Southwest Louisiana National Wildlife Refuges Complex

Southwest Louisiana National Wildlife Refuges Complex The Southwest Louisiana National Wildlife Refuges Complex includes Lacassine, Cameron Prairie, Sabine, and Shell Keys National Wildlife Refuges.

Raccoons (Procyon lotor) are commonly found near wetlands, marshes, and waterways because these habitats provide abundan...
06/07/2026

Raccoons (Procyon lotor) are commonly found near wetlands, marshes, and waterways because these habitats provide abundant food sources such as crayfish, crabs, frogs, fish, insects, and other aquatic creatures. Their nimble front paws are especially well-suited for feeling and searching through shallow water and mud for a meal. Wetland habitats also offer cover and denning sites that help raccoons thrive along Louisiana's coast.

These photos were taken in the East Cove Unit of Cameron Prairie NWR where raccoons can often be spotted exploring the marsh edge in search of food.

Have you ever seen a raccoon while visiting one of our refuges? 🦝

📸Photos of a raccoon by USFWS

We enjoy getting photos from fishermen showing off their catches from refuge waters! This close-up was taken from a shee...
06/05/2026

We enjoy getting photos from fishermen showing off their catches from refuge waters! This close-up was taken from a sheepshead (Archosargus probatocephalus) caught in the East Cove Unit of Cameron Prairie NWR.

The sheepshead is famous for its unusual teeth. Their mouth is lined with strong, human-like incisors in the front and crushing molars in the back, perfectly designed for feeding on barnacles, crabs, oysters, and other hard-shelled prey. These unique teeth allow sheepshead to scrape and crush food that many other fish cannot eat.

Share your photos and stories with us—we love seeing what anglers are catching throughout the complex.

📸 Photos of a sheepshead by USFWS

06/04/2026

Wildfire Update 🔥

Both Wetland Walkway and Blue Crab Recreation Area will be back open tomorrow morning 6/5. Thank you for your patience.

Thank you also to our nearby partners with U.S. Wildland Fire Service for their response and for them working through the night to ensure our new overlook and boardwalk were protected on Wetland Walkway.

📸Video of a fire by USFWS

06/04/2026

Wildfire Update 🔥

Due to an active wildfire on Sabine NWR both Blue Crab Recreation Area and the Wetland Walkway will be temporarily closed. We will post an update when they are back open, thank you for your understanding.

05/29/2026

While refuges are managed for wildlife habitat, we still need buildings and equipment in order to maintain these special places for public access. As temperatures warm up across the SWLA Complex, reptiles are becoming more active and on the move — sometimes in unexpected places!

Check out this Western Ratsnake (Pantherophis obsoletus) climbing into a work truck at the end of the day! These nonvenomous snakes play an important role, both for their ecosystem and for refuge buildings, by helping to manage rodent populations on the complex.

Lucky for us we spot plenty of healthy Ratsnakes at Cameron Prairie NWR!🐍

📸Video of a rat snake by USFWS

05/23/2026

It’s nesting season here on the Southwest Louisiana NWR Complex, and that means lots of new wildlife babies are making their appearance! Check out this adorable video of a mama Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) and her four tiny chicks.

Killdeer are ground-nesting birds and often choose gravel pads, roads, and parking lots around the refuge to lay their eggs and raise their young. While visiting, please be mindful when driving or walking through these areas so we can help give these little families the best chance to thrive!

📸Video of Killdeers chicks by USFWS

Visitors to the boardwalk behind the Cameron Prairie NWR Visitor Center may notice Barn Swallows (Hirundo rustica) nesti...
05/21/2026

Visitors to the boardwalk behind the Cameron Prairie NWR Visitor Center may notice Barn Swallows (Hirundo rustica) nesting around the observation deck. These birds are common throughout southwest Louisiana and often build their nests on man-made structures during nesting season, which typically runs from spring through late summer.

Please be mindful while visiting and help give these birds some extra space as they raise their young. Thank you for helping us protect the wildlife that calls the refuge home!

📸Pictures of barn swallows by USFWS

05/20/2026

Caught in action on the East Cove Unit of Cameron Prairie NWR — this graceful Snowy Egret (Egretta thula) was busy fishing around a water control structure!

Known for their striking black legs and bright yellow feet, Snowy Egrets use those “golden slippers” to stir up prey in shallow water while hunting. These elegant birds were once nearly hunted to extinction for their beautiful breeding plumes, making their recovery one of conservation’s great success stories. Keep an eye out for them along marsh edges and canals across the refuge!

📸 Video of a snowy egret by USFWS

05/19/2026

Check out this beautiful Western Ratsnake (Pantherophis obsoletus) spotted at Cameron Prairie NWR🐍

Fun facts about Western Rat snakes:
• Excellent climbers — they can scale trees and structures with ease in search of birds, eggs, and rodents
• Completely nonvenomous and generally shy around people
• Often vibrate their tails in leaves when startled to imitate a rattlesnake
• Young western ratsnakes look very different from adults, with bold gray and brown blotches
• These snakes play a major role in maintaining healthy ecosystems by naturally controlling pest populations

📸Video of a snake by USFWS

We hope everyone had an absolute blast at the return of Cameron Prairie NWR’s Family Fishing Festival! Here are just a f...
05/10/2026

We hope everyone had an absolute blast at the return of Cameron Prairie NWR’s Family Fishing Festival!

Here are just a few photos of some of the fish harvested throughout the day. It was wonderful seeing so many families, kids, and anglers out enjoying time together outdoors and making memories on the refuge. We hope everyone is enjoying the weekend, and Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there!

Total we counted 162 Visitors (Not counting staff, volunteers, and partners)and guests left with a total of:

98 bass
70 bream
64 catfish, of which one was a giant flathead, the rest were a mix of both channel and blue cats.

Once the rain started we may have missed a couple while counting, but overall it was a great harvest!

📸Visitors fishing at Cameron Prairie NWR by USFWS

Address

1428 Highway 27
Lake Arthur, LA
70630

Opening Hours

Monday 6am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 6am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 6am - 4:30pm
Thursday 6am - 4:30pm
Friday 6am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+13377745923

Website

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