central Louisiana. In central Louisiana, the Kisatchie National Forest includes more than 600,000 acres of rolling piney hills to explore.
Louisiana tourism launches the Year of Outdoors
