Few highways penetrate the marshes, estuaries, and cheniers (old beach ridges covered with live oaks) of the Mississippi River delta of southeastern Louisiana. The only highway to the beach is LA 1, which can be reached by US 90 from New Orleans.
Take I-10 west to I-310, just beyond the airport, and take it all the way to US 90, exiting to the right toward Raceland. Continue west through Paradis and des Allemandes to Bayou Lafourche. Just before the high bridge over this waterway take the exit to LA 308, and turn left (southeast) toward Golden Meadow. If you accidentally cross the bayou, you can take LA 1 all the way to Grand Isle. Just before Golden Meadow on LA 308, watch for a Burger King on the left, and a bridge over the bayou with a high superstructure. Turn right over the bridge, and continue across LA 1 to a bypass about one mile to the west with a Wal-Mart off to the right. Turn left onto the four-lane divided bypass, being extremely careful to observe the 45 mph speed limit in Golden Meadow. Continue south through the lower end of Golden Meadow and merge with LA 1 which leads to Grand Isle.
A little over 10 miles beyond Golden Meadow, LA 1 crosses Bayou Lafourche at Leeville; a little further on (2-1/2 mi) you pass through the lower part of Leeville, basically collection of oil support installations, but you might see a peregrine on a radio tower there. About 5 miles further on, the highway curves sharply to the east at the intersection with LA 3090, where there is an oil installation, a tall microwave tower, and a gas station-convenience store-restaurant complex. At this point, turn right onto 3090 (A.O. Rappellet Rd., traditionally known as "Fourchon Road"). You can reach this spot in about 2 hours from New Orleans. Just past the turn onto Fourchon Road, try squeaking up Seaside Sparrows and Marsh Wrens on the left side of the road. Wintering Peregrine Falcons frequently perch on the nearby transmission tower or further down the road on the water tower. The road to the beach is flanked by small ponds and marshes to the east.
About a quarter mile from the turnoff there is a large lagoon to the west (right) of the road, where herons, waterfowl, gulls and terns, and shorebirds often abound. There may be up to 1,000 American White Pelicans, a few Roseate Spoonbills, and usually a Reddish Egret or two. A good vantage point is on the dirt road which goes west along the north side of the lagoon, which winds around to the northwest side of the lagoon and ends at a locked gate. For the hardy, there is an excellent brushy ridge behind the lagoon on the west which can be walked for 3-4 miles, which often harbors interesting vagrants. Black-whiskered Vireos have been found there in May on two occasions. Insects (gnats, mosquitos, deer flies) are often horrendous, however.
LA 3090 continues to the Gulf, but Theriot Road, to the right, provides addition access to the southern end of the lagoon, to some short grass habitat, and to another radio/microwave tower which might have a Peregrine on it. Be careful to park your car all the way off the pavement here. Proceed south to the gulf beach, you can stop and scan for Gannets (especially February to April) or Brown Pelicans, or drive the beach either to the east or west. Under ideal conditions, the beach can be driven 7 miles east to a cut where gulls, terns, and shorebirds often congregate. Sandwich and Common Terns can be found from May through August. A number of vagrant gulls have been found here, including Thayer's, Lesser Black-backed, Great Black-backed, and Glaucous Gulls. Semipalmated, Snowy, and Piping Plovers, Ruddy Turnstones, Sanderlings, and Red Knots are often present during migration. Wilson's Plovers breed along the beach, as do Black Shimmers and Least Terns. More often than not, a family car cannot drive the beach, so extreme caution should be exercised. Getting pulled out or towed is very expensive here. You can also drive west to Belle Pass, about 2 miles. Primative camping is allowed along the beach.
Other birds that can be found in the marshes, shrubs, and fields along Fourchon Road are Clapper Rails (common), Scissor-tailed Flycatchers and Western Kingbirds (the last two primarily in fall) , as well as Savannah, Nelson's Sharp-tailed, Seaside, and Swamp Sparrows. Yellow-headed Blackbirds are occasionally found with flocks of Red-winged Blackbirds. Groove-billed Anis are found sporadically, particularly during the fall, in stands of Phragmites, locally called Roseau Cane.
Birding along Fourchon Road is good to excellent throughout the year, but the summer months are hot, and insects may be annoying spring through fall.
LA 1 continues to Grand Isle, one of Louisiana's top birding areas, which is covered in the next section of this book. About half-way to the island itself you will see a sign advertising "Elmer's Island." This private road also gives access to the beach, for a current price of $8.00 per car, and provides alternate access to the cut mentioned above, 7 miles east of the end of Fourchon Rd. Lark Bunting has been seen in the weedy areas along the road to the beach. Primative camping is possible here as well.
