Overview
Chicot State Park is one of my family’s favorite State Parks in Louisiana. The large swimming pool, huge lake for fishing and the beautiful scenery warrants this rating! It is a beautiful park sitting on 6,400 acres of natural habitat…rolling hills, a 2,000 acre lake with lots of cypress trees and needles, nature trails and the Louisiana State Arboretum just down the road. Don’t pass this up, admission is Free to the Arboretum! The Arboretum has wonderful nature trails through a beech-magnolia and pine forest. Various plant life is identified and labeled with small tags all along the nature trails. There is also nice Welcome Center at the Arboretum with information on local places of interest and restrooms.
Location
Chicot State Park is located in South Central Louisiana, about 6 miles north of the historical town of Ville Platte and about 30 minutes off of I-49. Exit I-49 onto Hwy. 106 South. Then you will take a left onto LA 3042 taking you to the entrance of the campground. Since Ville Platte is not the every day city you would recognize, it is about a two and half hour drive from Baton Rouge, LA and approximately one hour from Lafayette, LA. When you get close to the park (the final 30 miles or so), you will think you are really in the boonies but that just adds to the serenity of the drive to the campground. Also, if you want to venture out of the campground for fast food, Ville Platte is the closest town to Chicot State Park. Another short drive would be to Opelousas, another small but historical Louisiana town. Opelousas was the Confederate Capitol of Louisiana during the Civil War. Opelousas is approximately 20 miles south of Chicot State Park. If you are in the market to explore a few historical towns in Louisiana or experience the “Cajun” territories around Lafayette, Louisiana Chicot State Park would be a great neutral location in which to stay. Lafayette has an old fashioned Acadian Village that takes you back to the true Acadian era and lets you explore and see for yourself how the Cajuns lived. This is a very interesting and
educational place to visit.
Camping Experience
We have stayed at Chicot State Park in the large campground area on several occasions and have enjoyed our visit each time. We have never had to have reservations, lots of nice shady spaces were available on our visits during the summer. The neighboring campers have always been quiet and observed camp rules. However, upon driving over to the other “loop” after dark we found that side of the campground was not so quiet! I’m so glad we were on the other side! The campers in this loop must have been regulars and were throwing a little party. There were also lots of kids running around which seemed to be unsupervised.
Camping Amenities
All-in-all Chicot State Park has something for each family member. The children can participate in Nature Classes held by the Ranger each day. These classes range from topics like “What is an Ecosystem?” to “How Many Avian Species can You Find?”
They are all very interesting and the kids enjoy them. Check at the office for a weekly schedule and to sign up. The kids can also enjoy riding bikes or skating up and down the hilly roads and of course the Olympic size pool which is a hands down favorite! The men folk can spend their day on the huge lake fishing. There are boat rentals available if you do not have your own at reasonable prices. Please be sure to check the bulletin board for Fish Advisories. Chicot Lake has a warning for mercury contamination and the State has recommendations as to the number of fish that can safely be consumed per day from Chicot Lake.
The nature trails are enjoyed by all but please be on the watch for snakes! Louisiana is native to several species of poisonous snakes such as Cottonmouth, Rattlesnakes, Coral Snakes and Water Moccasins. You have to be on the lookout, especially on the
wooded nature trails. If you do happen to run across one on a trail make sure you stop in your tracks and very, very slowly ease your way backwards. Sudden movement will frighten the snake and cause them to possibly strike out at you. You may also see some rabbits, raccoon, squirrels, various birds, deer and armadillos that are native to Louisiana on the nature trails and in the park at dusk.
Camping/Park Fees
Entrance Fees for day use of the park are $2.00 per adult. Senior Citizens age 62 and over get in free and children under the age of 3.
Camp site fees are very affordable at $18.00 per night for improved sites with water and electrical hook up. Most sites have pavement for RV’s and travel trailers. Unimproved sites (no hook ups) are $10.00 per night.
There are also cabins to be rented on the lake, as well a Lodge for groups.
State Arboretum
Before you leave you should visit the State Arboretum down the road, which is about 1/2 a mile from the campground. There are no admission charges, it is totally free! You will find all native species of trees and plants identified along the trail. Make sure you wear good walking shoes for this trail is often slippery in early morning due to the dew or recent rainfall. It is very easy to lose your footing and slip down one of these slopes. I speak from experience here! Also, this trail is longer than you will think. Plan for about an hour to leisurely walk this trail. I believe it is a 1.5 mile hike if I remember correctly.
Final Recommendation
If you get a chance to camp here or just visit for the day, I’m sure you will be well entertained and enjoy your visit. This is a beautiful park and campground with lots of things for the entire family to do. Enjoy the serenity of nature and just relax!
For more information and/or reservations contact the Park Office at 337-363-2403 or 1-888-677-2442.
