Located 25 miles SE of Lake Charles, LA, in Cameron Parish. 2 separate units, the Gibbstown Unit…read morewith 9,621 acres and East Cove with 14,927 acres. East Cove is only assessable by boat. Fresh marsh, coastal prairie and moist soil areas. Varied wildlife including birds and alligators. There is a visitor center as well as a shell road drive. Today I saw a rare Cinnamon Teal!!! :-) http://www.fws.gov/swlarefugecomplex/cameronprairie/

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful…read more Great place for kids to reset And step away from electronics! So many stories and unique opportunities to see and learn about!

I don't know anything about the $1 toll to get on the island. I came to visit the Tabasco Factory…read moreTour and Jungle Gardens, and the kind gentleman at the gate handed me the pass and instructed me to go to the visitor center for the Tabasco Factory and that would pay for my vehicle to be on the premises as long as I put the pass on my front windshield. Even if there was a toll, I would have happily paid for it. The paid roads were well maintained and the gravel roads were perfectly flat, not too bumpy. I have been on way worse gravel roads in far different places. I am glad for the gate for guidance on where to go.

Just got back from a camping trip here. We stayed in a screened shelter on the hen house side. We…read morewere there for 2.5 days and we managed to finish ALL of the (walkable) trails in the whole park. The park is small but gorgeous and has lots of things to do. Camping, swimming, fish, kayak/canoe... we did two evening swims, and one where it was completely secluded. Absolutely magical. Sadly didn't spot any gators during this trip, but we saw lots of deer and armadillos! The mosquitoes are wicked tho so be sure to pack loooots of bug spray. Our bug spray had DEET in it and although it detered them a bit, it didn't stop them fully. It also rained twice for a little bit over the span of two days so that was really nice considering we come from austin and we haven't seen rain in a few months. Our first shelter actually ended up flooding so staff allowed us to love our things into another available and dry shelter. So anyway - overall we had the most amazing camping trip here. Pros: everything Cons: mosquitos We definitely left here covered head to toe in bites! Haha.

Beautiful park. It's like having 3 different parks in one depending on where you camp. We love this…read moreplace and come often as possible. It's the first park we camped when we got our rig so it's rather special.

Big Thicket National Preserve is an American treasure. It is a beautifully serene area of the…read morecountry located in East Texas that fully deserves all the attention it's due. The many ecosystems that this park encompasses is a geological mystery that starts millions of years ago with the movement of glaciers. We only had a short 2 hour time window to enjoy the exhibits at the visitors center, the short film in the theatre, and a quick hike close to the visitors center. The film is the same one you can view on their website, so if you are short on time, skip it and watch it at home. The gift shop is stocked with amazing items, so definitely save 5 minutes to browse around. My kids enjoyed speaking to Ranger Scott about his favorite animal in the preserve, the American alligator, and completing the Junior Ranger booklet for the badges. This program is targeted for 14 and under but adults can participate as well.

Nice NPS site. Small but informative visitor center with friendly ranger. Infrastructure is…read moresimple and well maintained. Nice junior ranger program. Would not go out of my way to visit but worth a stop if in area.

This park is awesome…read more We visited for the first time on Thanksgiving only to realize this whole park is fenced, and it's a holiday so they were closed. This is a great thing though because the park stays clean and maintained. Came back again a couple days later and thoroughly enjoyed it. They have several clean restrooms which is great. They have a concession stand. The play structure itself is very ability inclusive and unique. You can't find a park like it nearby. It's right on the lake so the surroundings are nice as well.

It's new and fun for kids! Well kept so many things to do and see in this area. Love that they have…read morebathrooms and rise off area. Covered areas for sunny days. Playground is big and interactive for ages of all sides. Seeing the boats dock on marina is cool and a different view of lake Charles. It's by the event center so I only assume they have outdoor events at this park. I highly recommend for anyone but especially my families with rambunctious kids come here!

