LOUISIANA STATE PARKS CELEBRATE NATIONAL KIDS TO PARKS DAY
Saturday, May 19
Louisiana
State Parks and America’s State Parks are partnering with the National
Park Trust in hosting National Kids to Parks Day on Saturday, May 19.
National Kids to Parks Day is promoted as a nationwide day of outdoor
play, encouraging families to explore the outdoors and their nearby
parks.
This year’s events at Louisiana’s State Parks and Historic Sites include:
SPORTSMAN’S PARADISE
Lake
D’Arbonne State Park, Farmerville Nature
Scavenger Hunt 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Mansfield
State Historic Site, Mansfield Children’s
Games of the Civil War 2 p.m.
Poverty
Point State Historic Site, Epps Raffia
Baskets 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.
CROSSROADS
Hodges Gardens SP, Florien Geocaching at Hodges Gardens 10 a.m.
South Toledo Bend SP, Anacoco Kids and Binoculars 11 a.m.
CAJUN COUNTRY
La. State Arboretum, Ville Platte Nature for Kids 10 a.m.
Palmetto Island State Park, Abbeville Group Bike Ride 1 p.m.
PLANTATION COUNTRY
Audubon State Historic Site, St. Francisville Pond Prowl 1 – 4 p.m.
Port Hudson State Historic Site, Zachary Artillery Ridge 10 a.m.
Tickfaw State Park, Springfield Children’s Video
Wild Crafts for Kids Nature, Naturally!
Tickfaw
Idol 9:30
a.m. 11
a.m. 1:30
p.m. 3 p.m.
GREATER NEW ORLEANS
Bayou
Segnette State Park, Westwego Animal
Tracking For Kids Wildlife
Detectives
Canoeing
Kite-struction 10
a.m. 11
a.m. 1
p.m. 3 p.m.
Bogue Chitto
State Park, Franklinton Outdoor Cooking
Demonstration
Introduction to Camping 10 a.m. – noon 1-2 p.m.
Fairview-Riverside State Park , Madisonville
Kids’ Bait-N-Wait Fishing Derby 8 a.m. – noon
Fontainebleau
State Park, Mandeville Nature: A Closer
Look Can I Eat
That?
Nature
Hayride 9
a.m. 10:30
a.m. 3 p.m.
During the 2011 National Kids to Parks Day, more than 15,000 families in nearly 200
cities and towns explored parks in their communities. To learn more about this
year’s events, visit www.kidstoparks.org.
MANSFIELD STATE HISTORIC SITE REOPENS
Mansfield
State Historic Site reopens on Monday, April 30, 2012 after renovations
of the site museum that included new light fixtures and flooring. New
exhibits are currently in design by Expo Displays for a late July
installation. The exhibits will feature artifacts, letters, uniforms,
and other materials on the battle of Mansfield and the Red River
Campaign of 1864.
A portion of Mansfield SHS’ trail system
remains closed, due to an undergrowth control cutdown in the
heavily-forested areas of the historic site. This project is
anticipated to be complete by the middle of summer.
In 1973,
Mansfield State Historic Site was placed on the National Register of
Historic Places, an honorary designation for significant historical
sites. The site is located in DeSoto Parish, four miles south of the
town of Mansfield, along Highway 175. The site hosts tours daily, 9
a.m. – 5 p.m., except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. For
more information, visit www.lastateparks.com.
PART OF FAIRVIEW-RIVERSIDE STATE PARK CLOSES IN MAY FOR TREE REMOVAL
The
front campground area at Fairview-Riverside State Park will close for
the month of May for scheduled tree removal. The project will eliminate
pine trees damaged by weather and insects that pose safety concerns for
park guests. The back campground will remain open.
Following
tree and stump removal, a contract will be bid to plant new trees at
the park. Replacement trees will include a mixture of native oak and
cypress, along with a few pine saplings.
Construction continues on the park's new bathhouse, anticipated to be complete by mid-summer.
Fairview-Riverside
State Park is located one mile east of Madisonville on Hwy. 22 in St.
