Lake Bistineau State Park

About this park

Lake Bistineau State Park sits on the western shore of Lake Bistineau, a 26.9-square-mile reservoir in northwest Louisiana with a history stretching back more than 200 years. The lake first formed in 1800 when the Great Raft, a massive log jam on the Red River that stretched more than 100 miles, backed up water across thousands of acres; a permanent dam built across Loggy Bayou in 1935 created the lake's present-day form. The park holds a distinct place in Louisiana civil rights history as the first state park in the system to admit Black visitors, beginning in 1956, though at the time this meant two separate, segregated areas whose physical layout still reflects that era. Today the park's upland mixed hardwood forest gives way to open water and striking stands of cypress and tupelo along the shoreline, with an 11-mile paddling trail letting visitors explore the shallow, cypress-lined water by canoe or kayak. Nearly 10 miles of hiking and biking trails, a disc golf course, two swimming pools, a lakefront beach, and two boat launches round out the park's recreation, and fishing here for largemouth bass, crappie, and catfish remains a major draw despite ongoing efforts to manage invasive giant salvinia in the lake's waters. Camping, cabins, and lodges provide overnight options, and the nearby Dorcheat Historical Museum offers further local history for visitors.