Growing up in Louisiana I certainly have had the opportunity to explore a lot of the beautiful…read moreareas around the state and Avery Island is just another example that shows off what this state has to offer and exhibits a part of the culture that you may not know about. If you've made it here it's likely you've experienced some of the best of Cajun Country which is not only about the scenery but about the hospitality of it's people and the food which is some of the best you'll find anywhere. This is one of the most tranquil self guide tours you may ever experience and spending time here will not only reconnect you with nature but also give you a renewed appreciation for the importance of the preservation of these areas. It's also a place that you can visit over and over again and never get bored, so whether it's only a few hours or the entire day a visit to Avery Island is well worth your time - I always discover something new...

If your in the area I highly recommend stopping here. It is very interesting to see how it started…read moreand how everything is with a condiment we see all the time. You can see from the beginning to end of how Tabasco is produced and the time and effort put into it. And then be sure to stop in the gift shop for samples of the sauce and then a tasty sample of some spicy ice cream which will feel so weird as you try that jalapeño ice cream that's cold in your mouth but burns down your the ought. Strangest thing ever lol. Then be sure to head over to the jungle garden tour. I recommend driving through although you can walk through if you'd like. But if you drive through there are places to park along the way and get out and walk also. Be sure to download the tour app so you have the audio map to guide you and speak along your route. Loved this part of nature and history.

This was the best tour! We decided to go very last minute after spending the day at Avery Island. I…read morecalled about the 4:15 tour but didn't want to book in case we were late. They waited for us even though I was having trouble booking online. We paid after the tour. We saw lot of alligators. The cypress trees with the moss were just gorgeous. It was a beautiful boat ride on Lake Martin. I would recommend this tour to anyone! You won't regret it. The boat ramp was very easy to find. I didn't have cell service once we got there and there are not bathrooms. But there is a dollar general down the street.

Booked an appointment on line this morning for the 2pm tour…read more The price of this tour is great & won't break the bank for a family. Meet them at the dock and we were off. Our group was just the right size as we were not on a full boat. We saw plenty of wildlife as our guild pointed out everything. He was knowledgeable about the area, plant life, wildlife. How the area came about and it's history. We had a great time and this is one I would recommend.

Cute park in small town. Has soft playground flooring and fun water area. Plenty of parkingread more

We loved this trail! I was impressed and thought it was well maintained. It was definitely easy and…read morethe perfect trail for my little hiker. We enjoyed the different walkways - paved paths, raised platform, bridge and of course the well coursed ground. I liked the clear markings on the trail too letting me know I was on track. The Pitcher Plant Trail merges with the Turkey Creek Trail for a bit and it was nice that everything was clearly marked. This is also the perfect trail to introduce you to the Big Thicket and the piney woods. This was my first trail in this area and it was so different from my other trail experiences. I thoroughly enjoyed it! I didn't take a lot of time to stop and look at the plants but did notice some interesting ones I'd never seen before. This forest area is so interesting and definitely worth checking out. I can't wait to come back and do this trail again.

We spent a few hours driving and walking through this beautifully preserved piece of nature on…read moreAvery Island after doing the self-guided tour of the Tabasco Factory, that ticket includes the Jungle Garden experience. We couldn't have picked a better day to visit the area, the temperature was perfect with low humidity and no bugs - you must allow yourself plenty of time to soak in the peaceful surroundings and get out of your vehicle to get up close to the wonders of this garden. Besides the beautiful grounds and water structures there are plenty of surprises you'll discover along the way we unfortunately didn't see any alligators or deer today but there were an abundance of birds, a few turtles basking in the sun and lots of squirrels scurrying through the grounds and giant oak trees. This is a beautiful place and just one of the wonders you'll find while exploring Louisiana I've lived in Louisiana for almost half my life and I'm still amazed at the beauty this state has to offer this is just one of the many places that's preserved and protected for generations to enjoy and appreciate...

This is a great activity to spend a few hours, especially on a nice day. It's a good mix of driving…read moreand walking around or you can choose to just drive and listen to the self guided tour. We saw lot of alligators. The bird city was neat too. You could hear the birds well before you could see them. At the park entrance there is a little gift shop too with snacks, drinks, bathrooms and souvenirs.