A talented screenwriter once said, "Whatever story you are telling in Louisiana, the landscape is going to become a character in it." And it's true. Driving through the state of Louisiana is different than the other states around it. Physically, to the west in Texas, the sky starts to expand and, to the east, Mississippi gives in to the deep south weight and density, and Louisiana is kind of in the middle. Culturally, the Cajun and Creole cultures, cuisine, music, swamplands, and French influence give one the feeling of being in a completely different country.
A terrific place to experience the character of Louisiana is at Chicot State Park in Ville Platte in south central Louisiana. It is the largest state park in Louisiana. "We have a 2,000 acre lake that has a lot of largemouth bass for fishing," says Manager Jessica Earles. "As well as 15 deluxe cabins, 2 lodges, and 176 campsites." There is a 20 mile trail that goes around the lake and a couple boat launches for fishing and canoeing. The park has been around since the 1940s and was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps. The CCC was one of the most successful parts of the FDR's New Deal in the 1930s and 1940s. It was for unmarried, unemployed men to build roads, state parks, plant 3 billion trees, and more. For Chicot, they built the cabins, as well as developed it for state park use.
The trail around the lake has primitive campsites and excellent views of the lake and hardwood forests. Much of it can be done on mountain bike, too. They have a boat rental area, fishing piers, and a water playground for the hot months. All in all there is 6,400 acres of rolling hills and water. There is plenty of wildlife to sit back and admire, such as deer, alligators or birds.
The Louisiana State Arboretum is more than 600 acres of natural growth, embellished with additional species that are indigenous to the state. [Photo by Kim Hollier]
A gem inside of the park is the Louisiana State Arboretum. It was established in 1964 and was the first area in the south. "There was a famous naturalist here in Louisiana named Caroline Dormon that helped get all of this going," says Kim Hollier, Interpretive Ranger who works at the Arboretum.
Dormon was an inspiring figure, not only in Louisiana history, but US history. She was the first woman to be hired in the United States Forest Service. She never married and, after studying literature and art, started collecting and preserving plants and flowers native to Louisiana. She persuaded the Forest Service to establish a national forest in Louisiana (Kisatchie National Forest), and served as a consultant to a variety of landscape projects, including working with the Highway Department to beautify the roads of Louisiana. She was told of Chicot State Park and proposed the idea of bringing an Arboretum as part of it, which was opened in 1964. The original site included about 300 acres.
"We had 3 miles of trails and that about doubled when the new nature center opened in 2009," Hollier says, "And now the Arboretum consists of 600 acres." The Arboretum is particularly interesting because of the varied landscapes- from nearly flat, to water, to steep slopes. They are all encompassed on the 5.5 miles of trails in the Arboretum. As such, according to the website, "Almost every type of Louisiana vegetation, except coastal marsh and prairie, is represented on the site."
The J.D. “Prof” LaFleur Nature Center serves has home base for the Arboretum, where they host programs, activities, and more. “We have bird hikes, regular hikes, mammal and reptile hikes, canoe tours, and seasonal events like pine needle basket making,” Hollier tells The Buzz. Weekends tend to have programs and activities for everyone. The trails have labels for each of the types of trees and plants for visitors to be able to identify the maples, beeches, magnolias, ferns, etc. on the strolls through the Arboretum trail network. One of the most popular trails is the one that leads to the Cypress trees submerged in the swamps surrounding Lake Chicot. “It is a short trail that is paved and wheelchair accessible,” Hollier explains.
Popular among the activities is birding. In the summer, they get a lot of warblers and hummingbirds. “You can see about 20-30 hummingbirds at each of the feeders during the summer time,” Hollier says. Right now, Hollier points out that there is a winter hummingbird that is visiting. “We saw it this past weekend and I am going to take a picture to try to figure out what it is,” Hollier says.
And with the resources, interest, and love of nature at Chicot, it will get figured out and documented. The hummingbird that is visiting is most likely just taking in the uniqueness of Louisiana and getting to know its character in the diverse landscapes of the Arboretum - something you should do, too!
Destinations, Hiking Trails, Louisiana, Nature, Open Road, State Parks