Louisiana Campgrounds

[mfifield01]

Does anyone have good experience with campgrounds in Louisiana? My in-laws live towards the NE of the state. In 2015, we camped and drove over there. South Toledo Bend was the only campground that we stayed at in Louisiana. I prefer something like a COE or State Park, but they seem to be lacking. I did see some Recreation Areas, but have concern about the lack of a reservation system. Thanks.

[SummitPond]

When you say NE Louisiana, do you mean St. Tammany parish?

If so, many moons ago (mid-80s) one used to be able to camp at Fontainebleau State Park. It was a very nice place then. Haven't lived in that area since the late 90s, so I don't know what else might be around.

[mfifield01]

I'm looking for more a mid-point. Something close to the Louisiana-Texas border.

[gearhead]

How close to Tx-La border? We stayed at this Red River Authority campground near Colfax LA. this Spring. Nothing special but nice and quiet.

http://www.redriverwaterway.com/rec-reserve.asp

http://www.rvparkreviews.com/regions/louisiana/colfax

If you want closer to Texas let us know......

[carwheel_09]

Several State parks in that area. Google LA state parks. If your just looking for a place to stay Diamond Jacks Casino in Shreveport has a RV park.


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[mfifield01]

I'm mainly looking for a place to check out for a couple of days. I typically avoid RV parks. Last trip was Lake Livingston State Park, South Toledo Bend State Park, and then over to the in-laws (near Jonesville). My typical route is 190 to 63 to 28. Sometimes we take I10 to 165.

[gearhead]

On 190 near Jasper TX is Martin Dies State Park and Sandy Creek COE on Steinhagen Lake (Dam B). Further East near the intersection of 190 and 165 at Kinder LA. is the Coushatta Casino RV Park. It's the typical RV park, but a somewhat nicer one. A little north of that at Woodworth LA is Indian Creek Recreation Area. I've never stayed there but have driven through a couple times. That would be my first choice in the general area of Alexandria, LA.
If you want further north and east you may check out Poverty Point State Park near Delhi, LA., just off I-20.
I'm somewhat familiar with east Texas and Louisiana but not 63 or 28. Unless you are referring to the 63 at Livingston LA. If so, there is Lakeside RV park, a nice RV "Park" just south of Livingston on 63. It's one of our preferred stops headed east.
A little beyond your destination in Vidalia is Riverview RV Park. Nice to watch the traffic on the Mississippi.
Closest place I know to Jonesville would be the RV park at Paragon Casino at Marksville. It's a nice one but I avoid it because the roads around are so bad.
I've run those roads around Catahoula country and there isn't much to choose from.
edit add: Chicot State Park and Crooked Creek Recreation Area are in the area. I haven't been in either though.

[mfifield01]

Thanks for the info.

I was looking at some of the recreation areas in LA, but they seem to be first come first serve. Martin Dies and Sandy Creek look like good options in TX.

[gearhead]

Martin Dies is pretty good. It's been awhile but it seems one loop in the south unit is a little tight. edit...The parallel "pull throughs" is what looked too crowded to me. I never stayed in the north unit or the COE park.

[gearhead]

Add: I haven't been on 190 there in a while. The old bridge across the lake was scary. It had been hit by high loads many times. I heard there was a project to replace it. If it's still there you will clear it if you are under 13' 6".
I had ancestors all around Jonesvile, Jena, etc.

[mfifield01]

I'll be good on height.

I found this newer RV Park in Louisiana: https://polk.armymwr.com/programs/alligator-lake

It seems like a better option than a private park.

[gearhead]

It looks good but do you have to be military to use it?
If you really really want to be in the woods there are some Forest Service camps between Ft. Polk and Alexandria.
I've been researching them for a dream of Woodcock hunting there this winter. Don't tell anybody though, I don't need a crowd. :)

[mfifield01]

It looks good but do you have to be military to use it?
Somehow I looked over that detail. The recreation areas look like good options, I just worry about not having reservations.

[gearhead]

Call them and ask if they expect to fill up. Go ahead and make reservations. You can cancel. I cancelled several this summer.
Sandy Creek:
https://www.recreation.gov/camping/sandy-creek/r/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=NRSO&parkId=71407

Recreation.gov works good. If you are a senior you can get the discount pass and pay half in most cases. COE is usually cheap to start with. Half of that almost makes RV'ing cheaper than home.

