Skip navigation
Louisiana: Live. Work. Play. SEARCH
Find Louisiana State Parks on Facebook! Find Louisiana State Parks on Facebook
Find Louisiana State Parks on Twitter! Find Louisiana State Parks on Twitter

Download the Louisiana State Parks mobile app

Did you know?
Louisiana State Parks Honors National Parks Service Senior Pass Program
Visitors who hold an America the Beautiful Senior or Access Pass, and whose home State Park system honor the America the Beautiful passes for camping discounts, are entitled to a 50% reduction on camping fees at Louisiana State Parks.

Lake Bistineau State Park - Louisiana Office of State Parks


TRAVEL ADVISORY: The Office of State Parks is removing dead timber that resulted from drought conditions and pine beetles, at Lake Bistineau State Park. While the park is still open for normal operations, the hiking/biking/equestrian trails and the disc golf course remain closed until the project is complete. We appreciate your patience during this much-needed restoration project that will ensure the safety of our guests and improve the park's natural environment.

Lake Bistineau State Park
PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation & Tourism - Office of State Parks BACK TO PARK LIST
Living room of the cabin RV camping Swimming pool, open from Memorial Day until the beginning of August Enjoying a bike ride around the park RV campsites with decks Fishing pier
click any picture above to view park slideshow

Lake Bistineau State Parks is a Land & Water Conservation Fund site 103 State Park Road, Doyline, LA 71023
318-745-3503 or 888-677-2478 toll free
For reservations, call 1-877-CAMP-N-LA (877-226-7652) toll free.
Email: lakebistineau@crt.la.gov

Find Lake Bistineau State Park on Facebook

Check out our blog on WordPress.com

Directions: From I-20 at Minden take LA 371 south to Sibley, LA 164 west to Doyline, and LA 163 south to the park. Coordinates: 32.439893, -93.394355.

Hours of Operation: Site is open daily. Gates open at 7 a.m. and close at 9 p.m., Sunday through Thursday, and at 10 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and days preceding holidays.

April-September,entrance station is open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.; October-March, entrance station is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Entrance Fees: $1 per person; Free for Seniors (62 and older) and children age 3 and under

Complete listing of available facilities and activities


View Larger Map (via GOOGLE© MAPS)


Click Map for Printable Version (PDF file)
Layout of Lake Bistineau State Park
Situated on the western shore of Lake Bistineau, this park offers a satisfying blend of beautiful vistas and outstanding recreational facilities. Memorable for its upland mixed hardwood forest, its open waters, and its enchanting stands of cypress and tupelo trees, the park offers two boat launches, hiking and biking trails, playgrounds, two swimming pools, camping, cabins and excellent fishing!

Beginning in January with the "yo- yo" season and lasting through the spring, summer, and early fall, the dedicated fisherman can draw such freshwater catches as black crappie, largemouth bass, yellow bass, catfish, bluegill, and red-ear sunfish from the lake's clear waters.

Lake Bistineau dates back over 200 years. It began in 1800 when several thousand acres of land were flooded due to a gigantic log jam in the Red River. Gradually, however, as the area was dredged, the lake began to drain. Then in 1935, a permanent dam was built across Loggy Bayou,creating the present-day Lake Bistineau. The dam has since been enlarged, giving the reservoir a surface area of 26.9 square miles, with an average depth of seven feet and maximum depth of 25 feet.

Area 1 is located in the main section of the park, with cabins, a group camp and swimming beach. Picnicking along the lake is tremendously popular at numerous sites equipped with tables, grills, and nearby restrooms. Several picnic pavilions are also available for larger groups. The park's trail system encompasses nearly 10 miles of woodland trails and an 11-mile canoe trail, for visitors who want to see the park's beauty from the water.

Although Area 2 is connected to the main part of the park by the lake, to reach Area 2 by car you will return to the highway by going east off LA 163, along Webster Parish Road 177, to the entrance.

Area 2 includes a group camp, playgrounds, a large picnic area with several pavilions, a swimming pool, a baseball field and a boat launch.


Reservable Facilities

Cabins/Group Camp: Basic cookware, cooking utensils, dinnerware, silverware, towels and linens are provided. Bring your own food and personal supplies; group camp visitors will also need to bring their own dishes, silverware, paper products, bathroom tissue, towels and linens. (click here for facility pictures and layouts) (map)
Deluxe Cabins7 available, 1 is ADA compliant$120/night, Oct-Mar; $150/night on Fridays & Saturdays, Apr-Sept, sleeps up to 8 people with 1 double bed, 2 bunk beds and 1 queen sofa sleeper
Group Camp
I
$500/nightIncludes dining hall/kitchen and 20 cabins, sleeping up to 160 people
Group Camp
II
$200/nightIncludes dining hall/kitchen and 6 cabins, sleeping up to 48 people

Camping: (map of sites 1-25,61-67)  (map of sites 26-60)
44 Improved Campsites (water and electrical hookup)$16/night, Oct-Mar; $20/night, Apr-Sept
17 Premium Campsites (5 pull-through campsites, 12 prime location campsites, all with water and electrical hookup)$18/night, Oct-Mar; $26/night, Apr-Sept
America the Beautiful Senior and Access Passes (formerly Golden Age & Golden Access Passports) (Available through the National Park Service. Click here for more information)
Holders of the Passes, whose state of residence also honors the America the Beautiful pass, are entitled to a 50% reduction on camping fees at Louisiana State Parks. (Passport holders are allowed one site per passport).

