We Love Our National Parks, but This Louisiana State Park Is Just as Beautiful and Alive

We are fortunate to live in a nation with such a strong national parks system. Across the United States and its territories, there are 433 units managed by the National Park Service. These spaces allow the public to learn about and enjoy the history and protected beauty, and the available recreational opportunities. Over 331 million people visited these national park service units last year, and that number grows and grows annually.

Our national parks are amazing, but our states are also full of incredible state parks. Although many people are quite familiar with state parks in their home states and in other states, others seem to overlook these types of parks entirely. In many places, most adventurers focus on national parks only. This is unfortunate because every state has a vast number of state parks that are worth exploring.

Louisiana does not have many National Park Service units. In fact, the Pelican State has only six properties that the National Park Service manages: a national monument called Poverty Point, a national military park at Vicksburg (shared with Mississippi), three national historical parks (New Orleans Jazz, Jean Lafitte, and Cane River Creole), and, lastly, the El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail that passes through Louisiana.

Louisiana might be light on National Park Service sites, but anyone who lives in Louisiana or has visited knows that this state is big on beauty. Because of this, Louisiana is quite rich with state parks; there are 21 Louisiana State Parks statewide.

All of these parks are lovely and worth a visit. One of the most striking and beautiful is the 1,299-acre Palmetto Island State Park, located in the southern portion of the state in Vermillion Parish. If you haven't visited it before, you should plan a visit soon. It's beautiful, alive, and a wonderful slice of nature in southern Louisiana.

If you like the color green, you'll love Palmetto Island State Park. The state acquired the land for this park in 1981, but the park didn't open until 2010. Since then, it has grown in popularity each year. Last year, about 80,000 people visited this park.

This park is full of palmettos—hence its name. You'll love walking and boating among them. Further, the park offers a visitor center, a water playground, a campground with 95 campsites and six two-bedroom cabins, four picnic pavilions, and a boat launch for canoes and kayaks.

If you wish to delve a little deeper into the park's forests, a couple of easy trails wind through it. The Palmetto Island Lagoon Trail is 2.1 miles in length and is an out-and-back trail that follows the park border. The Palmetto Island Loop is an easy loop trail that is 1.5 miles long and only takes about half an hour to complete.

On both trails and throughout the park, you can expect to see many plants, including wildflowers. Birds also flock to this area, and the entire park is excellent for bird watching.

Palmetto Island State Park offers a true Louisiana outdoor experience. It's quiet and serene, yet it also has so much to offer its visitors. This park is a prime example of the many wonderful state parks that one can find in Louisiana and throughout our entire nation.

National Park Service sites are fantastic, but don't overlook state parks! There are so many gems out there to enjoy and explore. Immerse yourself in the beauty—every time you do, you'll be glad you did. Happy exploring!