Tammany Parish. During the work visitors can still enjoy camping, a
day-use picnic area on the banks of the Tchefuncte River and the Otis
House Museum. For more information call 888.677.3247 toll free or
845.3318 locally.
April 2012
LA State Parks mobile app Updated
Games AND Interactive GPS Functions ADDED
The
Pocket Ranger®, Louisiana Office of State Parks’ official mobile app
for Parks and historic sites, will be released with new features and
games for visitors. The free, updated app includes advanced interactive
capabilities—such as free, GPS mapping and a Friend Finder to keep
track of your family and friends on the trail. The revised mobile app
is faster than ever to download and activate, and new multitasking
capabilities make it easier to navigate.
The
more adventurous outdoor enthusiasts will benefit from the recently
added GeoChallenges feature, which include geocache and geoquest
activities that highlight the best of what Louisiana State Parks and
State Historic Sites have to offer. Follow the GPS coordinates on your
device as you traverse natural and historical trails through the state.
The
marking tools and trail-tracking features, located on the side
navigation bar of the GPS Mapping section, have also been reorganized
and improved. Use the app to track, mark, record and share photo
waypoints easily with other users, as well as family and friends. GPS
also plays a pivotal role in the app’s safety functions, such as a
safety alert feature that shares your GPS coordinates with designated
contacts, in case of an emergency.
The
Pocket Ranger® app—developed collaboratively between Louisiana’s State
Parks and Historic Sites and ParksByNature Network—is available for
free to smartphone users, and can be downloaded by visiting Apple
iTunes and Google Play for Android, and searching for Louisiana State
Parks; or by visiting www.StateParkApps.com.
CAMPGROUND AT LAKE D’ARBONNE STATE PARK
CLOSED FOR BATHHOUSE RENOVATIONS --until May 25
The
campground at Lake D’Arbonne State Park near Farmerville is closed
until May 25, due to renovations of the campground bathhouse.
Renovations to the bathhouse, constructed in 2002, include new interior
and exterior paint, floor tile, plumbing fixtures and shower partitions.
Lake
D’Arbonne State Park is located off La. 4, five miles west of
Farmerville. The park offers cabins, lodges, a group camp and
campground for overnight visitors; day-use visitors can enjoy a
swimming pool, tennis courts, fishing pier and a visitor center
complex. For more information on Lake D’Arbonne State Park, visit
www.LaStateParks.com or call 888.677.5200 or 318.368.3086.
GOLFWEEK NAMES BLACK BEAR TOP GOLF COURSE IN LA
For
the third consecutive year, Golfweek magazine has named Black Bear Golf
Club in Delhi the number one public access course in Louisiana. The
list released in the March 9 issue touted TPC Louisiana at Fairfield in
Avondale and Atchafalaya at Idlewild in Patterson along with Black Bear
Golf Club in the top five—all of which are part of Louisiana’s Audubon
Golf Trail.
“Black Bear Golf Course and Lodge are wonderful
facilities owned by the people of Louisiana,” Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne
said. “It does not surprise me that Golfweek recognized this gem in
north Louisiana and two other great courses on the Audubon Golf Trail.
Louisiana has everything it takes to have a great day on the
greens—great courses, great weather, great food and great hospitality.”
Golfweek
has had Black Bear Golf Course at the top of its list since 2010. The
top five courses in Louisiana also include Contraband Bayou in Lake
Charles and The Bluffs in St. Francisville. The Best Courses issue,
devoted to honoring the nation’s greatest layouts, features Golfweek’s
Best Classic and Modern Courses lists as well as a state-by-state
listing of the country’s best courses.
Black Bear Golf
Club is the course managed by the Office of State Parks. Located just
six miles off I-20 in Delhi, the course is adjacent to the Poverty
Point Reservoir and State Park. For more information about Black Bear
Golf Club, call 318.878.2162 or visit www.BlackBear-Golf.com. For more
information on golfing in Louisiana visit www.AudubonGolf.com.
