Chicot State Park — Louisiana's Largest

Lafayette sits on coastal plain. Forty-five minutes north, the land changes: upland pine and hardwood forest covering 6,400 acres around a reservoir built for fishing. This is Chicot State Park, Louisiana's largest. Lake Chicot holds 2,000 acres of water stocked with bass, crappie, bream, and catfish. The park maintains boat launches, fishing piers, cabins, a campground, swimming access, and pedal boats. Hiking trails run through forest that looks nothing like the bayou country to the south. Within the park boundaries sits the Louisiana State Arboretum: 300 acres of native forest with self-guided interpretive trails. The arboretum preserves what grows in this upland zone when the swamp ends and the pines begin. Chicot receives a fraction of the attention it deserves, which means you can fish, hike, or camp without crowds. The forest is real, the lake is stocked, and the cabins are available. Go.