Louisiana is home to 22 State Parks and countless ways to enjoy every one of them. JOURNEYS OF HISTORICAL PROPORTIONS Bayou Segnette State Park This New Orleans area park, well known for its wave pool and playground, is an awesome destination for families. Hikers enjoy views of the cypress-tupelo swamp on foot, and overnighters choose from scenic RV spots or tent sites. getaway, o ering opportunities for swimming, kitesurfing, windsurfing, fishing and just plain hanging out. The marshes near the beach give hikers and campers a chance to spot deer, red foxes and even black bears. Louisiana history is alive in every corner of the state. See for yourself at these State Historic Sites. HISTORIC HOMES • Audubon , St. Francisville • E.D. White , Thibodaux • Kent Plantation House , Alexandria • Longfellow-Evangeline , St. Martinville • Otis House at Fairview-Riverside State Park , Madisonville • Rosedown Plantation , St. Francisville MILITARY HISTORY • Centenary , Jackson • Fort Jesup , Many • Fort Pike , New Orleans • Fort St. Jean Baptiste , Natchitoches • Forts Randolph & Buhlow , Pineville • Locust Grove , St. Francisville • Mansfield , Mansfield • Port Hudson , Jackson • Rebel , Marthaville NATIVE AMERICAN HISTORY • Los Adaes , Robeline • Marksville , Marksville • Poverty Point World Heritage Site , Pioneer Bogue Chitto State Park The slow moving Bogue Chitto River is perfect for a day of tubing, canoeing or kayaking, horseback riding through the swamps or fishing from the shoreline. Fairview-Riverside’s close proximity to the Tchefuncte River makes it easy to catch bass, bluegill, redfish and speckled trout from the shoreline or boat, or tour the historic 1880s-era Otis House. Fairview-Riverside State Park Chemin-A-Haut State Park Families flock to Chemin-A-Haut for the park’s swimming and wading pools, 35 picnic sites and rustic footpaths and horse trails overlooking Bayou Bartholomew. Fontainebleau State Park Chicot State Park Louisiana’s largest park features miles of trails and boating opportunities. It is also home of the Louisiana State Arboretum, a beech-magnolia forest covering 300 acres that includes many indigenous plant species. Fontainebleau sits on the grounds of a former sugar plantation—the mill is still partly intact and open to visitors. Check out the expansive pier on Lake Pontchartrain, a sandy beach, water playground and a portion of the 31-mile-long Tammany Trace bike trail. Grand Isle State Park Cypremort Point State Park A half-mile-long beach runs the length of this Cajun Country Grand Isle is Louisiana’s premier spot for weekend warriors looking to dip their toes in warm Gulf of Mexico waters. Beach camping is popular, as are the Grand Isle Migratory Bird Festival in April and the International Grand Isle Tarpon Rodeo in July. PHOTOS: (OPPOSITE PAGE) Pedestrian bridge at South Toledo Bend State Park ; (THIS PAGE) Bob Rodgers Memorial Disc Golf Course at Sam Houston Jones State Park; (SIDEBAR) Rosedown Plantation in St. Francisville. Learn more about Louisiana’s State Parks and Historic Sites at LouisianaTravel.com/ state-historic-sites. LouisianaTravel.com 35