Louisiana's second-largest city and capital, Baton Rouge, isn't all business - catch a few historic sites but then beat a retreat to a nearby bayou or Mississippi River casino boat.
Handy Brake National Wildlife Refuge is located just north of Bastrop in Morehouse Parish, north central Louisiana. The refuge was established in 1988 with the southeast*s first fee title transfer of a Farmer's Home Administration tract (466 acres) to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. A free lease of 38 acres from International Paper Company increased the refuge to the current 501 acres. An observation platform overlooks a permanent wetland, which is excellent habitat for wintering waterfowl, wading birds and many other wetland dependent species.
Map + Directions
Basic Directions
To reach Handy Brake NWR, take U.S. Hwy 165 into Bastrop, Louisiana. East of the courthouse square and after the divided lanes have merged, turn north onto Cooper Lake Road. Travel approximately 6 miles and look for refuge sign on the east side of the road.
We also have the following visitor guides in Louisiana. Click on any additional guides you would like to receive.
We also have visitor guides available in states highlighted in blue below. Click on any state to see what's available.
Alaska
Arizona
California
Canada
Colorado
Hawaii
Idaho
Louisiana
Michigan
Montana
Nevada
New Mexico
Ohio
Oregon
Texas
Utah
Washington
Wyoming
Switch to Mobile Browser Mode
We offer a compact version of Go-Louisiana for mobile users, allowing you to access just the information you need on the road. Of course, you can still use the full version of Go-Louisiana on your mobile device just as you can on your desktop.
