Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge is a federal wildlife reserve on Louisiana’s Lake Pontchartrain coast, established in 1994 to protect about 15,000 acres of pine flatwoods, oak ridges, and coastal marsh. Its habitats shift from sandy beach and brackish marsh near the lake to inland wiregrass, spike rush, pine flatwoods, and bottomland hardwood hammocks, making it an unusually varied stretch of the north shore’s natural coastal landscape. The refuge supports endangered species including the red-cockaded woodpecker, bald eagle, and brown pelican, along with many other birds and mammals. It also reflects ongoing coastal restoration after Hurricane Katrina damaged marsh vegetation, trails, and thousands of trees.