[mfifield01]

I should have clarified on the reservations. I'm looking at some places in Louisiana that don't take reservations and I plan to go over Thanksgiving. This is one that looks nice, but without reservations: https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/kisatchie/null/recarea/?recid=34619&actid=29

[gearhead]

I forgot that one. I have looked at it for myself during hunting season.
If a lot of hunters use it over Thanksgiving that could be an issue. I know there are a couple Wildlife management Areas close to there. Maybe call the supervisors office in Pineville to ask if it usually fills up on Thanksgiving. Or, just take a chance on it. If it's full, it's just down the road to the campground at Woodworth.

[mfifield01]

I took your advice and booked Sandy Creek for 3 days and then Indian Creek for 2 days. I like some of the first come/first serve places, but wanted to have reservations over Thanksgiving.

[gearhead]

Good move. I'm thinking Indian Creek might be our next "short trip".
I've got a lot of footprints in the Woodworth area.

[JRTJH]

Our house was just across the "bay" from Kincaid Lake Rec Area. It's a fairly nice campground, but it's difficult to get to, especially when it rains. Watch out for the alligators in the evening. If you go out in a boat, turn on a spotlight and look for "orange/red marbles" on the waters surface.... Chances are you'll see enough to make your skin crawl if you're in a relatively small boat..... Fishing is pretty good at the old railroad trestle, around the point and about 1/2 mile from the campground.

Gearhead, timberdoodle hunting isn't very good around that area, but there are several "now native coveys of quail"..... If you hunt with a dog, make sure it knows how to avoid snakes. There are bunches of rattlers in the piney woods around Kisatchie.

[gearhead]

John..I'm just looking for a right of way to walk down where there "might" be woodcock. It's pretty much under the radar down here. What I read they are popular to hunt up north, then migrate here where they are pretty much ignored. A few folks hunt them in south Louisiana but there is supposed to be huntable numbers from about Alexandria into east Texas. No dog, which makes the odds lower. Browning waterproof snake boots.

[JRTJH]

Gearhead,

I've got a GWP that points woodcock but refuses to retrieve them. Several of us hunt them around the marshes in this area. Of the 10+ of us, nobody has a dog that will retrieve them. Some say it's the odor, but my dog will retrieve anything except for "doodles". Woodcock are pretty much a "worm eater" and the dogs won't mouth them, at least that's what we think. As for hunting around that area, Castor Plunge Road, just off Twin Bridges Road (watch for the Claiborne Bombing Range signs) had some good "doodle hunting", but it's tough walking through the bogs and without a dog, it's very much a "hit and miss" kind of event. Some days you may walk up on 6 or 8 and other weeks you may hunt every day and never see a single bird. If you do stay at Kincaid Recreation Area campground, you might find some birds around the Wild Azalea Trail. That's about 2 miles southeast of the campground, but it's been at least 5 years since I've been back there, so it might be a shopping center now :(

Most of the "old guys" that I hunted with are no longer above ground. Two are in a nursing home and last time we were there, neither remembered who I was, so they wouldn't be able to give you any advice.

Grits Gresham built a sporting clays/skeet range in Natchitoches. Some of the old guys that walk that range hunted "doodles" around the Cane River area. You might start there. It's a public facility, open to anybody who doesn't "flinch at gunfire"..... Grits is long gone, but his range is still going strong. http://www.natchitochesshooting.com/

[gearhead]

Good info John. I'd heard about dogs that would point them but not retrieve them.
This is a bucket list item that is no where near the top of the list. I just want to walk a right of way in that area on a frosty morning with the Citori 20 over my shoulder and be able to say "heck yeah, I've been woodcock hunting".
I'm thinking load the Bigfoot and hit a couple Forest Service campgrounds, walk around in the morning, take a nap after lunch, build a fire and sip some bourbon. Real low key.
I forgot Grits was from LA. He could tell a story.
Grandpa used to walk us down his driveway to the "hole". Best I remember his story was a airplane missed the Claiborn bombing zone. I don't know, he had a lot of good stories.
Mom went to college in Nachitoches and pretty much put the fear in me about anything to do with Cane River. I'll leave it at that. But I do hear they have a nice Christmas celebration.

[JRTJH]

If you've never been to Natchitoches for the Christmas Lights, it's something you should try to do. It's not a "3 or 4 day thing" but definitely worth spending an evening at the WalMart campground and walking the Cane River from the lower bridge up to the end. As for woodcock hunting, it, like quail, is a "later in the morning" kind of "civilized hunting". The birds don't come off the roost until the frost is gone, then it's a quick feed, water and fly back to the area they feel safe. You'd do your best "sightings" around 9 or 10 AM and then again just before dusk. Be careful in Kisatchie in the late afternoon. Once the sun goes down, that place is unforgiving and it's real easy to get turned around. While you're in Natchitoches, walking the river road, looking at the lights, take your pick of food stands for hot chocolate and meat pies.... They're the authentic ones, unlike the "touristy things" you'll find across the street in the restaurants for double the price.....

