Few People Know There’s A Beautiful State Park Hiding In This Tiny Louisiana Town

St. Joseph is a tiny little town in Tensas Parish that’s home to fewer than 1,500 people. While most people have never visited this charming town in northeastern Louisiana, it’s actually home to Lake Bruin State Park, one of the most underrated state parks in Louisiana.

At only 53 acres in size, Lake Bruin is the smallest state park in Louisiana, but don’t let its tiny but mighty size fool you, this state park is a true hidden gem.

For starters, even though the park is small, Lake Bruin is not! You’ve got over 3,000 acres of water surface to enjoy.

The state park was originally established as a fish hatchery in 1928. Today, it’s a great spot to drop a line and do a little fishing either from one of the three fishing piers or from your boat.

There is a boat launch at the park, and they also have boat rentals just in case you forgot your boat (hate it when that happens).

Cabins, RV slots, and primitive camping are all offered, and many of the rentals are right on the water.

While half of your crew is out fishing, the other half can be enjoying the water playground, or grilling up some grub.

There are plenty of picnic tables and grills peppered around the park, plus a pavilion for larger gatherings.

Visit Lake Bruin State Park's website for more information.

While this is the smallest state park in Louisiana, did you know that Chemin-A-Haut State Park is the oldest? It's not too far from Lake Bruin and if you want to knock out two parks in one day!