Exploring Plantation & Cajun Country
Louisiana may best be represented by the iconic landscapes of southern Louisiana’s Cajun Country and Plantation Country.
Bogue Chitto State Park
Opened in 2010, Bogue Chitto State Park covers an area of 1,786 acres in southeastern Louisiana – just north of the New Orleans metropolitan area near Hammond. Found in Plantation Country, the park is located along Louisiana State Highway 25.
Bogue Chitto State Park features 14 miles of horseback riding trails and seven miles of hiking trails – plus fishing, swimming, and boating. Explore Frickes Cave, let the kids loose on the water playground, and enjoy one of the many picnic spots.
Chicot State Park
Established in 1939, Chicot State Park is set in central Louisiana near the city of Ville Platte.
Located in Evangeline Parish, the park encompasses over 6,400 acres – including a 2,000-acre lake.
Chicot State Park features hiking, cycling, picnicking, boating, and especially fishing.
Chicot Lake offers bass, crappie, bluegill, and more, while the area also features plenty of wildlife viewing.
Cypremont Point State Park
Located in St. Mary Parish, Cypremort Point State Park is located in southern Louisiana’s Cajun Country near the city of Franklin. Covering 185 acres, this Louisiana state park was founded in 2004 and operated by the Louisiana Office of State Parks.
Cypremort Point State Park features numerous water activities like fishing, water skiing, sailing, windsurfing, and even crabbing in Shark Bayou. Beaches are also available at Cypremort, as well as picnic spots, wildlife viewing, and great views of the water from the 100-foot fishing pier extending over Vermillion Bay.
Grand Isle State Park
Set in Jefferson Parish, Grand Isle State Park is located in southern Louisiana’s Cajun Country near the city of Galliano. Covering 140 acres and established in 1968, Grand Island is located directly on the Gulf of Mexico, near Caminada Bay and Barataria Bay.
Grand Isle State Park features bird watching, swimming, crabbing, hiking, sunbathing, and boating. Fishing for speckled trout and redfish is popular, along with the annual Grand Isle International Tarpon Rodeo taking place every summer at the Tarpon Rodeo Pavilion.
Lake Fausse Pointe State Park
Found in St. Martin Parish, Lake Fausse Pointe State Park is located in southern Louisiana’s Cajun Country on 6,000 acres.
Set near Lafayette, the park is operated by the Louisiana Office of State Parks.
Lake Fausse Pointe State Park offers boating, fishing, and canoe trails on Lake Fausse, plus playgrounds, picnic areas, and pavilions.
Hike or bike down the .75-mile Armadillo Ridge trail, 1.6-mile Cardinal Run trail, and the 3.3-mile Barred Owl Trek.
Palmetto Island State Park
Recently established in 2010, Palmetto Island State Park is set in Vermilion Parish in southern Louisiana’s Cajun Country. Encompassing 1,300 acres near Abbeville, the park is operated by the Louisiana Office of State Parks.
Palmetto Island State Park features a boat launch on the Vermilion River for boating and fishing, plus canoeing and kayaking on the interior lagoon. Stop by the visitor center for exhibits and the .75-mile nature trail, and don’t forget picnic spots and wildlife viewing.
Sam Houston Jones State Park
Honors Louisiana's 37th Governor, Sam Houston Jones State Park is a 1,087-acre park found in Lake Charles in Louisiana's Cajun Country. The park is truly an outdoors person's paradise – featuring two boat ramps sitting on West Fork of the Calcasieu River.
The park is also just about 20 miles from Calcaseiu Lake and is near the Indian Bayou – giving way to more aquatic adventure. Visitors are encouraged to keep their eyes peeled for birds, as the part is located in the Central Migratory Fly and frequently sees hundreds of species of bird.
Tickfaw State Park
Set closer to the Baton Rogue metropolitan area, Tickfaw State Park is great for bird watching and wildlife viewing, plus biking along the swamp and an onsite nature center.