The Atchafalaya National Heritage Area, America's Foreign Country

Deep in America's South, there is a rich and mysterious country filled with twisting bayous, backwater lakes, vast marshes and the nation's largest river swamp. Established in 2006, the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area (NHA) stretches across 14 parishes in south-central Louisiana. It is among the most culturally rich and ecologically varied regions in the United States, home to the widely recognized Cajun culture as well as a diverse population of European, African, Caribbean and Native-American descent.

The American-Indian word for "long river," the Atchafalaya is home to fields of sugarcane and cotton, ancient live oaks and towering cypress. Alligators, raccoons and bears roam the land while over 270 species of birds take to the skies, and rougarous and wendigos rule our folklore. From our waters come catfish, shrimp and the crawfish that makes the area so well known.

From this bounty, our country created food unique to the world. Our cuisine is an intricate mix of European, African, Caribbean and Native American descent, using ingredients like roux, tasso, picante, file, and of course the trinity -- onion, bell pepper and celery. We eat boudin, gumbo, etouffee and gateau sirop.

With food comes celebration, and our country's musicians inspired the world of rock and roll, country, gospel and rockabilly. Our native music is a complex melding of culture to create the Cajun rhythm and staccato of zydeco. We use the frottoir and the accordion, the triangle and the fiddle. We dance the two-step, the waltz and the jig.

The music and food are emblematic of our country's rich culture. From the Diaspora of L'Acadie in Canada and colonial French influence comes the French-speaking tradition. This merged with our deep native American and African American roots to create our notorious Cajun dialect.

Ours is a history of man and nature in an often-foreboding, always majestic environment. We celebrate our history and culture with a joie de vivre unmatched in other lands. Our country is vast and varied, but we share the story of water and swamp, man and survival around the river we call the Atchafalaya, still traveling the waters as did our forebears.

We invite you to journey through the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area, exploring our mysterious land, dining on our rich cuisine, celebrating with our music and immersing yourself in our culture. Our country requires no passport, because our country is right here in America.

Vision

The Atchafalaya National Heritage Area is a place where Louisiana culture and wilderness collide to create an American experience like no other, drawing people worldwide for adventure, wonder, and indulgence.

Mission

The Mission of the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area is to enhance the identity of our unique American landscape by preserving and promoting our heritage and by fostering progress for local champions that create authentic, powerful connections between people, culture, and the environment.

2022 Strategic Plan

Management Plan

Includes background, planning foundation, implementation, interpretation and resource lists.

Includes information on the planning process, the environment and demographic tables.

Atchafalaya Trace Management Plan

About the National Heritage Area Program

National Heritage Areas are designated by Congress as places where natural, cultural and historic resources combine to form a nationally important landscape. NHAs tell significant stories that celebrate our nation's diverse heritage and are largely lived-in landscapes.

NHAs are not national park units, rather, NPS partners with, provides technical assistance and distributes matching federal funds from Congress to NHA entities. The Atchafalaya National Heritage Area is one of 55 designated by Congress since 1984.