3 minute read
Nature's Newest Hits
Unveil the Latest Fun at State Parks.
BY LOUISIANA OFFICE OF STATE PARKS
FONTAINEBLEAU, FAIRVIEW-RIVERSIDE AND BOGUE CHITTO STATE PARKS present many opportunities to get outdoors and explore the natural beauty of Louisiana. If you haven’t visited southeast Louisiana in a while, make plans to pay these parks another visit as there have been many changes over the last year.
FONTAINEBLEAU STATE PARK
Fontainebleau State Park is a 2,800-acre park located on the shore of Lake Pontchartrain. Overnight guests can experience magnificent sunsets from a porch in one of 12 renovated vacation cabins. With a recently completed campground improvement project, RV guests can now spend more time relaxing and experiencing the natural beauty of the park with the convenience of full-hookup utilities.
One of two brand-new, all-inclusive playgrounds—specialized areas that give children of various abilities the opportunity to play and interact together—is found at Fontainebleau State Park. The over 7,000-square-foot playgrounds (the second located at Bogue Chitto State Park, featured right) include special features like a safety surface, accessible ramps, a wheelchair-accessible together glider, an inclusive swing seat and more.
The park is home to the brick ruins of a sugar mill built in 1829 by Bernard de Marigny de Mandeville, founder of the nearby town of Mandeville. Cycling, hiking and in-line skating are easily enjoyed along the Tammany Trace, a revitalized railroad track that runs through the park.
FAIRVIEW-RIVERSIDE STATE PARK
At just 99 acres, Fairview-Riverside State Park is one of the smallest state parks in Louisiana. Located within the park is the historic Otis House, originally built in the 1880s as the family home for sawmill owner William Theodore Jay and later purchased by Frank Otis. The Otis House Museum offers tours on Saturdays at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. by appointment. Call (985) 845-3318 for info.
Fairview-Riverside has access to freshwater and brackish water fishing, with the chance for speckled trout in addition to the ever-present bream and bass. A boat launch near the park provides direct river access for avid anglers. A boardwalk along the Tchefuncte River is a great place to spend some time while RV camping at Fairview-Riverside State Park.
Bogue Chitto State Park
Several new and improved attractions have opened at Bogue Chitto State Park, including a kids' trail, an equestrian campground and mountain bike area upgrades. The kids' trail is an accessible, quarter-mile paved trail featuring artwork by Louisiana artists Brandon Ballengee and Brad Bourgoyne. This interactive trail is designed to engage children with animal-themed, hands-on learning experiences through sculptures of native animals and insects.
The seven-campsite equestrian campground, designed to accommodate campers and their horses, is equipped with full hookups, a 40x40-foot pavilion, a barn and a comfort station with shower and restroom facilities. Mountain bike area enhancements include a restroom building with showers, a bike wash and repair station, a skills area and two pump tracks for children and adults. Not an equestrian? No problem. The park still features four cabins (each sleeps up to eight), one lodge (sleeps up to 14) and 80 RV sites.
