Last Island (Louisiana)

Last Island Isle Dernière
Last Island in 1853
Remaining portions of Last Island
Last Island Location of Last Island in Louisiana
Coordinates: 29°02′19″N 90°48′15″W / 29.03861°N 90.80417°W / 29.03861; -90.80417
Country	United States
State	Louisiana
Parish	Terrebonne
Area
• Total	42 sq mi (110 km2)
• Land	3.625 sq mi (9.39 km2)
• Water	38.375 sq mi (99.39 km2)
Elevation	5 ft (2 m)
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)

Last Island (Official name: Isle Dernière, often misspelled as Îsle Dernière, Isle Dernier, L'Îsle Dernière, Île Dernière, etc.) was a barrier island and location of a pleasure resort southwest of New Orleans on the Gulf Coast of Louisiana, United States. Located south of Dulac, Louisiana, between Lake Pelto, Caillou Bay, and the Gulf of Mexico, it was named Last Island because it was the last of a series of barrier islands which stretched westward from the mouth of the Mississippi River, 90 miles to the east.^[1]

The island was destroyed by the Last Island Hurricane of August 10, 1856, which split it in two. Afterwards, it became known in the plural Isles Dernières ("Last Islands").

The island was originally approximately 25 miles^[2] in length before being split in half by the storm. Subsequent tropical storms did more damage, and Isle Dernière was further fragmented into smaller islands.^[1] Now the Isles Dernieres Barrier Island Refuge, since the 1990s there have been a number of different projects aimed at rebuilding and protecting the islands,^[3] including in 1998, when sand was suctioned up to raise the level of the islands, and plantings were made to keep the new land in place.^[1]

The closest village to the islands is Cocodrie, about 15 miles to the northeast.^[3]