NEW LIFE FOR SAM HOUSTON JONES STATE PARK
AS RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY OFFICIALLY REOPENS THE PARK FOLLOWING HURRICANES LAURA AND DELTA
Renovations and rebuilds include new cabins, new glamping campsites, and other amenities
Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser, Louisiana State Parks, and elected officials today officially re-opened the new and improved Sam Houston Jones State Park. The park began a phased re-opening on Memorial Day, May 30, 2022, with the opening of day use visitation. It was the first time the park was open to the public since Hurricanes Laura and Delta ravaged the park in 2020.
“Our team has done a tremendous job to get Sam Houston Jones State Park ready to be reopened as soon as possible. However, they couldn’t have done it without the help and support of everyone in the Lake Charles area, from volunteers to companies and state and local leaders,” said Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser. “Today, we are celebrating not just the reopening of a state park, but a new life for a beautiful area of Louisiana that means so much to the people who live here and those who visit. Nobody is as excited as I am to see this state park start welcoming visitors again.”
Hurricanes Laura and Delta destroyed or damaged every building and knocked down more than 80% of the trees at the park. Since the storms, crews have been working on debris clean-up and constructing new additions at the park including a 31-site campground with new RV campsites that have full sewer and 50-amp electric hookups. Park visitors will also find ten new, luxury cabins with granite countertops and screened porches complete with outdoor fireplaces. Through a partnership with Tentrr, there are now ten new Tentrr glamping campsites featuring spacious, safari-style, canvas-walled tents atop a raised platform located in a rustic area outside the park campground. The sites are outfitted with a queen-sized cot and memory foam mattress, a heating source, Adirondack chairs, a fire pit, a grill, and a picnic table. ADA-accessible and pet-friendly sites are available. Additionally, new pavilions, a new trailhead restroom, and a new 500-foot boardwalk along the west fork of the Calcasieu River will welcome visitors looking to take a stroll through the beautiful scenery of southwest Louisiana.
In February, hundreds of volunteers helped plant thousands of new trees inside Sam Houston Jones State Park. Sasol in Lake Charles and The Nature Conservancy in Louisiana (TNC) donated funding, materials, and resources to make the tree plantings possible. Sasol provided $10,000 to purchase containerized magnolia trees planted near the park entrance. In addition, TNC lent its time and expertise by mapping the tree planting arrangement. TNC and Citgo helped coordinate the planting of over 5,000 longleaf pine trees to add to the additional trees and shrubs purchased by Louisiana State Parks. Lieutenant Governor Nungesser today took time during today’s ceremony to recognize and personally thank each group that participated in planting trees that helped make today’s reopening possible
Sam Houston Jones State Park is located in Calcasieu Parish, north of Lake Charles. To reserve a cabin or campsite at Sam Houston Jones State Park or any Louisiana State Park, go to www.GoOutdoorsLouisiana.com or call the reservation center at 1-833-609-0686. For more information about Louisiana’s State Parks and Historic sites, go to www.LaStateParks.com or follow Louisiana State Parks on Facebook and Twitter.
For any questions, contact Laura Pursnell-Lindsay or Veronica Mosgrove.
Laura Pursnell-Lindsay
Louisiana State Parks
225-342-5473
llindsay@crt.la.gov
Veronica Mosgrove
Office of Lieutenant Governor
225-342-7009
vmosgrove@crt.la.gov