[gearhead]

After I wrote that about the Christmas festival I went to their website. We discussed going a while back, we might have that conversation again.
I have a GPS I can carry and probably would.
Those Natchitoches meat pies are dang good and we're overdue.

[pawpaw]

Spent 3 nights last weekend at the new Grand Ecore RV Park in Natchitoches. Son in law was up there hunting in Kisatchie so my daughter and her two boys and the wife took in the festivities in town. 2nd time in 4 yrs going up there. The new RV park is on the Red River and Bayou Pierre and only a few miles from town. Not many trees but the ones they have are pecan trees and the boys had fun picking them up off the ground. Wife already booked nights for next year!

grandecorervpark.com/

http://www.keystoneforums.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=628&pictureid=5083

http://www.keystoneforums.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=628&pictureid=5086

[mfifield01]

We had a good time at Indian Creek. Sites were a little close and pads somewhat short, but not bad. We mostly rode bikes around the area. A lot of people go all out for their setups. They have a lot of double pull through sites. They set them up with carport type shelters with golf carts and large outdoor kitchens. I'll have get the pics from the DW. They have 3 beaches, one of which is dedicated to the camping area.

[gearhead]

Yeah post up the pics from Indian Creek when you can.
PawPaw thanks for posting about the new campground. We will probably visit it.

[pawpaw]

Yeah post up the pics from Indian Creek when you can.
PawPaw thanks for posting about the new campground. We will probably visit it.

No problem...$40 bucks a night but worth it. Everything is new and in working order! 262 miles from my house in Lafourche Parish.

[pawpaw]

Here's a few more pics for 'ya Gearhead!! All have concrete pads and lots of room...my rig is 56' and I catch detach with room to spare and not block traffic.


http://www.keystoneforums.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=628&pictureid=5093


http://www.keystoneforums.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=628&pictureid=5094


http://www.keystoneforums.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=628&pictureid=5095

[gearhead]

196 miles from me. 3.43 hours. Nice drive.
You ready for some snow??

[mfifield01]

We got some snow last. They said 1.5" at the airport.

Most of the pics the DW got were of the kids. I'm not sure why I didn't take any with my phone. Here's a few. The first one is our camper across a small swimming cove. The second one, I'm in front pulling my daughter in a bike trailer and my son is close to the camera. The other pictures are of the double pull through sites.

[gearhead]

We need to get over there. My Moms family is from right around there. My great grandmother is buried just off Bayou Clear Rd., across Hwy 165 from the campground.

[pawpaw]

196 miles from me. 3.43 hours. Nice drive.
You ready for some snow??

The snowman delivered!! First time getting any snow in the 10 yrs we've been in this house. Had to take Goldilocks out for a spin in it yesterday evening. All melted now!

http://www.keystoneforums.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=628&pictureid=5101

http://http://www.keystoneforums.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=628&pictureid=5102

:xmas5:

[pawpaw]

Here's one more pic...snow is rare this far south in Louisiana.

http://www.keystoneforums.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=628&pictureid=5102

[gearhead]

You got more than we did. Don't you just know the folks in Michigan are laughing at us.

[pawpaw]

Next week it'll be back in the 70's so this cold weather was just a tease!! :D

[gearhead]

45-70 and rain next week.

[pawpaw]

45-70 and rain next week.

November was our driest month ever...we actually need some rain so rain may accompany the warmer weather next week too. Last night was the first time I put the heaters on in the camper. It got down to 27 early this morning and I even got to use my fireplace today so that was a plus. Usually my firewood gets eaten by termites or burned at the campsite!! :D

[gearhead]

I don't think we had 3 inches of rain since the hurricane. I got about 1.250" in my gauge the day before this cold front. Actually ran my lawn sprinklers the week before. I couldn't stick those laser Christmas light things in the ground it was so hard.
Trimmed the hedge and mowed the front yard today. Pull green tomatoes tomorrow.

[freejack6466]

Bayou Sengette State Park was a great campground. 15 minutes to the French Quarter. 5-10 to Harrahan, where you find great restaurants and shopping. Nice restrooms, clean showers, free laundry, great hot water. Nice roomy lots. Already made reservations for next year!


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