Lake Fausse Point in Louisiana - Weekend Trip Report

Trip Overview

My wife and I arrived at Fausse Pointe State Park in southern Louisiana on a Saturday morning with our canoe and our supplies loaded in the bed of our truck.

This state park is in an area that was once part of the Atchafalaya Basin, but has since been cut off by the levee system. With miles of canals and sloughs, it comprises many islands on the east side of a couple of very large lakes. There are five canoe campsites, four of which are only accessible by water.

We checked in at the entrance of the park and received our vehicle pass and our campsite pass. Our campsite fee was paid ahead of time with a credit card so that the spot we wanted would be reserved. We had to pay for a two-night minimum even though we stayed one night. At least that allowed us to arrive very early without fear of waiting for other campers to break camp and head out.

We paddled from the parks landing to canoe campsite #3 on the shortest route, a 2.75 mile trek. On arrival, we found a small dock with a table on it. The dock was tall and the water level was low, but there was a ladder. The small campsite was on a spoil bank that overlooked the intersection of two canals. There was a tent pad, a fire ring with a grill, and a covered counter where we prepped the food before cooking it.

While there, we enjoyed seeing white ibises, white and blue herons, owls, and a bald eagle who soared above us as we ate breakfast on the dock. There were plenty of other animals, as well. We spotted turtles, alligators, and squirrels.

The only downfalls of our stay were the mosquitoes and small white moths that were everywhere, and a boatful of loud people with music playing and bright spotlight that came around several times after dark to check fishing lines. Their last round was at 10:30 p.m., and we slept peacefully after that.

In the morning, we caught lots of medium-sized large mouth bass and had a nice time paddling around on a sunny, yet cool and calm, autumn day.

We packed up and paddled to the front of the park, trying to arrive there by the 1 p.m. check-out time. We were about 20 or 30 minutes late, but it was not a problem. We had a great time and will go back again to stay at other campsites and explore more of this great paddle destination.

Accommodations:

Cabins and campsites (both improved and unimproved), boat landing, primitive campsites, etc.

Fees:

$2/person entrance if not renting a campsite.
Primitive canoe campsites will cost about $15/night with a 2 night minimum.

Directions:

From I-10, take the Henderson exit and head south. Turn left at the traffic light (hwy 352) drive to the levee. Turn right on the levee road until you see the entrance to the state park.

Resources:

Website:
http://www.crt.state.la.us/louisiana-state-parks/parks/lake-fausse-pointe-state-park/