Chemin-A-Haut State Park

About this park

Chemin-A-Haut State Park, whose French name translates to "the high road," was one of the earliest parks added to the Louisiana system after the state park commission formed in 1934, and it was largely built by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the 1930s, making it one of the oldest state parks in Louisiana. The name refers to a route once used by Native Americans during their seasonal migrations along the high bluff overlooking Bayou Bartholomew, about 10 miles north of Bastrop. The park's best-known natural feature is the "Castle Tree," a centuries-old hollow cypress along Bayou Bartholomew large and sturdy enough that visitors can paddle a canoe or kayak directly inside its hollow trunk to rest, a rare and much-photographed sight even by Louisiana's standards for impressive cypress trees. Canoe and kayak rentals let visitors explore the winding, less-than-a-square-mile stretch of bayou through aquatic vegetation and wooded banks at their own pace. Designed with children in mind, the park includes two playgrounds and a wading pool within its swimming complex, open seasonally from Memorial Day through Labor Day, alongside Big Slough Lake for shoreline fishing. Overnight guests can choose between RV and tent camping or cabins, some near the day-use area and others more secluded directly on the bayou, and the Nature Conservancy has been working to add an adjacent 247-acre tract to expand the park's footprint in the future.