RECREATION

Enjoy the great outdoors!

Morehouse Parish possesses all that’s needed for a healthy, active and safe lifestyle plus an array of scenic and outdoor recreation opportunities. These include hunting, fishing, water sports, camping and biking. In addition, the northeast Louisiana area is rich with museums, historical sites and other cultural activities. Life is relaxing, sincere and secure, with all the metro attractions in Monroe approximately 30 minutes away.

We have the beautiful Rose Theatre, which is on the National Registry of Historic Buildings, as well as the Snyder Museum, the Visitor Center - which was once a gas station - and the totally refurbished and repurposed old Bastrop High School, which is now apartments for many who went to school there. Moreover, there's so much to see in Morehouse. Learn more about reacreation in Morehouse Parish; stick around and enjoy a glass of sweet tea!

Morehouse Parish has plenty to offer everyone, it is definitely the place to visit for tranquility, nature watching and hunting. Come and enjoy the amazing opportunities for recreation Morehouse Parish. Nature, museums, fine shopping, festivals - We've Got It All!

State Parks, Lakes, Rivers and Bayous

Chemin-A-Haut State Park - Situated on a high bluff overlooking Bayou Bartholomew, Chemin-A-Haut State Park is a natural paradise for lovers of unspoiled beauty. This 503-acre site takes its name from the French word meaning "high road," which was the route used by Native Americans many years ago in their seasonal migrations.

Located 10 miles north of Bastrop this historic state park offers activities on Big Slough Lake, Chemin-a-Haut Creek and Bayou Bartholomew. A variety of cabins to fit large groups or small families can be rented as well as more primitive campgrounds. Campgrounds are equipped with a modern bathhouse. Fishing, kayaking, canoeing make for a fun day trip or extended stay. Chemin-A-Haut State Park was designed with children in mind. Two playgrounds in the day-use area are a favorite spot of the younger patrons.

Open pavilions and an amphitheater are available for a variety of events. Portions of the park are equine friendly and host trail rides. Regular activities include “Dutch Oven” cooking. Information on time and locations of events can be obtained at the office (318) 283-0812.
Read more here.

Bayou Bartholomew - is 364 miles long and is the longest bayou in the world. Access points for canoeing, kayaking and fishing are available at some bridges and the State Park. Traversing along the ridge and through the delta areas of the parish, it is the primary waterway through the parish. Once the center of transportation activities, it was dotted with steamboat landings and social events. Although the landings are gone, remnants of sunken vessels can often be spotted during periods of low water.

Bonne Idee - is another French named waterway on the eastern side of the Parish and provides beautiful bayou frontage for homes and recreational properties. Fishing off the pier or drifting by boat along the mossy cypress trees provides for a leisurely afternoon. The Villages of Mer Rouge and Bonita provide convenient and friendly businesses to meet your needs while in the area.

Little Lake Lafourche - just 7 miles North of Rayville, Louisiana on the Morehouse & Richland Parish line is a great place for anglers to land some big fish. Plus, the banks are dotted with fine homes and camps. Oak Ridge, Collinston and Monroe are nearby to provide shopping and supplies. In addition to Little Lake Lafourche the area is filled with small lakes, rivers and bayous to explore. Boeuf River is the parish boundary to the east.

The Ouachita River - Along the western boundary of Morehouse Parish near Sterlington provides easy access to a variety of water sports. If you are interested in sport fishing, water skiing or just sunning on the deck, the river offers a full array of activities close to marinas and launch areas, the perfect place for recreation in Morehouse Parish.

Bussey Brake Reservoir

When you come to Morehouse Parish, you truly come to Sportsman’s Paradise. Bussey Brake Reservoir was revitalized by the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries and covers 2,228 acres for additional duck hunting and fishing opportunities with new amenities including handicap accessible fishing piers and improved docking facilities.

Caney Bayou Mound

Caney Bayou Mound is the oldest known Indian mound in Morehouse Parish. Originally taller than it is today, this dome-shaped mound is now about 5 1/2 feet high, and about 130 by 165 feet at the base. Although Caney Bayou Mound has been significantly disturbed by years of plowing, it’s still an important site on the Mounds Trail because of its antiquity. Projectile points and stone tools found near the mound are from the Archaic period, and no pottery has been found at the site. Based on soil weathering and artifacts, Caney Bayou Mound appears to be as old as 3000 BC. By comparison, the first Egyptian pyramids were constructed in approximately 2800 BC.

McTheney Mounds

The McTheney Mounds site formerly had three mounds, and is situated on a natural levee on the east bank of Bayou Bartholomew. The site has been under cultivation since the 1850s, and now only one mound remains. The one remaining platform mound is approximately 22 feet high, with a square base of 140 feet and a square summit platform measuring 50 feet. Excavations have shown that the site was first occupied from 400 to 700 CE during the Troyville period. Construction of the mound is dated 700 to 1200 CE during the Coles Creek period. Analysis of ceramics from the site date have been dated other occupations of the site to 1200 to 1541 CE.

Morehouse Parish Farmers Market

Located in historic downtown Bastrop at 307 East Madison, the Farmers Market was totally restored in 2002. The market sells local, quality produce directly to the consumer and offers pea shelling and pecan cracking services as well.

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