Oakley Plantation was built between 1799 and 1806, in a colonial architectural style that is simple but sophisticated. Take a guided tour of the home’s 17 rooms, reconstructed kitchen, barn, gardens and slave quarters, all restored to the time period coinciding with John James Audubon’s residency. After your tour, stop in the gift shop for a souvenir, or listen to the same sounds of nature Audubon himself heard from the vantage point of one of Oakley’s picnic areas.


Fun Fact:

Audubon State Historic Site is named so to commemorate the American ornithologist, naturalist, and painter John James Audubon.

Bayou Segnette State Park is located just thirty minutes outside of New Orleans in the historic fishing village of “Salaville”, now known as Westwego. The park offers a little bit of everything from fishing and camping to hiking and swimming; so there’ something for everyone. Stay in one of our floating cabins and enjoy the local Westwego attractions.


Fun Fact:

Bayou Segnette State Park’s proximity to New Orleans makes it the perfect spot to enjoy all that the Crescent City has to offer.

A day trip to Bogue Chitto State Park will be a full one, with a river perfect for canoeing or kayaking, 11 lakes stocked with a variety of freshwater fish, a water playground, equestrian trails, horse rentals, numerous picnic pavilions, disc golf, four miles of mountain bike trails and hiking trails. If you’d rather plan a relaxing weekend, stay at one of our cabins or book an RV spot.


Fun Fact:

Bogue Chitto is named for the river that winds through the wilds of Washington and St. Tammany parishes. Check out Fricke’s Cave while exploring the park.

In the rolling hills of East Feliciana Parish are the remains of what was once Centenary College. During the Civil War, the dormitories became hospital space in October 1862 and during the siege of Port Hudson in 1863. Union troops used the Main Academic Building as an area headquarters. Centenary College reopened after the war, but it was unable to regain its former prosperity. In 1908, Centenary College moved to Shreveport, where it remains today. In 1979 Centenary State Historic Site was added to the National Register of Historic Places.


Fun Fact:

Originally opened as the College of Louisiana in 1826, the school occupied an old courthouse and other buildings in the town of Jackson.

Chemin-A-Haut State Park gets its name from the French phrase meaning “high road.” The park provides primitive camping sites, hiking trails, equestrian trails, picnic areas with grills and tables, playgrounds for the kids, a seasonal swimming pool, and a castle (well, a tree named Castle)! Kayaking and canoeing guests can make their way over to our giant cypress tree, estimated to be 1,000 years old located on the Chemin-A-Haut Bayou. Don’t forget to pose for a selfie inside of the trunk of this massive, ancient tree!


Fun Fact:

Enjoy the rustic hills of northeast Louisiana as you explore the family friendly environment of Chemin-A-Haut State Park.

Located in Prairie Cajun Country, Chicot State Park is a great place for anglers, mountain bikers, paddlers, and those who just want to enjoy the sounds of nature. This beautiful 6,400-acre park has hiking trails, fishing piers, deluxe cabins, picnic areas, RV camping sites, and group camps. Located inside of the park is the Louisiana State Arboretum, home to a 300 acre beech-magnolia forest and many of plant species indigenous to Louisiana. The Arboretum also has hiking trails that will intrigue any nature enthusiast.


Fun Fact:

On July 6, 1936 Legislation was passed to create Chicot State Park. The land was for 4000 acres at the cost of $25,000. Today the park covers 6,400 acres.

The natural charm of Cypremort State Park will have you coming back after your first visit. Cypremort, French for “dead cypress,” is located on Vermilion Bay and offers deluxe cabins, a marsh hiking trail, fishing, and beautiful sunsets for visitors seeking to escape from the city. Launch your boat from the dock and venture out into the Gulf of Mexico located less than 10 miles from the Bay. Don’t have a boat? Our 100 foot fishing pier provides anglers access to shore fishing.


Fun Fact:

Fishing is one of Cypremort Point State Park’s main attractions, but there are other ways to enjoy the bay.

Day trippers and casual fisherman visiting Fairview-Riverside State Park can appreciate the cool, crystal-clear waters of the Tchefuncte (chuh-funk-tuh) River that passes through the recreational site. Guests will enjoy one of the most photogenic rivers while hiking along the scenic nature trails, fishing for speckled trout, bluegill, and redfish or even crabbing. Spending more than one day at this north shore park is possible at RV campsites with electrical hookups.


