Louisiana's State Parks

Get out and explore the great outdoors in Louisiana! With nearly two dozen state parks, our Sportsman’s Paradise invites guests to take their outdoor adventure to new horizons. Enjoy superb fishing, boating, paddling and water sports. Or get up close to nature on biking and hiking trails, where birdwatching is among the finest in the country. From lakes and bayous to swamps and lagoons, discover numerous waterways that lie amid our verdant hills and rich marshlands. You'll find excellent camping and picnic areas, including well-equipped cabins and RV parks.

Why Visit Louisiana State Parks

Louisiana’s 21 state parks offer exceptional outdoor recreation, from fishing and paddling to hiking, horseback riding and cycling to disc golf. Travelers visit Louisiana’s state parks for easy access to nature, affordable outdoor activities and fantastic amenities, like RV parks and campgrounds.

Each park has its own opportunities to get outside and explore, whether you’re traveling with rambunctious kiddos or taking a solo vacation. 

Families will find playgrounds, water playgrounds, kid-friendly trails and a variety of camping options perfect for spring break or summer vacations. Palmetto Island State Park offers RV camping, vacation cabins that sleep up to eight, a water playground and an outdoor classroom. Lake D’Arbonne State Park features a seasonal swimming pool (open Memorial Day through Labor Day; check the Louisiana State Parks website and Facebook for updates), plus cabins, lodges and a large event pavilion for larger family gatherings.

Solo travelers can find respite on quiet hiking treks, calm waters for fishing or kayaking, and peaceful greenspace ideal for independent adventures. Chicot State Park is an introvert’s paradise, with a 20-mile hiking trail, excellent fishing and a beautiful arboretum next door. Adrenaline junkies should opt for Bogue Chitto State Park, home to 14 miles of immaculate bike routes and the enchanting Fricke’s Cave.

Want to bring along that special someone? Couples can choose from romantic cabins, secluded RV campgrounds and rustic primitive campsites for a weekend getaway. Fairview-Riverside State Park is a solid choice for nature lovers and anglers, offering scenic nature trails, easy access to the Tchefuncte River and nearly 100 premium, improved and unimproved campsites. At Lake Claiborne State Park, a sandy beach provides space for swimming, fishing and relaxing, and two disc golf courses give visitors both beginner-friendly and advanced options.

Top Activities Across Our State Parks

Biking

If you’ve got the need for speed, spend your state park getaway on two wheels. In Franklinton, Bogue Chitto State Park offers 14 miles of well-maintained mountain biking trails for riders of all skill levels. North Toledo Bend State Park’s 12-mile trek is shared by cyclists and hikers, and Jimmie Davis State Park in Chatham serves as a convenient home base with easy access to the rolling North Louisiana hills.

Paddling & Pleasure Boating

Whether you’re out for a calm early-morning paddle or looking to spend the whole day playing on the water, Louisiana’s state parks make it simple. Families often head to Chemin-A-Haut State Park for its kayak rentals and relaxing bayous. Fontainebleau State Park is just about surrounded by water and offers single and tandem kayak rentals with wide-open lake views. At Lake Bistineau State Park, cypress and tupelo trees drape across the water, offering paddlers an enchanting trip down the 11-mile canoe trail. Lake Bruin State Park draws pleasure boaters with 3,000 acres of water surface, along with a year-round launch and boat shed. And Grand Isle State Park offers a fantastic launching point for deep-sea fishing adventures.

Camping

From wooded tent sites to cozy cabins, all kinds of campers will find the ideal place to unwind. Lake Fausse Pointe State Park sits right on a water wilderness, with premium and improved campsites, canoe campsites and backcountry campsites, and a primitive camping area. Poverty Point Reservoir State Park is a favorite for birders, thanks to its prime location along the Mississippi Flyway and many premium and improved campsites. Sam Houston Jones State Park’s 1,087 acres are home to a gorgeous longleaf forest, comfortable premium campsites and scenic hiking paths. Ever wanted to wake up with sand in your toes? At Grand Isle State Park, visitors can camp in a beach tent, right off the warm Gulf waters.

Reserve a cabin, lodge or campsite.

