Chicot State Park
Encyclopedia
Chicot State Park is located near Ville Platte, Louisiana
. This wildlife reserve of South Central Louisiana
features 6400 acres (26 km²) of rolling hills surrounding a 2000 acres (8 km²) man-made lake stocked with bass, crappie (sac-au-lait), bluegill, and red-ear sunfish. Chicot Park offers fishing boat rentals, pavilions, barbecue pits, picnic areas, restrooms, primitive hike-to campsites, lodges, and furnished cabins. The park is home to a number of wild animal species, including whitetail deer, raccoon
s, coyote
s, and bobcat
s.
, the Civilian Conservation Corps
significantly developed the area.
A hiking/backpacking trail encircles the lake and supports several primitive campsites. The trail is tailored for mountain bikes and cycling is encouraged throughout the park. The park includes a 22 miles (35.4 km) hiking trail.
The southern landing includes cabins, group camp, lodge, picnic areas, playgrounds, and a swimming pool. The northern landing features campsites, a plagrounds, and a primitive group-camping area. The East landing includes a meeting room and barbecue pavilion.
Ville Platte, Louisiana
Ville Platte is a city in and the parish seat of Evangeline Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 8,145 at the 2000 census. Its name is derived from the French ville plate, or "flat town."-History:...
. This wildlife reserve of South Central Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
features 6400 acres (26 km²) of rolling hills surrounding a 2000 acres (8 km²) man-made lake stocked with bass, crappie (sac-au-lait), bluegill, and red-ear sunfish. Chicot Park offers fishing boat rentals, pavilions, barbecue pits, picnic areas, restrooms, primitive hike-to campsites, lodges, and furnished cabins. The park is home to a number of wild animal species, including whitetail deer, raccoon
Raccoon
Procyon is a genus of nocturnal mammals, comprising three species commonly known as raccoons, in the family Procyonidae. The most familiar species, the common raccoon , is often known simply as "the" raccoon, as the two other raccoon species in the genus are native only to the tropics and are...
s, coyote
Coyote
The coyote , also known as the American jackal or the prairie wolf, is a species of canine found throughout North and Central America, ranging from Panama in the south, north through Mexico, the United States and Canada...
s, and bobcat
Bobcat
The bobcat is a North American mammal of the cat family Felidae, appearing during the Irvingtonian stage of around 1.8 million years ago . With twelve recognized subspecies, it ranges from southern Canada to northern Mexico, including most of the continental United States...
s.
History
One of the older Louisiana parks, the park was added to the Louisiana State Park system in 1939. Under the direction of the National Park ServiceNational Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
, the Civilian Conservation Corps
Civilian Conservation Corps
The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families, ages 18–25. A part of the New Deal of President Franklin D...
significantly developed the area.
Activities
Fishing is encouraged at the park with a boathouse, three boat launches, and boat rental facilities. The waters of Lake Chicot are habitat to largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, and red-ear sunfish.A hiking/backpacking trail encircles the lake and supports several primitive campsites. The trail is tailored for mountain bikes and cycling is encouraged throughout the park. The park includes a 22 miles (35.4 km) hiking trail.
The southern landing includes cabins, group camp, lodge, picnic areas, playgrounds, and a swimming pool. The northern landing features campsites, a plagrounds, and a primitive group-camping area. The East landing includes a meeting room and barbecue pavilion.