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Lake Bistineau State ParkThis Wonderful Lake Became One Of The Louisiana State Parks In 1938
Situated on a narrow waterway in the north west of Louisiana, Lake Bistineau State Park was first opened in 1938. The lake itself was formed in 1800 when a massive log jam on the nearby Red River caused water to back up until it flooded much low lying land in the neighborhood. The source of the water in Lake Bistineau comes from the Dorcheat Bayou which originates in Arkansas. The outflow from the lake to the Red River is along a waterway called Loggy Bayou. Because the water levels in the lake constantly fluctuated, a large dam and spillway were built at the southern end of the lake in 1942 to try and maintain a constant level. This reservoir lake now has a maximum depth of twenty five feet but the average depth over its 26.9 square miles is seven feet.
Although it was established in 1938, additional land was acquired in 1948 to expand the park to its present size of 750 acres. Lake Bistineau State Park consists of two seperate areas which, although linked by the lake, can be reached by vehicle only by returning to the main road.
The standard of the accommodation at the park is both very high and diverse. It includes campgrounds with hookups, group camping in cabins, a lodge and seven Deluxe cabins. As well as camping at the park it is a terrific place for all sorts of activities, perhaps fishing is the most popular. The lake is renowned for great catches of bass, bullhead, bluegill, crappie and sunfish. The park boasts over ten miles of hiking and mountain bike trails, six miles of horseback riding trails and a nature trail where enthusiasts can sight the wildlife that inhabits the area. It is also a wonderful site for boating and canoeing and its eleven mile long canoe trail is famous throughout the state.
However, Lake Bistineau State Park does have one drawback. The lake suffers from an over-abundance of a floating fern called "Giant Salvinia" which can choke the surface of the water. In an effort to eradicate the problem the authorities drained the lake in the hope that this would kill off the plant, but the problem still exists. To learn more about this situation at Lake Bistineau
click here.
The brief slideshow above, illustrates what the park looked like when the water was drained in 2008 in an effort to kill the Salvinia plants. Rings around the cypress trees indicate the water level before the draining took place. Summary Of Facilities
Lakeside Beach 10 miles of Hiking/Biking Trails 6 Miles of Equestrian Trails 11 Mile Canoe Trail Nature Trail Boat Launch Boat/Canoe Rental Gift Shop Laundromat Park Store Ranger Station Baseball Field Restrooms Showers Picnic tables Childrens Playground
Summary Of Activities
Contact Details
GPS -N32 266334 W93 228168 Telephone -(318)745-3503 Toll Free -1-888-677-2478 email -lakebistineau@crt.la.gov Here is the position of Lake Bistineau S.P. marked with a star on a county map of Louisiana -
Return From Lake Bistineau State Park to Louisiana State Parks
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