Henderson (Louisiana)

Henderson is a small town of about 1600 residents in the Acadiana region of Louisiana. The town is situated on Interstate 10 at the western edge of the Atchafalaya Basin. It is protected from seasonal flooding by one of the major levees constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It is a popular access point to the Atchafalaya Swamp, with campgrounds, boat launches, and swamp tours as well as groceries, gas, and other basic traveler services.

Understand
Henderson is the last town on the western side of the Atchafalaya Basin if traveling east on Interstate 10. It was a few swamp shacks until the U.S. Highway Administration built I-10 in the 1960s and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built the levees.

Get in
Interstate 10 to exit 115.

Get around
Be careful driving in Henderson and keep an eye open for local cops---they are not there for public safety. The town derives almost all of its budget from traffic fines and nobody ever heard of an out-of-towner getting off with "just a warning" from an often imagined traffic offense.