Parks around Lake Arthur

Lacassine NWR, in Cameron and Evangeline Parishes in southwestern Louisiana, was established on 12/30/37 by Executive Order No. 7780 as "a refuge and breeding ground for migratory birds and other wildlife." The refuge is nearly 35,000 acres in size, including 653 acres leased from the Cameron Parish School Board. The vegetation types occurring on the refuge are primarily water tolerant gras...

The Lacassine Wilderness now contains a total of 3,346 acres and is managed by the Fish & Wildlife Service. All of the Wilderness is in the state of Louisiana. In 1976 the Lacassine Wilderness became part of the now over 110 million acre National Wilderness Preservation System. In wilderness, you can enjoy challenging recreational activities and extraordinary opportunities for solitude. In an age ...

Cameron Prairie National Wildlife Refuge was established to preserve and protect wintering waterfowl and their habitat. It was the first refuge established under the auspices of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan. The refuge is located approximately 25 miles southeast of Lake Charles, Louisiana, in north central Cameron Parish. It contains 9,621 acres that include fresh marsh, coastal...

Sabine NWR,about 8 miles south of Hackberry, on State Highway 27, was established in 1937 to provide habitat for migratory waterfowl and other birds. The refuge consists of a basin of wetlands located between the Gulf's beach cheniers (oak ridges)and the coastal prairie, which is one of the most productive and fertile areas of North America. It encompasses 124,511 acres of fresh,intermediate...

Known as Louisiana's Outback, the Creole Nature Trail meanders through marshes, prairies, and along the Gulf of Mexico. As you loop through Calcasieu and Cameron parishes in Southwest Louisiana, view alligators and birds up close and in the wild, along with colorful wildflowers and rare cheniers shaped by salty winds.

The project encompasses 595,000 acres of the largest contiguous tract of bottomland hardwoods in the United States. The Atchafalaya Basin is a scenic semi-wilderness area of hardwood forests, cypress stands, marshes and bayous. It is one of the last great river swamps left in the nation. The Atchafalaya River and hundreds of miles of bayous bring life to this wilderness area.

Atchafalaya NWR, about 30 miles west of Baton Rouge, Louisiana and one mile east of Krotz Springs, Louisiana lies just east of the Atchafalaya River. The refuge was established in 1986 to provide for 1) conservation and management of all fish and wildlife within the refuge, 2) to fulfill the international treaty obligations of the United States with respect to fish and wildlife, and 3) to provide...

Established in 1907, Shell Keys National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is one of the oldest refuges in the National Wildlife Refuge System. It is also a testimony to the fast eroding shoreline of Louisiana. Its boundary was and still is rather loosely described as "... a small group of unsurveyed islets located in the Gulf of Mexico about three and one half miles south of Marsh Island, LA, and approxim...

Bayous weave through a seemingly endless expanse of cordgrass, reptilian eyes at the water's surface witness the ever-changing variety of waterfowl, and the call of the clapper rail reverberates through the marsh. For hundreds of years, many of the sights and sounds within this dynamic eco-system have gone untouched. Under the protective umbrella of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the hope ...

Grand Cote National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1989 to provide valuable waterfowl habitat in the Mississippi/Red River floodplain as part of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan. The 6,000 acre refuge is located in Avoyelles Parish outside of Marksville, Louisiana. Prior to clearing, this productive bottomland hardwood ecosystem provided ideal habitat for forest wildlife, but the...

Bayou Teche National Wildlife Refuge, established in 2001, is located in St. Mary Parish in southeast Louisiana. The 9,028 acre refuge is composed of wet bottomland hardwood laced with bayous and canals. The primary mission of the refuge is to preserve and manage habitat for the threatened Louisiana black bear. Other objectives are to provide habitat for other fish and wildlife species, environmen...

Bayous weave through a seemingly endless expanse of cordgrass, reptilian eyes at the water's surface witness the ever-changing variety of waterfowl, and the call of the clapper rail reverberates through the marsh. For hundreds of years, many of the sights and sounds within this dynamic eco-system have gone untouched. Under the protective umbrella of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the hope ...