Hiking

Hitting the trails is one of the best ways to see our state parks up close. Tickfaw State Park features a few trails, including the half-mile, accessible Gum Cypress Trail and the 3-mile River Trail. At Fontainebleau State Park, you can wander along the shores of Lake Pontchartrain with a 4.8-mile hiking path and a 1.25-mile nature trail. Lake Bistineau State Park blends history and scenery on the Willis Homestead Trail and adds family-friendly options like the Discovery Circle. Sam Houston Jones State Park’s five hiking routes range from short loops to longer wooded paths — a calm, easy way to explore the park’s forest and wildlife.

Other Things to Do at Louisiana State Parks

Beyond the main attractions, several parks include horseback riding, ATV trails, fishing, tennis, tubing, birding and disc golf, so visitors can tailor their day to whatever kind of outdoor experience they’re after.

List of Louisiana State Parks (with descriptions)

Bayou Segnette State Park

Bayou Segnette State Park, just 12 miles west of New Orleans in Westwego, is best known for its wave pool, but it’s also home to fantastic fishing (both saltwater and freshwater) and a gorgeous 2.8-mile nature trail.

Bogue Chitto State Park

While Bogue Chitto State Park in Franklinton is most famous for its summertime tubing, other highlights include horseback riding, mountain biking and freshwater fishing. You could spend the whole day exploring the park, particularly Fricke’s Cave, a gorge with delicate sandstone spires and exquisite rock formations.

Chemin-A-Haut State Park

Families flock to Chemin-A-Haut State Park in Bastrop for its many kid-friendly activities. We recommend splashing at the swimming pool, climbing on one of two playgrounds and savoring a picnic lunch at one of 35 family sites with grills and tables.

Chicot State Park

You’ll get a two-for-one deal at Chicot State Park in Ville Platte, which is also home to the Louisiana State Arboretum. Choose from a 20-mile hiking trail or an 8-mile canoe trail, then explore the arboretum’s 600-acre forest, a habitat for many indigenous plant species, plus whitetail deer, wild turkeys, raccoons and more.

Cypremort Point State Park

At Cypremort Point State Park in Cypremort Point, water sports are the main attraction. The waterway offers opportunities for swimming, kitesurfing, windsurfing and pleasure boating. Keen-eyed visitors might spot muskrats, alligators, deer and even Louisiana black bears lurking in the marsh.

Fairview-Riverside State Park

Fairview-Riverside State Park in Madisonville delivers easy access to the Tchefuncte River, which houses bass, bluegill, redfish and speckled trout. It’s the perfect place for a day spent exploring the nature trail, fishing from the shore and touring the adjacent Otis House, a stately summer home built in the 1880s.

Fontainebleau State Park

Fontainebleau State Park in Mandeville is a favorite for New Orleans residents and visitors, with gorgeous views of Lake Pontchartrain, Bayou Cane and Bayou Castine. Stroll the beach at sunset, walk or bike along the Tammany Trace or bring the kiddos to the all-inclusive playground, which provides multi-sensory play for children of all ages and abilities.

Grand Isle State Park

Did you know you can swim in the Gulf in Louisiana? Just bring your swimsuit to Grand Isle State Park, located at the northeastern end of Grand Isle, a quaint coastal fishing village. While this state park is most frequented by anglers, it’s also enjoyed almost year-round by swimmers, birders and boaters.

Jimmie Davis State Park

It’s easy to spend the entire day fishing at Jimmie Davis State Park in Chatham, thanks to the park’s two boat launches and fishing pier. But don’t forget about the sandy beach for sunbathing and the water playground for the little explorers.

Lake Bistineau State Park

It feels like the options for outdoor recreation are endless at Lake Bistineau State Park in Doyline. Choose from bass fishing or paddling on Lake Bistineau, hiking or cycling the myriad trails, horseback riding along the 6-mile equestrian trail or disc golfing the course near the group camp. 

Lake Bruin State Park

Lake Bruin State Park in St. Joseph is built for play. Enjoy great fishing, water skiing and pleasure boating on the 3,000 acres of water surface, or set up a family picnic at the tables and grills in the day-use area. 

Lake Claiborne State Park

Located halfway between Shreveport and Monroe, Lake Claiborne State Park in Homer offers swimming, fishing, birding, boating, water skiing, hiking and camping. While the most popular activity is swimming at the park’s sandy beach, the highly ranked disc golf courses are beloved by newbies and skilled players alike.

