List of Louisiana state parks

Template:State parks of Louisiana map

Map of state parks maintained by the Office of State Parks (Each dot is linked to the corresponding park article)

The state of Louisiana has 21 state parks, which are governed by the Office of Lieutenant Governor, a division of the Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Louisiana's state park system began in 1934 when the state passed legislation that created the State Parks Commission of Louisiana.<ref name="history">Template:Cite book</ref> In 1952, legislation broadened the role of the commission to include the development of outdoor recreation programs and resources. The commission was renamed to the Louisiana State Parks and Recreation Commission.<ref name="history" /> In 1977, the Office of State Parks was created in the Department of Culture, Recreation, and Tourism.<ref name="history" />

After the State Parks Commission of Louisiana was formed in 1934, 7 sites were acquired for use as state parks.<ref name="history" /> During World War II, the rate of new park acquisition declined with the addition of only one new site, Sam Houston Jones State Park in 1944. In 1966, the National Park Service reviewed Louisiana's state parks system and made many recommendations, which led to specific guidelines and requirements for state parks.<ref name="MasterPlan">Template:Cite book</ref> Over time, many state parks that did not meet these guidelines were either reclassified as state historic sites or were turned over to local or state agencies. Some of these parks include Template:Lang, Saline Bayou, and Black Lake.<ref name="OutdoorRecPlan">Template:Cite book</ref> During the 1970s, government management of the state parks was restructured. The Office of State Parks was created, and 2 new parks were acquired. From 1995 to 2009, $80 million were invested in creating new facilities, or updating existing facilities.<ref name="history" />

Louisiana state parks are selected on the criteria that they must be natural areas of unique or exceptional scenic value.<ref name="MasterPlan" /> Many of the state parks also have historic or scientific importance. For example, Chemin-A-Haut State Park served as a route used by Native Americans during seasonal migrations.<ref name="CheminAHautStatePark">Template:Cite web</ref> Louisiana state parks have many accommodations, including overnight cabins, boating rentals, guided daily tours, and fishing piers. In 2002, Louisiana state parks had more than 2 million visitors.<ref name="history" /> With the addition of Palmetto Island State Park in 2010, Louisiana state parks comprise more than Template:Nowrap Template:Nowrap of land.

