Visit 02 · Public woodland and wetland visit · LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens at Burden · Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Cypress and the forest at Burden Woods
Taxodium distichum
Get to know Bald Cypress.
Species reference photographs from the Tree Library, photographed elsewhere. Use several features and local guidance to identify a tree at this destination.
Arrival & parking
Enter at 4560 Essen Lane, Baton Rouge, near I-10. Follow the road toward the Burden Museum & Gardens Visitor Information Center and use the mapped visitor parking. Trees & Trails signs are behind the Steele Burden Memorial Orangerie. Ask staff about today's route to Black Swamp and the Mosaic Boardwalk before setting out.
Walking & terrain
LSU describes about three miles of trails through Burden Woods. Its linked 2019 map labels Black Swamp Trail as 0.7 miles and the Mosaic Boardwalk Loop as 0.19 miles; these are route labels, not distances from parking. Choose a shorter out-and-back if needed. The reviewed sources do not document a continuous step-free approach. Check wet-ground conditions and boardwalk access with staff. LSU's Black Swamp learning resources include bald cypress; this guide explores a woodland habitat, rather than one designated champion.
Access, fees & seasons
Botanic Gardens admission and parking are free; neighboring museum and Windrush Gardens visits have separate fees. The current Trees & Trails page lists 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m., with closures on Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Day. The general visitor page lists gates closing at 5 p.m.; plan to finish the trail by 4:30 p.m. Follow current notices rather than the older map's 'dusk' wording.
Sources checked