Surround yourself with the natural beauty of Lake Chicot and see native flowers and plants in the state arboretum at this central Louisiana State Park. Chicot features a long wooded hiking trail and canoe trails through the tree-filled lake.
Chicot State Park is the largest of Louisiana’s 21 State Parks and is located in central Louisiana near the town of Ville Platte. Paddle a canoe or kayak along an 8-mile water trail that lets you quietly explore the beauty of this 2,000 acre lake. Lake Chicot is a favorite for fishermen wanting to catch largemouth bass and crappie.
Trails of Chicot state park featured on tv
Hike more than 20 miles of trails that take you around Lake Chicot. The state park is located where the flat lands of the Cajun Prairie merge with central Louisiana’s upland hills. And that creates a long trail that can seem like a roller coaster. The trail follows the shoreline of the large lake, rising and falling from hilltops to the bottomland cypress and tupelo swamp along the lake’s edge.
Best place to watch the sunrise
My favorite place to be at daybreak is the 400-foot long fishing pier. The wooden pier extends in an L-shape above the lake, allowing you to stand beyond the trees that crowd the shoreline for a clear view of the lake and sky. Scattered cypress trees, with Spanish moss hanging from their branches, provide photographic accents on the water.
This state park features 15 deluxe cabins and 200 campsites. The park also has boat launches for easy lake access as well as fishing piers. And for campers and day visitors, Chicot has an extensive area for picnics and a splash pad for summertime fun. Birdwatchers will enjoy the abundance of songbirds and wading birds that frequent the forests and shoreline of the lake.
60 second video tour of Chicot state park
images from chicot state park
Enjoy native wildflowers at state arboretum
The Louisiana State Arboretum is also located within the park and features native flowers, plants and trees and a nature interpretive center. You can hike the arboretum’s 5 miles of trails that take you from forested uplands to boardwalks above lowland swamps.
Explore Chicot’s canoe trails
Paddle a canoe or kayak through the lake’s forest of moss-draped cypress and tupelo trees.
hike la’s arboretum at chicot
The Louisiana State Arboretum has five miles of trails that are lined with wildflowers that change with the seasons.
getting to chicot state park
Location: 3469 Chicot Park Road, Ville Platte, LA. – Phone: 337-363-2403
3469 Chicot Park Rd, Ville Platte, LA 70586
Linda Luneau
We camp host at Chicot State Park often. We love the place! Love meeting new people, and the staff are great people. We love helping to keep the park clean.
David LeGaux
Send information about your family trip cabins
Dave McNamara
Hi David. Here is a link to the Chicot State Park cabins information & reservations: https://louisianastateparks.reserveamerica.com/camping/chicot-state-park/r/facilityDetails.do?contractCode=LA&parkId=240027