South Toledo Bend State Park
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Click on any image
for an enlargement
The southeastern shore of Toledo Bend Lake
is home to beautiful South toledo Bend
State Park.
 The
original land acquisition was in 1979 and
amounted to just over 1,000 acres. Just under
400 acres of that land lies on the west side
of highway 191 and has been developed into
the state park. This section is known as "Phase 1" and
there are plans to develop the remaining
area at some time in the future, though both
time frame and type of development seems
to be undetermined at this time.
 A
very large part of the park fronts directly
onto the lake. The varied terrain makes for
some spectacular views - both within the
land area and onto the lake.
 While
this park is a delight to all, it is particularly
nice for many handicapped visitors. There
is about 1.2 miles of cement paved hiking
trail that should be easily accessible to
those confined to a wheelchair - and is great
for anyone just wanting a pleasant and easy
hike, too. More such trails are planned for
the indefinite future.
 For
the boaters and fishermen, there is an excellent
boat launch with two ramps. There is also
a fishing pier - located in the cabins area.
Excellent accommodations are provided for
visitors with 19 vacation cabins, 55 RV sites,
and 5 tent sites. There is one unit that
seems a bit oddly placed as it is "over
the hill" from its parking spot and
a visitor might just end up at the wrong
cabin when first trying to get to it. One
of the park employees called it the "honeymoon
cabin" as it is a bit more remote than
the rest of the cabins.
 The
visitors center is well worth a visit, especially
with children, whether one is staying at
the park or not. It sits above the lake and
has a grand observation deck with a lovely
view of the lake through a somewhat wooded
area between it and the shore. The "museum" area
of the center opened July 21, 2005 and features
interactive displays, dioramas, and wonderful
imagery of the area's flora and fauna. CLICK
HERE for views of Visitors Center "Museum"
Other amenities at the park include a sandy
swimming beach, a comfort station with shower
facilities and a laundry, and a dump station
for RV campers.
Click on any image for an enlargement
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Enter the park through the gate house (left)
The visitors center (below) offers rest rooms
and a nice "museum". CLICK
HERE for views of Visitors Center "Museum"
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| Numerous picnic tables and grill
facilities are located through the park (above
left) as well as small pavilions where you
can just sit, relax, and enjoy the scenery.
The boat launch has two ramps and a large parking
area adjoining it (above right). Next to the
launch / parking area is a rest room facility.
The comfort station (right) offers shower
and laundry facilities. |
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A fishing pier / observation
deck (left) is great for fishing or just
hanging out and enjoying the scenery. |
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| The cabins (above)
are set in small groupings and nicely wooded.
Parking is paved and generally very convenient
- right in front of the cabins.
And boat docking facilities allow you to keep
your boat near your cabin. |
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Two playground areas provide
a place for some great exercise for the kids! |
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| A sandy beach area provides excellent
opportunity for swimming. |
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The camping areas (below) are nicely wooded
and have hookups for electric and water for
the RV campers and a dump station is also
available. One of the tent camping areas
is shown below right. Some RV camp sites
have a deck beside them.
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Beautiful
scenery abounds in the park... a great place
to relax and enjoy nature... and a great place
for the kids (or the "kid within")
to explore. A note of caution, though: there
are snakes in this area (the whole area surrounding
Toledo Bend Lake) so a bit of caution and vigilance
should be used when wandering through any of
the woods and near the water. |
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For aerial views of park - CLICK
HERE
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MAPS - DIRECTIONS
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CONTACT: 120 Bald Eagle, Anacoco, LA 71403,
(337) 286-9075
GPS: 31.12.928 North - 93.34.515 West (at
gatehouse)
ADMISSIONS: Check with the
park for current admission charges
For more information: Louisiana
State Parks - South Toledo Bend State
Park
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 DIRECTIONS:
Take Louisiana Highway 191 (running North/South
along the length of the lake) to Mile
Marker 2.8 (21/10 mile South of the 3 Mile
Marker - Markers are ONLY on the Northbound
side of the highway). Turn West onto Basshavenresort
Drive and proceed 0.2 (2/10) mile to
entrance to park.
From the Junction of Hwy 6 / Hwy 191: Go South
28.5 miles on Highway 191.
From the Junction of Highway 392 / Hwy 191: Go North
0.2 (2/10) mile on Highway 191
All Photos by Frank Dutton
- Toledo-Bend.Com
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