Additional Information About Overnight Facilities

Rental Boats (State Park operated rentals)
Boat Rentals Temporarily Discontinued
Due to excessive vegetation in the lake, the park will discontinue boat rentals until conditions are safe for boat traffic. We apologize for any inconveniences this may cause.
Boats$15 per dayincludes 2 paddles and 3 life jackets
Canoes$5 per hour or
$20 per day
includes paddles, life jackets
Kayaks$5 per hour or
$30 per day
includes paddles, life jackets
  • Additional life jackets can be rented for $1 each where available
  • Price varies with concessionaire rentals - please contact site to check availability and rates

NOTE: DUE TO THE LOGGING OPERATION, THE TRAILS AND DISC GOLF COURSE ARE TEMPORARILY CLOSED.
Trails at Lake Bistineau State Park:
  • 10-mile Hiking/Biking Trail
  • 1/2-mile Nature Trail
  • 6-mile Equestrian Trail
  • Disc Golf:
    Lake Bistineau SP offers disc golf; the course is located near the boat launch. Click HERE for a full-size map.

    Professional Disc Golf Assn.
    Disc Golf Rules

    Swimming Pool

  • Pools are open Memorial Day weekend to August 1 and closed Mondays and Tuesdays for maintenance, except for holiday Mondays. When pools are open on a holiday Monday, the pools will be closed for maintenance on the Tuesday and Wednesday following the holiday Monday.
  • From August 1 through Labor Day, pools will be open on modified schedules. Please check with the individual parks for specific days and hours of operation. All pool schedules are subject to change.


    Nearby Attractions:

    Lake Claiborne State Park (7 miles southeast of Homer on LA 146) - Located on the banks of a 6,400-acre lake. With steep ravines and rolling hills, the park features excellent picnicking, pavilions, 10 vacation cabins, 87 improved campsites, a swimming beach, boat launch, fishing pier, and nature trails.

    Lake D'Arbonne State Park (5 miles west of Farmerville on LA 2) - A fisherman's paradise, this 655-acre state park on the shores of Lake D'Arbonne features 65 improved campsites, 50 picnic tables and grills, 3 fishing piers, a boat ramp, and a fish cleaning station.

    Jimmie Davis State Park at Caney Lake (Off LA 4 southwest of Chatham, on Lakeshore Drive and State Road 1209) - Situated on an outstanding bass-fishing lake, the park offers camping, picnicking, 2 boat ramps, a fishing pier, swimming beach and is an ideal spot to launch biking expeditions.

    Historic Town of Minden (East of Shreveport on I-20) - Visitors may travel old brick streets still leading down Main Street and explore 2 historic residential districts including both antebellum and Victorian homes.

    Kisatchie National Forest-Caney Lakes Recreation Area (North of I-20 on LA 159) - This area offers picnick- ing, swimming, fishing, waterskiing, hiking/biking trails, boat launches, group picnic shelters, and 27 improved and 21 unimproved campsites. The 7.6-mile Sugar Cane National Recreation Trail circles upper Caney Lake and offers a forest ecosystem, views of the lake, and the visible remains of an old sugar cane mill.

    Bossier City is alive with nightlife, family entertainment and mouth-watering Southern cuisine. On the riverfront lies the Louisiana Boardwalk (I-20 on the Red River) with over 55 outlet shops (including Bass Pro Outdoor World), 8 eateries, a theatre and live entertainment.

    R.W. Norton Art Gallery (4747 Creswell Avenue, Shreveport) The R.W. Norton Art Gallery is a non-profit museum built in 1966 which features original works of American and European art.In addition, the Norton is set amidst forty beautifully landscaped acres, including azalea gardens complete with more than 15,000 plants including several hundred native azaleas.

    Golf Courses - Trails End Public Golf course (I-20 at Arcadia); this 18-hole golf course is one of the most challenging in the area. Olde Oaks Golf Club (Sligo Road, minutes from the park) is a 27-hole Hal Sutton Signature Design golf facility with five sets of tees and generous fairways to allow any level of golfer to enjoy their round. Golf Club at Stonebridge (Stonebridge Boulevard, Bossier City) is an 18-hole Fred Couples design, located in the picturesque woodlands just north of Bossier City.

    Loggy Bayou Wildlife Management Area (On LA 154 south of Haughton) - The 4,211 acres of alluvial flood plain or bottomland hardwoods offer hunting, fishing, birding, day hiking, a boat launch, and designated camping areas.

    Ambrose Mountain (Hwy. 154 south of Sailes and I-20) - A granite column marks the spot where notorious outlaws Bonnie and Clyde were ambushed and killed by Texas Rangers and a posse in 1934.

    Driskoll Mountain (Off LA 507 between Parish Roads 797, 164 and 163, south of Arcadia and I-20) - This "mountain" is the highest point in Louisiana, rising 535 feet above sea level.

    Mt. Lebanon (South of I-20 on LA 154) - This pioneer community was established in 1836. Its historic structures include Mt. Lebanon Baptist Church, built in 1837, and seven private homes, all listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The old wood-frame church still has divided pews for men and women.

    Bodcau Wildlife Management Area (On LA 157, north of the I-20 Haughton exit) - This 32,471-acre area features hunting, fishing, birding, hiking, a boat launch, and camping along Bodcau Bayou.

  • Seal of the State of Louisiana TOURISM | PARKS | MUSEUMS | CULTURE | LIBRARIES | MEDIA
    DOING BUSINESS IN LOUISIANA | LOUISIANA.GOV
    CONTACT US | SITEMAP | PRIVACY POLICY

    ©2013 LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF CULTURE RECREATION AND TOURISM