Lake D’Arbonne State Park

Nestled in the rolling hills and canyons of North Louisiana, Lake D’Arbonne State Park in Farmerville is one of Louisiana’s most family-friendly parks. You’ll find tennis courts, disc golf courses, a seasonal swimming pool and four hiking trails.

Lake Fausse Pointe State Park

Set within the Atchafalaya Basin, Lake Fausse Pointe offers an easy way to experience South Louisiana’s wetlands up close on elevated boardwalks and calm waterways. Fish from your canoe, kayak or flat-bottom fishing boat, then feast on your catch at grill sites beneath the trees.

North Toledo Bend State Park

You’ll want to bring your own boat or rent one at North Toledo Bend State Park, located on the banks of one of the top bass fisheries in the country. Take a dip in the seasonal pool, hike the trails or play one of two 18-hole championship disc golf courses.

Palmetto Island State Park

Palmetto Island State Park showcases South Louisiana’s swamp environment, with palmettos and cypress trees framing the Vermilion River near Abbeville. Paddle narrow channels by canoe or kayak, walk the short Cypress Trail or splash around at the water playground.

Poverty Point Reservoir State Park

Discover a 2,700-acre reservoir surrounded by wide, flat Mississippi Delta bottomlands at Poverty Point Reservoir State Park in Delhi. Families and weekend adventurers can fish, boat, spot birds along the Bayou Macon trail and simply enjoy time outdoors together. 

St. Bernard State Park

Just a few miles southeast of New Orleans is the beautiful St. Bernard State Park in Braithwaite. Find short hiking trails, picnic tables and barbecue grills, a water playground and large, covered pavilion.

Sam Houston Jones State Park

Take your time exploring wooded trails, watching for birds and enjoying peaceful lagoons across more than 1,000 acres of protected land at Sam Houston Jones State Park in Lake Charles. Two boat launches make it easy to boat, fish or paddle on the Calcasieu River.

South Toledo Bend State Park

The sister park of North Toledo Bend, South Toledo Bend State Park in Anacoco offers its own unique experience. Visitors can look forward to boating, birding, fishing, hiking and biking, plus an off-highway vehicle trail.

Tickfaw State Park

A mix of river access, shaded trails and hands-on exhibits makes Tickfaw State Park in Springfield a favorite for visitors looking to explore Louisiana’s swamp and forest landscapes. Enjoy a nature center, boardwalk hiking trails, canoe launches and fishing spots along the Tickfaw River

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Louisiana state parks are there?

There are 21 Louisiana state parks, each offering its own history, topography and activities. From Lake Claiborne State Park in the north to Grand Isle State Park on the coast, Louisiana’s state parks offer a look at the many landscapes that make the state unlike any other. For a full list of Louisiana state parks, visit the Louisiana State Parks website. 

Can I rent a boat at a Louisiana state park?

Yes, many Louisiana state parks offer boat rentals! Many state parks rent kayaks, canoes and flat-bottom fishing boats. While prices may vary by state park and boat type, kayaks are typically $7 per hour or $35 per day, canoes are usually $7 per hour and $25 per day, and flat-bottom fishing boats can run $5 per hour and $20 per day. For a full list of Louisiana state parks that rent boats, visit the Louisiana State Parks website, and always call in advance to confirm which boats are available.

Can I camp at a Louisiana state park?

Yes, many Louisiana state parks permit camping. Visitors can choose from premium campsites—including some pull-through sites—with water and electrical hookups, as well as improved campsites with the same amenities. For a more basic stay, many parks offer unimproved campsites with no hookups, as well as primitive camping areas for a more back-to-nature experience. Select parks also feature canoe-in campsites, accessible only by water, and backcountry campsites for those looking for a truly remote experience.

Is there WiFi at Louisiana state parks?

Yes, some Louisiana state parks offer wireless internet access, including Bayou Segnette State Park, Chemin-A-Haut State Park, Fairview-Riverside State Park, Fontainebleau State Park, Palmetto Island State Park, Poverty Point Reservoir State Park, South Toledo Bend State Park and Tickfaw State Park, among others. For a list of parks experiencing difficulties with wireless internet signals, visit the Louisiana State Parks website.

Do seniors get discounts at Louisiana state parks?

Yes, seniors receive discounts — and even free admission — at Louisiana state parks. Be sure to bring your driver’s license for age verification!