Chicot State Park is located near

Ville Platte, Louisiana Ville Platte is the largest city in, and the parish seat of, Evangeline Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 6,303 at the 2020 census, down from 8,145 in 2000. The city's name is of French origin, roughly translating to "flat to ...

. This

wildlife reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, funga, or features of geologi ...

of South Central

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

features of rolling hills surrounding a man-made

Lake Chicot Lake Chicot can refer to: * Lake Chicot, Arkansas Lake Chicot ( ) is a lake adjacent to the Mississippi River. The lake is located on the east side of Lake Village, Arkansas in Chicot County. It is the largest oxbow lake in North America, as w ...

stocked with bass, crappie (sac-au-lait), bluegill, and red-ear sunfish. Chicot Park offers fishing boat rentals, pavilions, barbecue pits, picnic areas, restrooms, primitive hike-to campsites, lodges, and furnished cabins. The park is home to a number of wild animal species, including

whitetail deer The white-tailed deer (''Odocoileus virginianus''), also known commonly as the whitetail and the Virginia deer, is a medium-sized species of deer native to North, Central and South America. It is the most widely-distributed mainland ungulate ...

raccoon The raccoon ( or , ''Procyon lotor''), sometimes called the North American, northern or common raccoon (also spelled racoon) to distinguish it from Procyonina, other species of raccoon, is a mammal native to North America. It is the largest ...

coyote The coyote (''Canis latrans''), also known as the American jackal, prairie wolf, or brush wolf, is a species of canis, canine native to North America. It is smaller than its close relative, the Wolf, gray wolf, and slightly smaller than the c ...

s, and

bobcat The bobcat (''Lynx rufus''), also known as the wildcat, bay lynx, or red lynx, is one of the four extant species within the medium-sized wild cat genus '' Lynx''. Native to North America, it ranges from southern Canada through most of the c ...

History

One of the older Louisiana parks, the park was added to the Louisiana State Park system in 1939. Under the direction of the

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an List of federal agencies in the United States, agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government, within the US Department of the Interior. The service manages all List ...

, the

Civilian Conservation Corps The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a voluntary government unemployment, work relief program that ran from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men ages 18–25 and eventually expanded to ages 17–28. The CCC was ...

significantly developed the area.

Activities

Fishing is encouraged at the park with a boathouse, three boat launches, and boat rental facilities. The waters of Lake Chicot are habitat to largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, and red-ear sunfish. A hiking/backpacking trail encircles the lake and supports several primitive campsites. The trail is tailored for mountain bikes and cycling is encouraged throughout the park. The park includes a hiking trail. The southern landing includes cabins, group camp, lodge, picnic areas, playgrounds, and water playground. The northern landing features campsites, lodges, and a primitive group-camping area. The East landing includes a meeting room and barbecue pavilion.

References

External links

Chicot State Park
Protected areas of Evangeline Parish, Louisiana State parks of Louisiana {{Louisiana-protected-area-stub

History

Activities

See also

References

External links