Chandeleur Islands Beach
Shell Beach, LA
The Chandeleur Islands are a chain of uninhabited barrier islands about 50 miles long, Louisiana's easternmost land, and part of the Breton National Wildlife Refuge, established in 1904. The Gulf side is a long, empty beach with no roads, no buildings, and no shade. You get here by boat from Shell Beach or Hopedale, a run of an hour or so, and the shoreline is still losing ground to storms.
Anglers and boaters go out of their way for the empty surf and the birds, and it's one of the few real Gulf-facing beaches in this part of the state, but it takes a seaworthy boat and good weather to reach.
How we score beachesBoats leave from Campo's Marina in Shell Beach or Breton Sound Marina in Hopedale. A shallow draft boat matters, since you anchor in a couple feet of water and wade in, and the sound can get choppy.
There's no parking on the islands, which are reachable only by boat. Launch or charter from Campo's Marina in Shell Beach or Breton Sound Marina in Hopedale, then follow the ship channel out.
Boat access only, with a wade or short walk across soft sand once you land. There are no facilities, paths, or shade, so bring everything you need.
Calm days in spring and fall make the crossing easier and the beach more comfortable than a still, hot summer. Hurricane season, June through November, has reshaped these islands before, and Katrina toppled the lighthouse.
This isn't one entrance, it's a stretch with a few. Here's where locals actually meet up.
Campo's Marina, Shell Beach
The west side launch for the Chandeleur run, off Yscloskey Highway in St. Bernard Parish. Boats follow the ship channel out to the islands, an hour or so each way.
Parking: Parking and a boat ramp at the marina, which lists daily hours of 5am to 5pm and a 30 foot maximum boat length. Coordinates here are the Shell Beach community, so use the address (1301 Yscloskey Hwy) for navigation.
Access: Restrooms, showers, and a fuel dock on site; the ramp is a standard concrete launch with no hoist.
Local tip: Hours are early and end at 5pm, so plan to be back in the channel well before then.
Get directions →Hopedale Marina
At the end of LA 624 on Bayou la Loutre, formerly Breton Sound Marina. It's the other main departure point for the Chandeleur Islands and Breton Sound.
Parking: An unpaved lot sits on the left as you approach the marina; the launch fee is a $10 honesty box payment. Coordinates here are the Hopedale community, so use the address (7600 Hopedale Hwy) for navigation.
Access: Boat ramp and kayak launch, with restrooms and a bait shop. There is no boat hoist, so launching is self serve.
Local tip: Bring cash for the launch fee and pick up live bait at the marina on the way out.
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