Sam Houston Jones State Park

Sam Houston Jones State Park covers 1,087 acres north of Lake Charles, where the Houston River meets the Calcasieu River and Indian Bayou. It was established in 1944 and is named for Sam Houston Jones, who helped set the land aside for public use. Jones was born in Merryville, in Beauregard Parish, in 1897, beat Earl Long for the governorship in 1940 on a reform platform after the scandals of 1939, served one term and returned to his law practice in Lake Charles, where he died in 1978.

The park has five trails: the 1.6-mile Riverwalk, the 0.5-mile Cypress Tupelo trail, the 1.1-mile Swamp Walk, the 3.5-mile Longleaf Pine trail and its 1.3-mile extension. An old stagecoach road leads to the banks of the Calcasieu's tributaries. More than 70 acres of longleaf pine stand among mixed pine and hardwood forest and tree-filled lagoons, and nearly 200 bird species can be seen within 30 miles of the park at certain times of year.

Boats launch from two ramps on the West Fork of the Calcasieu, kayaks can be rented, and visitors can stay in one of 10 cabins, the lodge or one of 30 premium campsites. Entry was $3 per person in 2026, free at 62 and over and for children 3 and under. The gates open at 6 a.m. and close at 10 p.m. A restoration project listed for 2026 pairs the state parks office with McNeese State University and Woodside Energy, which is funding $5 million over six years to restore more than 800 acres of forest and make it more resilient to hurricanes.