Avery Island, Salt dome and nature sanctuary in Iberia Parish, Louisiana.
Avery Island is an elevated landform in the middle of marshes and bayous, rising about 163 feet (50 meters) above the surrounding wetlands and spanning roughly 2,200 acres (890 hectares). The land supports diverse habitats for birds and wildlife on the surface while underground operations extract salt from deep deposits below.
Humans have harvested salt from natural springs on this island for thousands of years, boiling spring water to extract the mineral. Industrial salt mining began in the 1800s and became a major economic activity that shaped the island's development over the following centuries.
Edward McIlhenny created Bird City in 1895 as a refuge for nesting birds, turning part of the land into a place where nature could flourish undisturbed. Visitors can still observe the legacy of these early efforts in the birds and wildlife that make their home here today.
The location is difficult to reach because it sits in the middle of swamps and waterways, and visits are typically organized through guided tours only. Plan for hot, humid weather and bring insect protection, as conditions here are those of a subtropical wetland environment.
Deep underground lies a salt formation that originated roughly 165 million years ago and gradually pushed upward through overlying rock layers over geological time. This slow uplift created the elevated ground that allows the island to stand above the surrounding swamps.
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