Nature & Parks· 1938· Morehouse

Chemin-A-Haut State Park

Chemin-A-Haut — "highway of the high place" — traces a bluff trail Native Americans walked during seasonal migrations, long before the French named what they found. The Civilian Conservation Corps built the park in the 1930s on 503 acres overlooking Bayou Bartholomew, acquired in 1938 as one of Louisiana's original state parks. The bayou below runs roughly 370 miles, recognized as the longest in the world. This was designed for families. Two playgrounds, trails kept easy, kayak and canoe rentals at the water. It's one of the quieter parks in the system — a deliberate reprieve from louder recreation elsewhere in the state. The bluff holds what it held: a clear run above floodplain, a place to pause between higher ground. Open daily. $3 entrance. Off LA-139 north of Bastrop.

Quick facts

·'Chemin-A-Haut' is French for 'highway of the high place' — a bluff trail used by Native Americans during seasonal migrations.
·One of Louisiana's original state parks — built by Civilian Conservation Corps workers in the 1930s.
·Overlooks Bayou Bartholomew, recognized as the longest bayou in the world at roughly 370 miles.
·503 acres near Bastrop in Morehouse Parish, acquired in 1938.
·Kayak and canoe rentals available for exploring the bayou.
·One of the quieter parks in the system — designed with children in mind, with two playgrounds and family-friendly trails.
·Open daily. $3 entrance. Located off LA-139 north of Bastrop.