Tickfaw State Park Camping and Recreational Opportunities

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Tickfaw State Park is one of the newest parks in the Louisiana State Parks system. It was opened in 1999, and is more than 1,200 acres.  The park is sheltered from the summer heat by hundreds of cypress and maple trees. The park is very safe and people friendly. It’s a great place to introduce children to nature.

A boardwalk over a mile long offers visitors the opportunity to experience four different types of ecosystems. There is a cypress/tupelo swamp, a bottomland hardwood forest, a mixed pine/hardwood forest and the Tickfaw River. The boardwalk is about 6 feet above the swamp floor, which is low enough to give visitors the feeling of actually being in the swamp.

Occasionally winter and spring rains cause the Tickfaw River to overflow its’ banks. These floods offer park staff an opportunity to educate visitors on how important occasional flooding is to the wetlands. The floods continue the cycle of life by offering breeding grounds to wildlife and fisheries.

Canoeing in the park is easy enough and offers a taste of the softness of the swamp. Great egrets, herons and ibises can be seen feeding on crawfish, as well as turtles, snakes, wild turkeys and opossums and alligators. By looking carefully, one can even see the tracks of beaver, coyote, deer, fox and raccoons.

Visitors are allowed to bicycle, walk or skate on the many interconnecting roadways of the park. The Water Playground is a great option for those with children who might get tired on the boardwalk or don’t want to canoe. Rental cabins are wonderful for listening to the nighttime swamp. Park staff also present nighttime programs, or visitors can hike at night for a unique perspective of the swamplands.

There are 30 RV sites with water and electrical hookups and 20 sites with only water hookups.  Families or small groups can rent cabins that will accommodate up to 8 people. A group camp that sleeps up to 52 people is available for rent also.

Trails at Tickfaw state park include a ½ mile Pine Hardwood Trail, a ¾ mile River Overlook/Bottomland Hardwood Trail, a 3 mile River Trail, and a ½ mile Gum Cypress Trail, which is ADA accessible. Because of the occasional flooding, it is important to call ahead to make sure the park is open.  The number to call for information of camping reservations is 1-877-226-7652 or visit the website at www.crt.state.la.us/parks.

Tickfaw state park welcomes visitors and gives them the chance to experience many different aspects of nature by combining fun recreational activities with the wide outdoors.  

Article by Ryan

Louisiana Camping