Fun Fact:

One of the main reasons to visit Fairview-Riverside State Park is Otis House, an icon of Madisonville architecture built on the Tchefuncte river bank.

Fontainebleau State Park was once the site of a large sugar mill built under the direction of Creole planter and Senator Bernard de Marigny in 1829. The 2,800-acre park is located on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain and provides its visitors with man-made beach for seasonal sunbathing, nature trails that explore the flora and fauna of south Louisiana, deluxe cabins, RV camping sites, the Tammany Trace Rails to Trails path, and fishing.


Fun Fact:

Fontainebleau SP was a cooperative effort of the National Park Service, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), and the State Parks Commission in 1938.

Visitors can learn about the Neutral Ground, aka “No Man’s Land,” and Fort Jesup’s role in Louisiana history, via self-guided tours of the grounds and by making a stop at the visitor’s center. Fort Jesup is a reminder of a young nation's growing pains and a relic of Louisiana's rich international heritage. The outdoor kitchen is the only historic structure remaining from the large complex that once spread across the frontier. In 1961, Fort Jesup was designated a National Historic Landmark by the U.S. Department of the Interior.


Fun Fact:

The officers' quarters’ was reconstructed with the help of the Army Quartermasters General's Office and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Fort St. Jean Baptiste is located on Cane River Lake (formerly the Red River) a few hundred yards from the original fort site. The fort replication was based upon Ignace Francois Broutin's plans and on extensive archival research in Louisiana, Canada and France. The original fort was built to serve as a colonial outpost that would prevent Spanish forces in Texas from advancing across the border into French Louisiana. The full name of the fort was Fort St. Jean Baptiste des Natchitoches.


Fun Fact:

This strategic placement of Fort St. Jean Baptiste outpost made for a successful economic and cultural blend.

After the Battle of Mansfield, halting the Union advance to the West in spring of 1864, Forts Randolph and Buhlow were constructed by Confederates on the Red River at Alexandria in order to repel future Union attacks through Northwest Louisiana. Located on Red River in downtown Pineville, the site includes a visitor center with exhibits on the Civil War Red River Campaign, an elevated boardwalk around the fort area, with an overlook near Bailey's Dam site, and an open field for Civil War reenactments.


Fun Fact:

The earthen forts, constructed using local plantation slave labor, were fortified with cannon and over 800 soldiers.

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. Off the water, you’ll be impressed by some of the prettiest scenery in north Louisiana. The hilly upland forest, just 30 miles from the state’s highest peak, entices mountain bikers and hikers.


Fun Fact:

The centerpiece of the park, Caney Lake, was created when Caney Creek was dammed in 1986. This natural area was first named Caney Creek Lake State Park.

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 open waters, and its enchanting stands of cypress and tupelo trees, the park offers two boat launches, hiking and biking trails, playgrounds, camping, cabins and excellent fishing!


Fun Fact:

In 1800, a massive logjam was freed and an actual dam was built on the acreage that would become Lake Bistineau. Which created prime freshwater fishing.

Three large fishing piers, a year-round boat launch, and a boat shed for docking make things convenient for the casual or serious fisherman at Lake Bruin State Park. There are over 3,000 acres of water surface on Lake Bruin, and visitors to the park have access to every acre for incomparable freshwater fishing, superb water sports and fine outdoor living. The 53-acre site was originally established in 1928 as a fish hatchery.


Fun Fact:

Many of the lakes left behind by the Mississippi lack the right conditions for fishing. But Lake Bruin, with its deep waters and sandy bottom, is an exception.

The woods of Lake Claiborne State Park are home to a wide variety of wildlife. Lovely nature trails and a scenic overlook allow you to appreciate the beauty of the area at your own pace. One of the most popular activities for visitors of all ages is swimming at the park's sandy beach. The freshwater lake is lavishly stocked with largemouth bass, bluegill sunfish, channel catfish, black crappie, striped bass, chain pickerel, bream, and white perch. Visitors can also enjoy a rousing game of disc golf.


Fun Fact:

As well-known as Lake Claiborne State Park is for its fishing and watersports, it’s also home to the top two disc golf courses in Louisiana.

