Mardi Gras is truly a special festival. While it is a massive celebration for Louisiana, New Orleans, and the numerous historic districts in that great city, Mardi Gras is part of a larger, multinational festival called Carnival. This is a centuries-old, month-long celebration that incorporates many different cultures and traditions. People come from all over the world to experience Carnival, but Mardi Gras has emerged, on the US side, as one of the largest events of the month. Hotels fill up fast, and the streets are packed days before the kickoff parade begins. Everyone wants to be downtown on St. Charles Avenue for the music, the floats, and the food, but not everyone wants the noise and commotion that is bound to go on all night. For these folks, there is alternative housing near the festival. It all depends on where you set up and what you’re sleeping in.
If you’ve been following the news in New Orleans around the festival, there is no longer camping allowed in the neutral ground. The neutral ground is the open space on the sidewalk where the parade will move through. Beginning in 2025, tents, canopies, enclosed structures, and portable toilets have all been banned from the parade route and the city parks, for that matter. Getting busted can mean a $250 fine, and they might confiscate your goods. So, if you planned to set up a tent and sit in a lawn chair, think again.
The good news is that there is a lot of camping and RVing in the surrounding area. The adjacent parishes are all welcoming to visitors, and staying there will open your eyes to a version of New Orleans you’ve never seen. If you plan on making it down to the Big Easy, bring the family camping tent and build a legal basecamp. You’ll have real amenities and space for the whole crew. Here’s everything you need to know.
February in New Orleans, Plan for Anything
New Orleans can be a bit of a tricky town in the transition seasons, and February is exactly that. While the summers can be pretty consistent with hot, humid air blowing in off the Gulf, the winter and transition seasons can offer a little bit of everything. The daily highs can be in the mid-60s to low-70s, and the lows can be in the low-50s. That is a potential 20-degree swing, and while that doesn’t seem like a lot, it will feel like a whole other season from midday to evening.
Historically, February is also one of New Orleans’ rainiest months. It may sound like a great time getting to Bourbon Street and dancing in the rain, but at the end of the day, no one wants to climb into a drenched camping tent to sleep. Be mindful of the kind of tent you bring with you. For weather that can, in an instant, change from hot to wet, cold to humid, and nearly everything except snow in between, you’ll want to invest in a large canvas tent. The best way to ensure you’ll fit the whole family (there will be no arguments between the kids over space) and that you’ll stay comfortable is to go with the canvas tent.
Canvas is great in rainy and humid weather. The fabric breathes, so the air doesn’t get stuffy inside, even in a drizzle. If it’s a warm rain, which in NOLA it tends to be, the windows and doors can be propped open to keep the airflow moving. Canvas tents come in various sizes and styles, which is important. If you’re hanging out in New Orleans during Mardi Gras, you want to have a festive-looking tent. For this, White Duck Outdoors makes incredible Bell tents. These tents have plenty of room with ample headspace. They are comfortable, and they don’t look like a traditional 8-person tent. Their round shape and pitched roof look almost like they were found in a bazaar. The walls of the tent can be hitched up to reveal a sturdy bug netting that keeps the mosquitoes away and the warm Gulf breeze coming through. In the evening, when the temperatures drop, let the walls down and the body heat will keep everyone warm as you rest for the next day full of celebrating. These tents make for the best family camping experience.
Where to Actually Camp: 4 Real Options for New Orleans
Be careful about where you stay during Mardi Gras. For a large part, the town is sort of a bacchanal during this time. Much of the law enforcement’s work is directing inebriated and/or sleeping people in the right direction. In more bothersome circumstances, arrests can happen for camping and sleeping in the wrong area. In an Instagram post that is easy to misread, the President of the City Council, regarding the coverage of police officers during the festival, wrote that enforcement would be “spotty” and followed up with, ”How are they going to enforce it? Well, to be honest, we’re hard up for cash. NOPD and Parks and Parkways are going to do their best, but it’s probably not going to be as robust as it could be.” according to reporting by NOLA.com.
The wise move is to enjoy the festivities where you should and sleep where you should. To do that best, here is a list of some very real, very awesome camping and RV sites. Be mindful. When scanning for insider information on Mardi Gras, many folks, locals or not, will claim it’s okay to sleep in one location, or the police don’t mind over here. Don’t listen to hearsay. The neutral ground law that began to be enforced in 2025 is new. People are still getting adjusted to it, but it is here to stay.
1. Bayou Segnette State Park – Best for Tent Campers
Address: 7777 Westbank Expressway, Westwego, LA 70094
Phone: (504) 736-7140
Website: www.lastateparks.com/parks-preserves/bayou-segnette-state-park
Overview: This is the prime spot for tent campers who want to make their way down to the festival. Bayou Segnette sits about 15-30 minutes (depending on the time of year) from the French Quarter on the west bank of the Mississippi River. The park has 98 campsites with full water and electrical hookups, floating cabins, a wave pool, fishing, plenty of wildlife, and nearly 700 acres where you can roam around and get lost, should you want.
