"The rich magnolias covered with fragrant blossoms, the holly, the beech, the tall yellow poplar, the hilly ground and even the red clay, all excited my admiration. Such an entire change in the fall o
Bayou Segnette State Park offers the best of everything. Just a thirty-minute drive across the Mississippi River from New Orleans, a multitude of recreational opportunities awaits visitors of all ages
At Bogue Chitto State Park, visitors will experience a diversity of natural habitats on one of the most dynamic and scenic river systems in Louisiana. The 1,786-acre site includes small streams, cypre
Originally opened as the College of Louisiana in 1826, the school occupied an old courthouse and other buildings in the town of Jackson. The college steadily grew and two dormitories were built on new
Chemin-A-Haut State Park is situated on a high bluff overlooking Bayou Bartholomew and is a natural paradise for lovers of unspoiled beauty. This acre site takes its name from the French word meaning
The park covers over 6,400 acres of rolling hills and water in South Central Louisiana. The cool, clear waters of Lake Chicot have yielded record freshwater catches of largemouth bass, crappie, bluegi
Between Grand Isle and Cameron, Cypremort Point is one of the very few locations near the Gulf of Mexico that can be reached by car. A half-mile stretch of a man-made beach provides a delightful area
Scattered throughout the park beneath a canopy of huge oak trees, you will find numerous picnic tables, as well as a group pavilion, a playground, and comfort stations. Spend a relaxing afternoon on t
Scattered throughout the park beneath a canopy of huge oak trees, you will find numerous picnic tables, as well as a group pavilion, a playground, and comfort stations. Spend a relaxing afternoon on t
The crumbling brick ruins of a sugar mill built in 1829 by Bernard de Marigny de Mandeville, founder of the nearby town of Mandeville, suggest an interesting history for this site, and indeed there is
Fort Jesup is a reminder of a young nation's growing pains and a relic of Louisiana's rich international heritage. When the Louisiana Purchase Treaty of 1803 failed to clearly define the western bound
Begun in 1819 and completed in 1826, Fort Pike was named for the explorer and soldier General Zebulon Montgomery Pike (1779-1813) whose name is also attached to Pike's Peak in the Rocky Mountains. For
Natchitoches was founded by a French Canadian, Louis Antoine Juchereau de St. Denis, in 1714 while he was en route to Mexico from Mobile, Alabama, on a trade mission. When he reached the village of th
After the Battle of Mansfield, halting the Union advance to the West in Spring of 1864, Forts Randolph and Buhlow were constructed on the Red River at Alexandria by Confederates in order to repel futu
A beach ridge created by the action of the waves of the Gulf, Grand Isle serves as a breakwater between the Gulf and the network of inland channels that connect to the bayou tributaries of the Mississ
Over 700 acres of wild and cultivated beauty, Hodges Gardens State Park, located in Sabine Parish, is a unique member of the State Parks system. Originally designed and opened to the public in 1956 by
Located on a peninsula on Caney Lake, Jimmie Davis State Park offers two boat launches and a fishing pier that cater to the outdoors enthusiast looking for a prime freshwater fishing spot. Waterskiing
Kent Plantation House State Historic Site turns back the clock to circa 1800, when Pierre Baillio II commissioned the construction of a simple six-bedroom home on the banks of Bayou Rapides. Located i
Situated on the western shore of Lake Bistineau, this park offers a satisfying blend of beautiful vistas and outstanding recreational facilities. Memorable for its upland mixed hardwood forest, its op
There are over 3,000 acres of water surface on Lake Bruin, and the visitors to Lake Bruin State Park have access to every acre for incomparable freshwater fishing, superb water sports and fine outdoor
Take your pick: swimming, fishing, birding, boating of all kinds, waterskiing, camping, hiking or just plain relaxing and enjoying the unsurpassed natural beauty. It's all here . . . at Lake Claiborne
Piney forests, rolling hills, five fishing piers, and a beautiful lake draw visitors to this quiet, majestic state park. Designed to keep the focus on nature, park facilities blend with the natural la
Lake Fausse Pointe State Park occupies a 6,000-acre site in the Atchafalaya Basin. The area surrounding the park was formerly the home site of the Chitimacha Indians. From the middle 1700s, the region
The cemeteries of Louisiana are a significant part of the state's history. They tell the story of those who laid the foundation for Louisiana as it exists today. A visit to Locust Grove State Historic
Longfellow-Evangeline State Historic Site explores the cultural interplay among the diverse peoples along the famed Bayou Teche. Acadians and Creoles, Indians and Africans, Frenchmen and Spaniards, sl
Los Adaes, the symbol of New Spain in Louisiana, was once the capital of Texas and the scene of a unique cooperation among the French, the Spanish and the indigenous Native Americans. An area rich in
Established in 1961, the Louisiana State Arboretum was the first such area in the South and the first state-supported arboretum in the United States. To help preserve the Arboretum for future generati
With the fall of Vicksburg and Port Hudson in July 1863, the Mississippi River was entirely controlled by the Union. President Lincoln and his staff decided that the capture of Texas and the Trans-Mis
Marksville was founded by accident. Here, in the 1790s, a Venetian peddler named Marco broke a wagon wheel along his travels, and decided to stay and set up a trading post. The resulting town offers v
Located on Toledo Bend Reservoir, one of the country's largest man-made reservoirs, North Toledo Bend State Park provides a venue for a wide variety of water-related activities in a pleasant environme
Located on the Vermilion River, Palmetto Island State Park offers a real south Louisiana outdoors experience. A boat launch provides access to the river for fishing and boating, while the interior lag
As a distributary of the Mississippi River and a route to the heartland of Louisiana through the Atchafalaya Basin, Bayou Plaquemine was used as a navigable artery centuries before the age of European
When New Orleans fell to Federal troops in late April 1862, Confederate control of the Mississippi was in jeopardy. The Confederate army had already fortified the river bluffs at Vicksburg, Mississipp
The 2,700-acre, man-made lake that is the centerpiece for Poverty Point Reservoir State Park offers visitors an outlet for a variety of water sports and a scenic backdrop for waterfowl migration each
The time was eight centuries after Egyptian laborers dragged huge stones across the desert to build the Great Pyramids, and before the great Mayan pyramids were constructed. The place was a site in wh
Set in the piney hills of northwestern Louisiana, the Louisiana Country Music Museum contains exhibits that tell the story of how various folk music traditions developed in this region--from early gos
Rosedown Plantation is located in the West Feliciana Parish community of St. Francisville along one of the most historic corridors in South Louisiana. The historic presence of the River created deep s
Originally named for the Texas folk hero who traveled extensively in the western reaches of Louisiana, Sam Houston Jones was given its current name in honor of the state's 46th governor, who was instr
Pleasantly located on several small bluffs that extend over and into the Toledo Bend Reservoir, South Toledo Bend State Park offers a scenic, waterfront view from many vantage points. While the reserv
St. Bernard State Park is the ideal spot for visitors who are seeking a family atmosphere and natural experience, as well as for campers who don't want to or cannot stray far from civilization. Many c
Strolling through four ecosystems on over a mile of boardwalks through Tickfaw State Park, visitors can experience the sights and sounds of a cypress/tupelo swamp, a bottomland hardwood forest, a mixe
Winter Quarters State Historic Site stands today as a rare survivor of the Civil War. The large, airy structure is the only one of its kind along the banks of scenic Lake St. Joseph to remain as a ref
