Tickfaw State Park - Louisiana

Address:27225 Patterson Road
Springfield, Louisiana
Tel: (225) 294-5020

A visit to Tickfaw State Park is like visiting four parks in one, with its four diverse ecosystems. There is swamp, bottomland, and pine/hardwood forest, and the river, which has a wetlands surrounding. There are boardwalks for hikes and education pavilions for nature programs, but visitors may prefer to take in the nature on their own by canoe or camping out and listening to the nightlife. There are excellent facilities for camping and 14 cabins available as well. And if visiting in October, don't miss the annual Cajun Day and Jambalaya cook-off.

Strolling through four ecosystems on over a mile of boardwalks through Tickfaw State Park, visitors can experience the sights and sounds of a cypress/tupelo swamp, a bottomland hardwood forest, a mixed pine/hardwood forest and the Tickfaw River. Periodically the park site serves the region by detaining floodwaters when winter and spring rains overflow the steep banks of the Tickfaw River. These periods of occasional flooding offer a unique opportunity to educate visitors on the importance of periodic flooding in the cycle of life that makes wetlands an invaluable habitat and breeding ground for wildlife and fisheries. Check posted program schedules for guided hikes on the boardwalks, or you may prefer the more relaxed approach offered during a nature program presentation at one of the three education pavilions and an outdoor amphitheater at the nature center. You can also join a nighttime program, go night hiking or listen to the swamp nightlife from the porch of your vacation cabin. Bicycle, stroll, or skate the interconnecting park roadways. Rent a canoe and take a fun-filled trip on this unique section of the Tickfaw River. Visitors can bring their own canoes or rent ones supplied by an available canoe vendor. The Water Playground offers refreshing fun for those not quite adventurous enough to explore the swamps and sloughs. A gift shop in the Nature Center (open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily) offers souvenirs with a local flavor.