Piney forests, rolling hills, five fishing piers, and a beautiful lake draw visitors to this quiet, majestic state park. Cyclists will enjoy the challenge of the rolling hills of the park as a starting point for biking excursions into the steep inclines and scenic beauty of North Louisiana. Tennis courts, a swimming pool and five fishing piers occupy the park’s flatter terrain. Rest easy at one of Lake D’Arbonne State Park’s deluxe cabins, lodges or group camps.


Fun Fact:

Lake D’Arbonne is one of north Louisiana’s largest lakes. Record catches of catfish, bream, bass and crappie make Lake D’Arbonne a prime fishing destination

Lake Fausse Pointe State Park occupies a 6,000-acre site in the Atchafalaya Basin, and the area surrounding the park was formerly the home site of the Chitimacha Indians. A boat launch gives visitors easy access to the labyrinth of waterways that winds through the Basin. Overnight visitors can "rough it" in the campground or stay in lake-front cabins. Lake Fausse Pointe State Park, at the edge of a beautiful water wilderness, is also a perfect point from which to explore the natural and cultural heritage of South Louisiana.


Fun Fact:

Keep your boots dry as you hike the elevated walkways through healthy stands of cypress trees, taking in views of the park’s namesake waterway.

Longfellow-Evangeline State Historic Site, the first in the Louisiana State Parks system, honors the story of Evangeline and the author who made her famous. The site explores the cultural interplay among the diverse peoples along the famed Bayou Teche. Acadians and Creoles, Indians and Africans, Frenchmen and Spaniards, slaves and free people of color-all contributed to the historical tradition of cultural diversity in the Teche region. Maison Olivier, a Creole plantation built around 1815 that once grew indigo, cotton and sugar, is a mix of French, Creole and Caribbean architectural influences.


Fun Fact:

Longfellow-Evangeline State Historic Site is named to commemorate Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s famous fictional tale Evangeline, A Tale of Acadie.

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 archaeological finds, it thrives today as one of Louisiana's most intriguing state Historic Sites. Visit Los Adaes State Historic Site to see the grounds of where the fort (or presidio) once stood, as well as the museum where artifacts discovered on site offer clues to the past.


Fun Fact:

Only 5% of the entire Los Adaes site has been excavated. Archaeologists have identified portions of the fort’s walls and three structures outside the presidio.

The Mansfield-Pleasant Hill engagement was actually a series of encounters taking place over several days. After a two-hour cavalry fight with Union forces near Wilson's Farm on April 7, 1864, Confederate commander General Richard Taylor (son of President Zachary Taylor) elected to defend a site about four miles south of Mansfield, now the location of the state historic site. Through living history events, exhibits, battle reenactments and interpretive programs, Mansfield State Historic Site allows visitors to travel back to the unrest of the Civil War years.


Fun Fact:

The site is also known as Sabine Crossroads.

Toledo Bend Reservoir is an absolutely gargantuan body of water. North Toledo Bend State Park provides a venue for a wide variety of water-related activities in a pleasant environment. For land-based activities, more than 900 acres are available for camping, picnicking, hiking, and relaxing in the heart of nature. A boat launch with a double ramp, a large parking lot, boat rentals, and a fish cleaning station, provides access to the reservoir. A playground is located just a short walk from the lake.


Fun Fact:

Hiking and biking trails wind throughout the park, with hills that are perfect settings for photographing sunsets over the lake.

Located on the Vermilion River, Palmetto Island State Park offers a real south Louisiana outdoors experience. The most scenic way of reaching the river is via a boat launch near the center of the park, which also offers kayakers and canoers easy access to narrow channels and tucked-away lagoons. The .7-mile-long Cypress Trail allows visitors a close-up look at Palmetto Island State Park’s jungle-like ecology.


Fun Fact:

Birding is a popular pastime here, as Palmetto Island State Park is located within the migratory route known as the Mississippi Flyway.

The Plaquemine Lock was designed by Colonel George W. Goethals (1858-1928), the assistant to the chief engineer of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Completed in 1909, the lock was significant for having the highest freshwater lift of any lock in the world. In 1961, a larger set of locks began operating at Port Allen and the Plaquemine Lock was closed after 52 years of service. Travelers can tour Plaquemine Lock’s facilities, including one historic building that houses the visitor center.


Fun Fact:

In 1961, the Port of Greater Baton Rouge opened in Port Allen and the Plaquemine Lock was closed after 52 years of service.

