Running City Park in New Orleans is a treat. Known to be “as magical and unique as the city of New Orleans”, this outdoor oasis has enchanted New Orleans residents and visitors since 1854. Each year, millions of visitors stroll under the same historic oaks and picturesque moss canopies that have served as the backdrop for dances, concerts and even gentlemanly duels or “affaires d’honneur” for generations. The 1,300-acre park near central New Orleans, City Park is the 87th largest and 7th-most-visited urban public park in the United States.

It’s easy to put together your own route of several miles in City Park. This park map is a helpful resource. From the Esplanade Ave. entrance are some of the park’s most bucolic & historic features. Combine the 1 mile trail around the Festival Grounds and the adjacent 3/4 mile loop around Big Lake. Paved multi-use trails run for ~2.5 miles north-south along Marconi Dr. & Wisner Blvd. along the Bayou St. John. at the edge of the park. For more of a wooded ‘trail run’, combine the 1.25-mile loop around Wisner Tract and the 1-mile loop around the Couturie Forest, on either side of Harrison Ave.  Our nearly 6-mapped route covers most of park. Highlights include: the Botanical Garden, with twelve acres of gardens and art; the Bestoff Sculpture Garden, noted for its extraordinary strengths in French and American Art, photography, glass, and Japanese works; and the Carousel Gardens Amusement Park – a hand-carved marvel of “flying horses” that has been a family favorite for nearly 100 years. There’s a running track just across Palm Dr. from the City Park parking lot.

Add-Ons: You can connect City Park with the French Quarter, using the 2.6-mile Lafitte Greenway, or Esplanade Ave. You can also run along the pretty Marconi Dr. north for 0.7 miles to Lake Pontchartrain, where there are 15+ miles of scenic lakefront paths.