Tickfaw State Park

Description:

• Eco-Education

  Check posted program schedules for guided hikes on the boardwalks, or you may prefer the more relaxed approach offered during a nature program presentation at one of the three education pavilions and an outdoor amphitheater at the nature center. You can also join a nighttime program, go night hiking or listen to the swamp nightlife from the porch of your vacation cabin.

  Bicycle, stroll, or skate the interconnecting park roadways. Rent a canoe and take a fun-filled trip on this unique section of the Tickfaw River. Visitors can bring their own canoes or rent ones supplied by an available canoe vendor. Even Louisiana residents who are familiar with the upper sandy creek-like nature of the Tickfaw River, or the lower stretches where the river broadens and flattens into a tital waterway, will not recognize this narrow, twisting section of the river. Shaded by trees that stabilize this section, the Tickfaw River cuts through the heart of the park. On the opposite shore are approximately 600 undeveloped park acres for future trails and remote adventures.

  Teachers can utilize the park as a classroon for day trips. Park naturalists offer materials and leadership to initiate the learning process in the classroom and provide the follow-up on site. Nature programs for families and tour groups are also available. And after you've seen the park in the fall, come back for the winter, spring and summer seasons for a completely different look. During warmer weather, the Water Playground offers refreshing fun for those not quite adventurous enough to explore the swamps and sloughs.

  Stay Awhile

  Overnight visitors can stay at one of 14 vacation cabins that overlook a cypress swamp. Each air-conditioned, two-bedroom cabin sleeps eight persons and includes a fireplace, fully-equipped kitchen and bathroom. Thirty campsites with water and electricity, fire ring and picnic table are available for recreational vehicle owners. An additional 20 tent campsites offer a tranquil setting for tent campers. A climate-controlled bathhouse and laundry facility are also available for camper use.

  A Group Camp accommodates up to 52 visitors in two spacious dormitory wings, each wing served by private bath facilities. The dormitories flank a dining hall and central kitchen, furnished with commercial cooking equipment.

  Day-use visitors can reserve a covered picnic shelter to enjoy a traditional crawfish boil or an old-fashioned family picnic. A canoe launch at the north end of the park and a canoe landing with parking area in the heart of the park afford convenient access to the Tickfaw River.

  A gift shop in the Nature Center (open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily) offers souvenirs with a local flavor.

  camping, picnicking, canoeing, wildlife viewing

  located 32 miles east of Baton Rouge. Take I-12 to the Albany/Springfield exit. Travel 2 miles south on LA 43, merge with LA 42 and continues one mile to the center of Springfield. Turn west on LA 1037 and travel six miles to Patterson Road (across from Woodland Baptist Church), then south 1.2 miles to the park entrance. For an alternate route from Baton Rouge, take the Holden/Hwy. 441 exit, turning south onto Hwy. 441. Travel 2 miles and turn east onto Hwy. 42. Travel 1.3 miles and turn south onto C.C. Hutchinson Road (at the gas station), and go 3 miles and turn west onto Hwy. 1037/Blood River Road. Follow 1037 for about 2 miles to Patterson Road (across from Woodland Baptist Church), then south 1.2 miles to the park entrance. To reserve a cabin, campsite, group camp or picnic pavilion, call 1-877-CAMP-N-LA toll free (877-226-7652).