Bayou Cocodrie National Wildlife Refuge, National wildlife refuge in Concordia Parish, Louisiana.

Bayou Cocodrie National Wildlife Refuge covers 15,155 acres in Concordia Parish, Louisiana, about 10 miles southwest of Vidalia. The bayou it is named for runs through its centre, flanked by bottomland hardwood forest of oak, gum and ash, with oxbow lakes, brakes, sloughs and wooded wetlands. A 1,000-acre hardwood tract is set aside as a natural resource area for study.

Private land was acquired by a conservation organization in 1991 and officially protected as a refuge one year later. This action saved a valuable forest area that might otherwise have continued to disappear.

The refuge takes its name from Bayou Cocodrie, a waterway the state has designated a scenic river, which runs through its centre. The wood duck, present here, was one of the reasons the refuge was established. Visitors can look for the Louisiana black bear, federally listed as threatened since 1992, in the bottomland hardwoods.

The refuge lies in Concordia Parish, about 10 miles southwest of Vidalia, with Bayou Cocodrie running through its centre. Access is by road; the Hoover Slough unit was added later and is part of the same refuge. Check with refuge staff before planning a visit, since some activities are restricted seasonally or need permits.

The wood duck, present here, was one of the reasons the refuge was established in 1992. At least 186 bird species have been identified on the 15,155 acres, and a 1,000-acre hardwood stand is set aside as a natural resource area for study.