Louisiana's Old River is a distinctive river with a remarkable history. Fifty miles northwest of Baton Rouge, it connects the Atchafalaya and Mississippi Rivers. It was once a part of the Mississippi and would have long ceased to exist had it not been for man. At one time, the Mississippi attempted to divert most of its flow through Old River and down the Atchafalaya. The Old River Lock was bu...

Cat Island National Wildlife Refuge was established on October 27, 2000 as the 526th refuge in the National Wildlife Refuge System. It is located near the town of St. Francisville, Louisiana, which is 30 miles north of Baton Rouge. The refuge was established to conserve, restore, and manage native forested wetland habitats for migratory birds, aquatic resources, and endangered and threatened plant...

Lake Ophelia NWR (named for the largest water body in the area) was established in 1988 to protect the important Mississippi/Red River floodplain ecosystem. The refuge was once part of a vast bottomland hardwood wilderness. Levees have changed hydrology, but the underlying ridge/Saale topography supports a variety of habitat types. Bottomland hardwood forest, croplands, fallow fields, moist soil u...

Points of interest in this majestic "Big Thicket" region of Texas include four National Forests and an Indian Reservation.

Red River Waterway, LA, now known as the J. Bennett Johnston Waterway, contains five locks and dams on the Red River. The project is operated by the Corps of Engineers and the Red River Waterway Commission. There are fishing, boating, picnicking, and bird watching opportunities at the recreation areas. Many recreation areas are still being developed and two visitor centers are planned.

The Kisatchie Hills Wilderness now contains a total of 8,679 acres and is managed by the Forest Service. All of the Wilderness is in the state of Louisiana. In 1980 the Kisatchie Hills Wilderness became part of the now over 109 million acre National Wilderness Preservation System. In wilderness, you can enjoy challenging recreational activities and extraordinary opportunities for solitude. In an a...

Life of all types abounds in the Big Thicket. This national preserve protects the incredible diversity of life found where multiple habitats converge in southeast Texas. Hiking trails and waterways meander through nine different ecosystems, from longleaf pine forests to cypress-lined bayous. It is a place of discovery, a place to wander and explore, a place to marvel at the richness of nature.

The Indian Mounds Wilderness now contains a total of 12,369 acres and is managed by the Forest Service. All of the Wilderness is in the state of Texas. In 1984 the Indian Mounds Wilderness became part of the now over 109 million acre National Wilderness Preservation System. In wilderness, you can enjoy challenging recreational activities and extraordinary opportunities for solitude. In an age of "...

A 114,000-acre lake in the Big Thicket country of Texas, with native flora including orchids, insect-eating plants and scores of animal species. At 114,000+ acres, Sam Rayburn is the largest man-made lake located totally within the boundaries of the state of Texas. The lake is located deep in the Piney Woods of Southeast Texas, nestled within the Angelina and Sabine National Forest. Sam Rayburn ...

The chorus of thousands of waterfowl, the splash of an alligator going for a swim, the rustle of wind moving through coastal prairie, and the high-pitched call of a fulvous whistling duck are just some of the sounds you may hear when visiting Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge. This 34,000-acre haven for wildlife is located on the upper Texas gulf coast. The meandering bayous of Anahuac NW...

Catahoula National Wildlife Refuge, located in east central Louisiana, 12 miles east of Jena, was established in 1958 as a wintering area for migratory waterfowl. The refuge contains 25,162 acres divided into two units. The 6,671 acre Headquarters Unit borders nine miles of the northeast shore of Catahoula Lake, a 26,000 acre natural wetland renowned for its large concentrations of migratory wat...

The Cane River region is home to a unique culture; the Creoles. The nearly three hundred year relationship between the Cane River Creoles and their homeland was shaped by the river. This relationship was tested by flood, drought, war, and numerous other obstacles. Luckily, their resilience and resourcefulness has allowed the Creole culture to endure and thrive.

Ouachita-Black Rivers System in AR and LA has four locks and dams. There are boat ramps and picnicking facilities on the river. The Felsenthal National Wildlife Refuge is located along the river near the AR and LA border.