Current parks

Park name	Parish	Size	Year Established	Remarks	Image
Bayou Segnette State Park	Jefferson	Template:Nowrap Template:Nowrap<ref name="Barataria-Terrebonne">Template:Cite book</ref>	Template:Dts<ref name="LAConservationist">Template:Cite book</ref>	Bayou Segnette State Park features a wave pool.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	A grey tent set up on Bayou Segnette park grounds
Bogue Chitto State Park	Washington	Template:Nowrap Template:Nowrap<ref name="BogueChittoStatePark">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	Bogue Chitto State Park, pronounced bo–guh chit–uh,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> contains Template:Convert of equestrian trails with the trailhead located near Fricke's Cave.<ref name="BogueChittoStatePark" />	Beach cairs along the river at Bogue Chitto state park
Chemin-A-Haut State Park	Morehouse	Template:Nowrap Template:Nowrap<ref name="CheminAHautStatePark" />	Template:Dts<ref name="WallCal">Template:Cite book</ref>	The park was designed with children in mind and has two playgrounds at the day use area.<ref name="CheminAHautStatePark" />	Canoes tied to a pole at Chemin-A-Haut state park
Chicot State Park	Evangeline	Template:Nowrap Template:Nowrap<ref name="CCBrouchure">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="ChicotStatePark">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref name="WallCal" />	Chicot State Park contains the Louisiana State Arboretum, which has a mature beech–magnolia forest.<ref name="ChicotStatePark" />
Cypremort Point State Park	Template:Sort	Template:Nowrap Template:Nowrap<ref name="CCBrouchure" /><ref name="CypremortPointStatePark">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Most of the park is situated on a half-mile stretch of a man-made beach.<ref name="CypremortPointStatePark" />	An outside pavilion on the grass
Fairview-Riverside State Park	Template:Sort	Template:Nowrap Template:Nowrap<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>	Template:Dts<ref name="FairviewRiversideStatePark">Template:Cite web</ref>	The Otis house, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is located in the park.<ref name="FairviewRiversideStatePark" />	A two-story light yellow plantation home
Fontainebleau State Park	Template:Sort	Template:Nowrap Template:Nowrap<ref name="FountainebleauStatePark">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref name="NorthshoreConifer">Template:Cite web</ref>	The park was once the site of a sugar plantation and brick yard operated by Bernard de Marigny.<ref name="FountainebleauStatePark" />	The sun setting over Lake Pontchartrain
Grand Isle State Park	Jefferson	Template:Nowrap Template:Nowrap<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>	Template:Dts<ref name="GrandIsleTriState">Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead link</ref><ref name="GrandIsleFacebook">Template:Cite web</ref>	Grand Isle State Park is the only state-owned and -operated beach on the Louisiana gulf coast.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	A pier extending into the Gulf of Mexico
Jimmie Davis State Park	Jackson	Template:Nowrap Template:Nowrap<ref name="Smith499">Smith 2007, p. 499.</ref>	Template:Dts<ref name="JimmieDavisStatePark">Template:Cite web</ref>	Many of the largest bass caught in Louisiana have been in Caney Lake Reservoir which is in the park.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> As of 2010, the largest bass from Louisiana was caught at Caney Lake.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Two silhouetted people fishing on a boat
Lake Bistineau State Park	Webster	Template:Nowrap Template:Nowrap<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="CCBrouchure" />	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Lake Bistineau State Park is the first state park in Louisiana to accommodate African Americans, starting in 1956. The two separated areas are an artifact of the segregated nature of the park at the time.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>	Cypress trees covered in moss in reflective water
Lake Bruin State Park	Tensas	Template:Nowrap Template:Nowrap<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Lake Bruin State Park was originally established in 1928 as a fish hatchery.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	A shaded area next to a small pier A shaded area next to a small pier
Lake Claiborne State Park	Claiborne	Template:Nowrap Template:Nowrap<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>	Lake Claiborne State Park is situated on, but does not include, Lake Claiborne, the park's main attraction. When at full reservoir level, Lake Claiborne has a surface area of Template:Nowrap Template:Nowrap.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	A pier extending out into the swamp
Lake D'Arbonne State Park	Union	Template:Nowrap Template:Nowrap<ref name="LakeDArbonneStatePark">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>	Lake D'Arbonne State Park offers disc golf. The course is located near the group camp.<ref name="LakeDArbonneStatePark" />	A lifeguard watching people swim in a pool
Lake Fausse Pointe State Park	Iberia and St. Martin	Template:Nowrap Template:Nowrap<ref name="LakeFaussePointeStatePark">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref name="LAConservationist" />	The site was once part of the Atchafalaya Basin and the surrounding land was once the home of the Chitimacha Native Americans.<ref name="LakeFaussePointeStatePark" />	A dried up swamp bed
North Toledo Bend State Park	Sabine	Template:Nowrap Template:Nowrap<ref name="NorthToledoBendStatePark">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>	The park is situated on Toledo Bend Reservoir,<ref name="NorthToledoBendStatePark" /> the 5th largest in the nation by surface area.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	An motor home set up with party lights on the outside
Palmetto Island State Park	Vermilion	Template:Nowrap Template:Nowrap<ref name="PISPADV">Template:Cite news</ref>	Template:Dts<ref name="PISPADV" />	The visitor center complex contains a water playground and a bathhouse.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	A picture of a lake with dormant trees in the back
Poverty Point Reservoir State Park	Richland	Template:Nowrap Template:Nowrap<ref name="Smith502">Smith 2007, p. 502.</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Due to an active bear population, bear-proof containers are provided for waste disposal throughout the park.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	A truck backing a boat into the water
Template:Sort	Template:Sort	Template:Nowrap Template:Nowrap<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>	Template:Dts<ref name="SaintBernardStatePark">Template:Cite web</ref>	A local family business donated the land for the park to Louisiana in 1971.<ref name="SaintBernardStatePark" />	A brown brick welcome center building
Sam Houston Jones State Park	Calcasieu	Template:Nowrap Template:Nowrap<ref name="SamHoustonJonesStatePark">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref name="WallCal" />	The park is located north of the most productive birding region of Louisiana. At certain times of year, nearly 200 species of birds can be seen within Template:Convert of the park.<ref name="SamHoustonJonesStatePark" />	Cypress trees in a swamp.
South Toledo Bend State Park	Vernon	Template:Nowrap Template:Nowrap<ref name="STBSPLOSP">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref name="STBSPLOSP" />	South Toledo Bend State Park is a nesting ground for the bald eagle, which feeds from the supply of freshwater fish, including largemouth bass, catfish, bream, and white perch.<ref name="STBSPLOSP" />	Visitor center surrounded by pine trees.
Tickfaw State Park	Livingston	Template:Nowrap Template:Nowrap<ref name="Herndon165">Herndon 2003, p. 165.</ref>	Template:Dts<ref name="Herndon165" />	Tickfaw State Park contains four distinct ecosystems: a cypress/tupelo swamp, a bottomland hardwood forest, a mixed pine/hardwood forest,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> and the Tickfaw River.	A small brook in a forest of cypress trees.

Other names of current parks

The following are significantly different former or alternate names for current Louisiana state parks.

Former or alternate name	Parish	Current park name	Remarks
Caney Creek Lake State Park	Jackson	Jimmie Davis State Park	The park is located on Caney Lake Reservoir, which was created by damming Caney Creek in 1986.<ref name="JimmieDavisStatePark" /> It was renamed in 2003.<ref name="JimmieDavisStatePark" />
Lake Bruin Wayside Park	Tensas	Lake Bruin State Park	Originally only a park, but when made a state park it was renamed in 1962.
Sam Houston State Park	Calcasieu	Sam Houston Jones State Park	Originally named for Sam Houston, but was renamed in honor of Sam Houston Jones, 46th Governor of Louisiana.<ref name="SamHoustonJonesStatePark" />
Tchefuncte State Park and Conservation Reservation	Template:Sort	Fontainebleau State Park	The land was originally owned by Bernard de Marigny who called the area Fontainebleau after a forest in Paris he admired.<ref name="NorthshoreConifer" /> When designated a state park, Governor Richard W. Leche named it Tchefuncte State Park and Conservation Reservation, which was later reverted to Fontainebleau.

Former state park

The following is a park that was officially recognized as a state park after the 1966 National Park Service review but was later removed.

Park name	Parish	Size	Date Established	Date Removed	Remarks	Image
Hodges Gardens State Park	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap Template:Nowrap<ref name="HGSPLOSP">Template:Cite web</ref>	1956<ref name="HGSPLOSP" />	October 1, 2017<ref name="HGCASUALTY">Template:Cite web</ref>	The park features a 225-acre man-made lake that was built in 1954.<ref name="HGSPLOSP" /> After a funding issue, the donated property was reverted to the A.J. and Nona Triggs Hodges Foundation.<ref name="HGCASUALTY" />	A small pond surrounded by greenery

See also

• List of Louisiana state historic sites
• Louisiana State Arboretum
• List of U.S. national parks

References

• Template:Cite book
• Template:Cite book

External links

• Louisiana State Parks Template:Webarchive