Tickfaw State Park
Encyclopedia
Tickfaw State Park, located 7 mi (11.3 km) west of Springfield, Louisiana
, opened in May 1999 and quickly became one of Louisiana
's most popular state parks because of its natural setting, recreation opportunities and proximity to the state's two largest metropolitan areas of New Orleans and Baton Rouge
. The park contains a nature center, picnic shelters, a large fishing pond, 14 cabins and 50 campsites. Trails and over 1 mi (1.6 km) of boardwalk
s allow visitors to explore four different ecosystems within the park: cypress
-tupelo
swamp
, bottomland hardwood forest, mixed pine
hardwood forest and the Tickfaw River
. Much of Tickfaw's 1200 acre (485.6 ha) lie within the Tickfaw River floodplain and is thus subject to periodic flood
ing. About 560 acre (226.6 ha) of the park west of the Tickfaw River remain undeveloped.
Tickfaw State Park is recognized as one of 110 sites on the Louisiana Natural Areas Registry for its outstanding natural characteristics. Its rich natural habitat provides a home for various birds, fish, reptiles and mammals including American Alligator
s, Nine-banded Armadillo
s, North American Beavers, White-tailed deer
, fox
es, Virginia Opossum
s, rabbit
s, Raccoon
s, and squirrel
s. Carolina anole
s and skink
s are frequently seen along the boardwalks.
Canoeing is a popular pastime at Tickfaw State Park. Canoes are available for rent or paddlers may bring their own. During warm months, an on-premises water playground allows guests to cool off.
Springfield, Louisiana
Springfield is a town in Livingston Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 395 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Springfield is located at ....
, opened in May 1999 and quickly became one of 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...
's most popular state parks because of its natural setting, recreation opportunities and proximity to the state's two largest metropolitan areas of New Orleans and Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...
. The park contains a nature center, picnic shelters, a large fishing pond, 14 cabins and 50 campsites. Trails and over 1 mi (1.6 km) of boardwalk
Boardwalk
A boardwalk, in the conventional sense, is a wooden walkway for pedestrians and sometimes vehicles, often found along beaches, but they are also common as paths through wetlands, coastal dunes, and other sensitive environments....
s allow visitors to explore four different ecosystems within the park: cypress
Taxodium
Taxodium is a genus of one to three species of extremely flood-tolerant conifers in the cypress family, Cupressaceae...
-tupelo
Tupelo
The tupelo , black gum, or pepperidge tree, genus Nyssa , is a small genus of about 9 to 11 species of trees with alternate, simple leaves...
swamp
Swamp
A swamp is a wetland with some flooding of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water. A swamp generally has a large number of hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation. The two main types of swamp are "true" or swamp...
, bottomland hardwood forest, mixed pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
hardwood forest and the Tickfaw River
Tickfaw River
The Tickfaw River runs from Amite County in southwest Mississippi to Livingston Parish in southeast Louisiana. Its mouth opens into Lake Maurepas, which conjoins with Lake Pontchartrain.Alternate/historical names and spellings:*Rio De San Vicente...
. Much of Tickfaw's 1200 acre (485.6 ha) lie within the Tickfaw River floodplain and is thus subject to periodic flood
Flood
A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...
ing. About 560 acre (226.6 ha) of the park west of the Tickfaw River remain undeveloped.
Tickfaw State Park is recognized as one of 110 sites on the Louisiana Natural Areas Registry for its outstanding natural characteristics. Its rich natural habitat provides a home for various birds, fish, reptiles and mammals including American Alligator
American Alligator
The American alligator , sometimes referred to colloquially as a gator, is a reptile endemic only to the Southeastern United States. It is one of the two living species of alligator, in the genus Alligator, within the family Alligatoridae...
s, Nine-banded Armadillo
Nine-banded Armadillo
The nine-banded armadillo , or the nine-banded, long-nosed armadillo, is a species of armadillo found in North, Central, and South America, making it the most widespread of the armadillos...
s, North American Beavers, White-tailed deer
White-tailed Deer
The white-tailed deer , also known as the Virginia deer or simply as the whitetail, is a medium-sized deer native to the United States , Canada, Mexico, Central America, and South America as far south as Peru...
, fox
Fox
Fox is a common name for many species of omnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids , characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail .Members of about 37 species are referred to as foxes, of which only 12 species actually belong to...
es, Virginia Opossum
Virginia Opossum
The Virginia opossum , commonly known as the North American opossum or tlacuache in Mexico, is the only marsupial found in North America north of Mexico. A solitary and nocturnal animal about the size of a domestic cat, and thus the largest opossum, it is a successful opportunist...
s, rabbit
Rabbit
Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world...
s, 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, and squirrel
Squirrel
Squirrels belong to a large family of small or medium-sized rodents called the Sciuridae. The family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels, chipmunks, marmots , flying squirrels, and prairie dogs. Squirrels are indigenous to the Americas, Eurasia, and Africa and have been introduced to Australia...
s. Carolina anole
Carolina anole
The Carolina anole is an arboreal lizard found primarily in the southeastern United States and some Caribbean islands. Other common names include the green anole, American anole and red-throated anole...
s and skink
Skink
Skinks are lizards belonging to the family Scincidae. Together with several other lizard families, including Lacertidae , they comprise the superfamily or infraorder Scincomorpha...
s are frequently seen along the boardwalks.
Canoeing is a popular pastime at Tickfaw State Park. Canoes are available for rent or paddlers may bring their own. During warm months, an on-premises water playground allows guests to cool off.