The siege of Port Hudson began on May 23, 1863 and lasted into early July of that same year. Roughly 30,000 Union troops, under the command of Major General Nathaniel P. Banks, were pitted against 6,800 Confederates, under the command of Major General Franklin Gardner. The ensuing battles constituted some of the bloodiest and most severe fighting in the entire Civil War. Visiting the site you’ll view artillery displays and ridges positioned above Sandy and Foster creeks. The museum will give you an overview of what was at stake in the Siege of Port Hudson.


Fun Fact:

Held for 48 consecutive days, the siege of Port Hudson was the last Confederate stronghold on the Mississippi River.

Dated between 1700 and 1100 B.C., Poverty Point is unique among archaeological sites on this continent. The site's inhabitants imported stone and ore over great distances. Projectile points and other stone tools found at in the area were made from raw materials originating in the Ouachita and Ozark Mountains and in the Ohio and Tennessee River valleys. It has been estimated that landscape preparation and earthworks construction may have required moving as many as 53 million cubic feet of soil. Poverty Point is one of the most important archaeological sites in North America and became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014.


Fun Fact:

Domestic tools, human figurines and stones from 800 miles away have led to speculation that the site was an ancient residential, trade and ceremonial center.

Poverty Point Reservoir is a 2,700-acre man-made lake set against a backdrop of the wide, flat Mississippi Delta bottomlands. It’s a haven for anglers, birdwatchers, families, weekend adventurers and I-20 travelers looking to explore rural north Louisiana. Overnight guests can choose from two-bedroom waterfront cabins, spacious lodges with loft bedrooms, or RV camping. The North Marina Complex, off La. 17 on the northwest corner of the lake, features a swimming beach area, boat launch, marina with 48 covered boat slips, concession area, fishing pier and fish cleaning station.


Fun Fact:

Fishing is the main attraction at Poverty Point Reservoir State Park. Black crappie, largemouth bass, bluegill and channel catfish are found in the park’s lake.

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 gospel and string band music to the country sounds we enjoy today. Guests are invited to walk the musical history of our state, as well as enjoy the musical petting zoo, and learn about the instruments commonly used in bluegrass, folk, and country music traditions.


Fun Fact:

One of the most popular exhibits on display in the museum is the Louisiana Hayride exhibit and its historic impact on country music.

Jonah Hex

Cotton made Rosedown Plantation owners, Daniel and Martha Turnbull, extremely wealthy. The husband and wife saw their estate completed in 1835, filling the house with luxurious furnishings from Europe and the Northeast, many of which survived the ravages of the Civil War and remain in the house today. The contribution of slave labor to the construction and upkeep of the plantation, as well as agricultural prosperity and wealth accrued by Daniel Turnbull, was immense. During peak years of cotton production, operation of Rosedown used as many as 450 enslaved people.

South Toledo Bend State Park offers a scenic, waterfront view from many vantage points. While the reservoir is nationally recognized as a destination for bass fishing tournaments, visitors to the park can also enjoy other outdoor recreational activities such as hiking, cycling, birding, camping and observing the many forms of wildlife in the area. The area around Toledo Bend is a common nesting ground for the bald eagle, which feeds from the plentiful supply of freshwater fish found in the Reservoir.


Fun Fact:

South Toledo Bend State Park is located on the shores of Toledo Bend Reservoir, the largest manmade lake in the South and one of the largest in the nation.

Located right along the Mississippi River, the park contains a network of man-made lagoons which provides a peaceful, natural setting for relaxation. Woodlands meet wetlands in St. Bernard and the park's nature trail is the perfect way to introduce children to the joy of discovery in nature. Located just a few miles southeast of New Orleans, St. Bernard State Park is the perfect day trip or overnight excursion from the Big Easy.


Fun Fact:

St. Bernard State Park is a dedicated stop on America’s Wetland Birding Trail, where great horned owls take flight, woodpeckers peck and warblers sing songs.

Tickfaw, a Native American name meaning “rest among the pines,” is a fitting name for this state park. Tickfaw State Park offers visitors plenty of places to rest, among pines, in a canoe cruising the lazy Tickfaw River or in one of the scenic cabins or campsites. Start your trip at Tickfaw State Park’s nature center, which hosts programs about the park’s ecology and biodiversity. Check out the 800-gallon aquarium that holds native fish found in the Tickfaw River.


Fun Fact:

The waterway is indeed Tickfaw State Park’s main attraction, drawing visitors to its four distinct ecosystems.