Small towns & lakefront · Louisiana

The Northshore: Abita Springs & Covington day trip

The Northshore: Abita Springs & Covington

A day across Lake Pontchartrain from New Orleans: over the 24-mile Causeway to Covington's walkable old downtown and riverside park, the healing-springs town of Abita Springs and its roadside Mystery House, a tour and tasting at Abita Brewing, the sugar mill ruins and lakefront at Fontainebleau State Park, and sunset under the oaks on Mandeville's lakefront.

Time: 10–11 hour day
Driving: About 2–2½ hours of driving, including two crossings of the 24-mile Causeway
Best time: All year; best October–November and March–May
Updated: October 14, 2026 at 12:50 AM Pacific

$4 USD

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The two-lane Causeway roadway running straight out across gray-blue Lake Pontchartrain toward a faint horizon, with the parallel span and a crossover to the left — Pedro de Carvalho Ponchio · CC BY 2.0. February 2017 photograph; resized.

Suggested times, not bookings

Your day at a glance

8:30 amLeave the French Quarter and cross the Causeway
9:30 amDowntown Covington and Bogue Falaya Park
11:30 amAbita Springs: the Pavilion and the Mystery House
1:00 pmAbita Brewing tour and taproom
2:45 pmFontainebleau State Park
5:00 pmMandeville lakefront and dinner
6:45 pmCauseway back to the French Quarter

Highlights

Worth the trip

The 24-mile drive over Lake Pontchartrain on the Causeway, with no land in sight midway
A guided Abita Brewing tour with tasting samples, and root beer for the designated driver
The brick ruins of an 1829 sugar mill and a long lakefront at Fontainebleau State Park

What’s in the guide

Detailed stop guidance, rules, practical pitfalls, a route map, Google Maps, Waze and Apple Maps links and weather alternatives. Read it online any time, or keep it offline in the Greg’s Guides app for iPhone and iPad. See an example guide →

Plan for the conditions

Expected seasonal weather

From October through May the Northshore usually has mild to warm days and cooler mornings, with the Causeway's fog season running roughly October to March, most often early in the day. Spring brings thunderstorms that can be strong. Summer is hot and humid, with near-daily afternoon storms, and June through November is hurricane season. These are seasonal expectations, not a forecast for your travel date; check the NWS forecast.

Admission and parking are separate. Check current conditions before departure.

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