Louisiana’s River Road: plantations, Baton Rouge and St. Francisville
Creole plantations along the Mississippi, the tallest state capitol in the United States and the gardens and bluffs of St. Francisville.
- Distance
- 312 km (194 mi)
- Driving
- 3 h 28 min
- Suggested days
- 3
- Stops
- 9
- States
- LA, MS
- Updated
- May 7, 2026
At a glance: 3-day road trip of about 312 km (194 mi) with 9 stops, from New Orleans to Natchez. About 3 h 28 min of driving in total.
More road trips in Louisiana, Mississippi
Route description
Leave New Orleans west on I-10 or US-61 and cross the Mississippi on the Veterans Memorial Bridge near Gramercy to reach LA-18 on the west bank. This stretch of the River Road runs along the levee past oil refineries and old plantation houses. Laura Plantation and Oak Alley are about 6 km apart near Vacherie, and together they fill most of a day.
Continue north on LA-18 or LA-1, or return to I-10, to Baton Rouge, about an hour from Vacherie. The Louisiana State Capitol, the tallest in the United States, has a free observation deck, and the Old State Capitol, which looks like a castle, is now a museum. Across the river, Port Allen has a pleasant levee walk with a view of the city skyline.
From Baton Rouge follow US-61 north for about 50 km to St. Francisville, a small town on a bluff above the Mississippi with many historic homes and a long main street. Rosedown Plantation is just east of town, and the Audubon State Historic Site is a few kilometers south-east on LA-965. Both are quiet, and the gardens at Rosedown are best in spring.
From St. Francisville it is about 90 km north on US-61 to Natchez, crossing into Mississippi at Woodville. Natchez has more than a dozen antebellum mansions open for tours, especially during the Spring and Fall Pilgrimage. The route is flat and easy for RVs, although parking at some plantations can be tight. Summers are hot and humid; spring is the best season.
Stop-by-stop itinerary
In driving order. Distances are estimates between consecutive stops.
- 1Start
New Orleans
LA - 275 km
Laura Plantation
HistoryVacherie, LAA brightly painted Creole plantation house on LA-18 with tours based on the memoirs of Laura Locoul and records of the enslaved people who worked the land. Guided tours run through the day; book ahead in peak season.
- 37 km
Oak Alley Plantation
HistoryVacherie, LAA 1839 Greek Revival mansion at the end of a double row of 28 live oaks about 300 years old. The site includes a reconstructed slave quarters exhibit; large parking lot for RVs.
- 476 km
Baton Rouge
LA - 51 km
Louisiana State Capitol
HistoryBaton Rouge, LAAt 137 m the tallest state capitol in the United States, built in 1932 under Governor Huey Long, who was shot in its halls. The free observation deck on the 27th floor looks over the Mississippi.
- 648 km
St. Francisville
LA - 72 km
Rosedown Plantation State Historic Site
HistorySt. Francisville, LAA 1835 plantation house with original furnishings and formal gardens of camellias and azaleas under an oak alley. Spring is the best season for the gardens.
- 83 km
Audubon State Historic Site (Oakley House)
HistorySt. Francisville, LAThe plantation house where John James Audubon painted birds in 1821, now a museum with his prints, in a forest with short nature trails. Quiet, cheap and good for birding.
- 9100 km
Natchez
MS
FAQs
How long is Louisiana’s River Road: plantations, Baton Rouge and St. Francisville?
3-day road trip of about 312 km (194 mi) with 9 stops, from New Orleans to Natchez. About 3 h 28 min of driving in total.
How many days do you need for Louisiana’s River Road: plantations, Baton Rouge and St. Francisville?
We suggest 3 days: about 3 h 28 min of driving, which leaves time for the stops.
Where does Louisiana’s River Road: plantations, Baton Rouge and St. Francisville start and end?
It starts in New Orleans and ends in Natchez.
Which states does Louisiana’s River Road: plantations, Baton Rouge and St. Francisville pass through?
Louisiana and Mississippi.
