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Home/Southwest Louisiana/Sam Houston Jones State Park
Trail and bridge over water with trees

Sam Houston Jones State Park

The thick forest of longleaf pine trees at Sam Houston Jones State Park was no match for the powerful winds of Hurricane Laura, which pounded southwestern Louisiana in the Fall of 2020. But after nearly two years of a massive tree clearing and repairs to every structure, the Louisiana state park is reopening.

cypress tree and lagoon surrounded b y trees
Tree-lined lagoon at Sam Houston Jones State Park

utter devastation

“It was utter devastation,” recalls Louisiana State Parks Director Brandon Burris. “We had a complete loss of pretty much every asset we had on the park.” Hurricane Laura, which made landfall near Lake Charles, Louisiana, on August 27, 2020, ranks among the most powerful storms to hit the state. Laura had sustained winds of 150 mph. Recovery workers with chain saws had to cut their way through the park’s roads. “Every three to six feet we’d have to cut a pine tree. Push it off the road, go another three to six feet and cut another pine tree,” said Burris.

uprooted and snapped trees destroyed by hurricane winds
Trees uprooted and snapped by hurricane (photo courtesy La State Parks)

the long recovery at sam houston jones state park

The state park director estimates that 98 percent of the trees are gone. “It’s in the tens of tens of thousand,” explained Burris. Frequent and heavy rains in the months following Hurricane Laura further hampered efforts to remove the downed trees. Eventually, it was state park employees who cleared the destruction. Volunteers joined the effort to reforest the park, helping to plant nearly 20-thousand trees.

wooden pier on the shoreline of river and trees at Sam Houston Jones State Park
The state park’s new wooden pier along the Calcasieu River

fewer trees but improved facilities

In addition to clearing downed trees and planting new ones, the state park has new and improved facilities. A long wooden pier runs along the shoreline of the park’s day use area on the Calcasieu River. The ten deluxe cabins are new. Each has a screened patio with with outdoor fireplace. But unlike all of the other Louisiana state parks, the campground is void of any trees. The park’s 31 campsites have paved driveways with complete utility hookups, including sewerage.

One of ten new cabins at the state park

sam houston jones state park featured on tv

Watch this Heart of Louisiana feature on Sam Houston Jones State Park

Images of sam houston jones state park

The park is scheduled to reopen on Memorial Day, May 30, 2022.

getting there

Sam Houston Jones State Park is located 10 miles north of Lake Charles, LA in the town of Moss Bluff. Address: 107 Sutherland Road, Lake Charles, LA. Phone 337-855-2662, 1-888-677-7264

Sam Houston Jones State Park road, Louisiana 70611

Southwest Louisiana

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        Written by:
        Dave McNamara
        Published on:
        May 23, 2022
        Thoughts:
        3 Comments

        Categories: Featured, Southwest Louisiana

        Reader Interactions

        Comments

        1. Maria

          June 19, 2022 at 11:01 pm

          Where can do reservation?

          Reply
          • Dave McNamara

            June 22, 2022 at 5:15 pm

            Hi Marie, go this this state park link and click on “make a reservation”. https://www.lastateparks.com/parks-preserves/sam-houston-jones-state-park

            Reply
        2. Charlotte Daigle

          December 21, 2022 at 1:06 pm

          I visited recently and it is so beautiful! The restoration work done is astounding. The whole place looks somewhat different from years ago but is still a wonderful place to visit. Love the new boardwalk. This is a special place.

          Reply

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