For a group bringing a large canvas tent, this is an ideal location. Bayou Segnette has the space and the infrastructure to pull it off successfully. Set up a family tent here, and you’ve got a home basecamp that can handle anything that New Orleans in February can throw at you.
2. St. Bernard State Park – Closest to the Action
Address: 501 St. Bernard Parkway, Braithwaite, LA 70040
Website: www.lastateparks.com/parks-preserves/st-bernard-state-park
Overview: This incredible State Park is only 18 miles away from the French Quarter. It is the closest true camping option near the heart of the city. The park has 51 paved campsites, each with water and electrical hookups and a paved pad for campers or tents. The park stays extremely clean and tidy with a designated and centrally located bathhouse that also makes life super convenient. The park rests right on the Mississippi River with lagoons and nature trails to wander through, but it does have a 14-day maximum stay. So, if you come for the whole festival and then some, you might have to move campsites.
3. French Quarter RV Resort – Closest to Bourbon Street
Address: 500 N. Claiborne Ave., New Orleans, LA 70112
Website: www.fqrv.com
If you want to get close to the action, then this is the RV resort to visit. It’s within walking distance from Bourbon Street, and if you’ve ever seen a 30-second video of Mardi Gras, you’ve most likely seen Bourbon Street. This resort is gated, secured, and has a pool, hot tub, cable, and laundry on site. It is a bummer, but tent camping is not available here. For those of you hauling the big rig, this is the spot to be. It should be noted before you book that reviewers frequently note the noise from the nearby I-10 overpass.
4. New Orleans RV Resort & Marina – The Waterfront Option
Address: 6001 France Rd, New Orleans, LA 70126, United States
Website: www.neworleansrvresort.com (for online booking)
Phone: (504) 286-8157
Overview: Formerly known as the Pontchartrain Landing, the New Orleans RV Resort & Marina sits right on Lake Pontchartrain (makes sense), about 12 minutes from the French Quarter. Consider this a middleground option between the quiet State Park experience and the city-adjacent convenience of the French Quarter RV Resort. This site gets pretty snazzy with floating villas, waterfront RV sites, a pool, a restaurant, and a full marina. The waterfront setting gives the whole place a very laid-back vibe that is nice to come home to after all the hustle and bustle of the festival.
What About City Park or Audubon Park?
Short answer: No. The city of New Orleans explicitly prohibits overnight camping, parking, or sleeping on the park grounds. Even when the sun is shining, and folks are hanging out at the park, personal shade structures are capped at 10’x10’, and open flames are also not allowed at the park. You don’t want to waste your Mardi Gras time getting cited at City or Audubon Park. Besides, the camping options at the State Parks are a much better option.
Pro Tips: The Thrive at Mardi Gras
- Book Early: This is one of the biggest festivals of the year. Hotels will go early, and camping spots will be right behind. Check the websites above to see when the earliest possible time to book will be. Plan ahead and stick to the plan.
- Size up Your Tent: When people are coming and going, which is how it goes at a large festival, clothes get thrown around, bags get dropped, and space gets sparse. If you go in the direction of a Bell tent, size it up. If you think a 6-person tent will do, then get the 8-person tent.
- Plan for Rain: As mentioned above, February is statistically extremely rainy in New Orleans. Plan for this with the canvas tent, and you’ll be great. If you opt for a dome tent, make sure you have a good rain fly and always stake everything down.
- Use the Shuttle System: It is possible to spend half of your time watching the festival from the seat of your vehicle while you wait for parking that is even farther away than your campsite. For the festival, New Orleans has an awesome shuttle system, and year-round, they have great public transportation. The routes and times will change according to the festival. Download the Le Pass app to ride all NORTA transportation. There is even a Historic Streetcar that visitors enjoy all year round.
- Layer Up: Treat this adventure like a trip to the backcountry. The weather can change in an instant, temperatures can drop, and the sky can open up and dump. Be prepared for anything. If you’re not close to downtown or Bourbon Street, then make sure you carry all your belongings with you. Invest in a good backpack.
Plan Ahead and Dance Away
Traveling to a new city or festival is a lot like going into the wild. With time, it gets easier, but no matter how often you travel, adjusting to new cultures and flows of people is always an adjustment. The best thing to remember is that you are a guest in somebody else’s city. Treat the people there like family, and they will reciprocate. Mardi Gras is truly an event everyone should be able to share in and experience. So do the due diligence, call early, and make sure you know the local regulations, especially if you’re wondering, Can you still put a tent on the neutral ground? When you get there, cut loose.
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