March 2012
EAST LANDING AT CHICOT STATE PARK REOPENS
The
road leading to Chicot State Park's East Landing has reopened to the
public, after state Department of Transportation and Development
personnel filled a sunken portion of the road. The road, leading to the
East Landing area from La. 106, suffered damage due to recent rains and
regular use.
The state Department of Transportation and
Development will monitor the condition of the road, and make a
determination on permanent road repairs as soon as budget allows.
Chicot
State Park, located six miles north of Ville Platte on La. 3042, covers
more than 6,000 acres of rolling hills and a 2,000-acre reservoir. The
park is open daily from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. and accommodates overnight
guests.
Effective immediately, the boat launch at North Toledo Bend State Park, near Zwolle is open to boat traffic.
Boat launches at both North Toledo Bend and South Toledo Bend
State Parks closed in July due to extremely low lake levels at the
Toledo Bend Reservoir.
The South Toledo Bend State Park boat launch remains closed pending dredging of boat lanes by the Sabine River Authority.
The
water level at the Toledo Bend Reservoir remains below the recommended
safe level so all water sport participants are advised to avoid
excessive speed and exercise caution when navigating waters outside of
normal boat lanes. For general lake information, visit
www.Toledo-Bend.com. For information about Louisiana State Parks, visit
www.LaStateParks.com
Feb 2012
BEACH CAMPING
AVAILABLE AT GRAND ISLE STATE PARK
Beach camping is
returning to Grand Isle State Park beginning Friday, Jan. 6. The beach has 10
camping permits for overnight stays in the area between the west bathhouse and
the western park boundary. Only tent camping is available as vehicles are not
permitted on the beach.
The campsites can
be reserved for $12 per night, by calling 1.877.226.7652 or visiting www.ReserveAmerica.com. Additional
campsites may be added in the future, depending upon space availability and
environmental concerns.
Beach camping has
been closed since early 2005 due to damage caused by erosion. Hurricanes Katrina
and Rita in 2005, along with Hurricane Gustav in 2008, caused further erosion
problems despite Corps of Engineers stabilization projects. The most recent
Corps erosion project expanded the existing breakwater barriers at the east end
of the island and stabilized the beach area to a level that allows
camping.
Grand Isle State
Park is located on the east end of Grand Isle, of La. 1 on Admiral Craik Drive.
The only state-owned and operated beach on the Louisiana Gulf Coast, the site
offers excellent fishing, crabbing and camping opportunities. For more
information about Grand Isle or other State Parks, visit www.LaStateParks.com. Dec 2011
LT.
GOV. DARDENNE URGES CONTINUED RECREATION AT TOLEDO BEND
ACCESSIBLE
BOAT LAUNCHES LISTED
Lt.
Governor Jay Dardenne is reminding tourists and locals alike that the
Toledo Bend Reservoir is still open for fishing and other types of
water recreation, despite low water levels. Drought-like conditions
have forced closure of many of the reservoir’s boat launches, but
dredging and cypress stump removal are easing navigation in the boat
lanes. However, boaters should still use extreme caution when
accessing and navigating the reservoir at all times.
“Although
the access points are limited due to low water levels, once you get
in the lake the fishing is spectacular,” Lt. Governor Dardenne
said. “Much of the economic well being of this area—hotels,
camping, retail, restaurants—is tied to the lake, so it’s
important to increase visitation to this area.
Boaters
can still launch their watercraft at the following locations on the
Louisiana side of the reservoir: Pirate’s Cove (Hornbeck), Circle
Drive (Stanley), Buckeye Landing (Many), Cypress Bend Park (Many) and
Big Bass Marina (Many). Additionally, Oak Ridge Park (Stanley),
Toledo Bend Resort (Anacoco) and Turtle Beach (Many) are open for
small boats only. Although the boat launches remain closed at the
North Toledo Bend State Park (Zwolle) and South Toledo Bend State
Park (Leesville), people wishing to canoe or kayak on the reservoir
can launch at these sites. Nov 2011
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