Kisatchie National Forest Guide Profile

Camping, trails, maps & photo credits — Kisatchie National Forest

Kisatchie National Forest in Louisiana offers Forest Service recreation at Beaver Dam Campground, Stuart Lake Recreation Complex, Camping/Day Use. For a walking or hiking visit, start with Stuart Lake Recreation Complex, Camping/Day Use, Kisatchie Bayou Recreation Complex Camping/Day Use. Each recreation site has its own facilities and access rules; use the official maps and current site instructions to plan your visit.

Camping & reservations

The booking button opens the published reservation system for Beaver Dam Campground. Other campgrounds in this forest may use different reservations, first-come sites or permits. Check each named site.

Beaver Dam Campground ↗

Beaver Dam Campground is situated on the shores of Upper Caney Lake in the Caney Lakes Recreation Complex. The campground is located in a beautiful setting among woods, lakes and hills. Swimming, boating, fishing and water skiing are the top activities. Sugar Cane National Recreation Trail passes right next to the campground and offers varied terrain for hikers and bikers. The Sugar Cane trail was named for the crop that was once cultivated here, in addition to cotton. Natural Features: Beaver Dam sits at an elevation of 160 feet along the north shores of the 125-acre Upper Caney Lake. The group picnic area is near Lower Caney Lake, spanning 250 acres. Kisatchie National Forest, the only national forest in Louisiana, spans 604,000 acres and mostly consists of bayous with bald cypress groves and old growth pine. Recreation : Bass, crappie, catfish, bluegill and sandbass can be caught in the lakes. The Sugar Cane Trail spans 5.7 miles and the Lost Man Loop spans 2 miles. Both are open to hiking and mountain biking. Facilities : Campsites come with electric and water hookups. The group picnic area accommodates up to 200 guests while each campsite fits up to eight campers. A sanitary…

Reservations: Reservations can be made by visiting Recreation.gov . Reservations must be made 4 days ahead of arrival and can be made up to 6 months in advance for standard sites or 12 months in advance for group site.

Stuart Lake Recreation Complex, Camping/Day Use ↗

There is an assortment of recreational opportunities within the Stuart Lake Recreation Complex. Situated on a beautiful 5-acre lake surrounded by pine-hardwood forest, this area provides outdoor recreational opportunities for camping, picnicking, canoeing (non-motorized boating), fishing, hiking, bicycling, and nature study. The day use facility includes flush toilets, paved parking, a fishing pier, shore fishing, a swimming beach, picnic tables and barbeque pits. The group use facility is located up the hill from the day use area and the swimming beach. It is equipped with a covered picnic shelter, a large party barbeque pit, trash bins, restrooms, and access to day use facilities including the lake. Group use area facilites include: restrooms, gravel parking, extra large barbeque pit, trash bins, large covered picnic shelter, and access to the day use facilities and lake. The Stuart Nature Trail and the Glenn Emery hiking and biking trail may both be accessed from this recreation area. The Stuart Lake Campground is a primitive campground with 8 sites that were renovated in 2009. General facilities also include drinking water and restrooms. Trash disposal available.

Reservations: Resevations are required for the group use area. Call the District Office at 318-765-3554 to place a reservation for your group.

Kisatchie Bayou Recreation Complex Camping/Day Use ↗

Visitors to the Kisatchie Bayou Recreation Complex can enjoy scenic views of the rocky bayou surrounded by beautiful old growth hardwood and pine which gives this out-of-the-way recreation area such a wonderful setting for visitors. Hiking, camping, picnicking, fishing, and just relaxing are all popular activities enjoyed here. Kisatchie Bayou Campground is a primitive walk-in camping atmosphere with 17 walk-in sites and 1 drive-in site at the middle parking area. Tent pads, barbeque pits, and lantern posts are at each campsite. Trash receptacles and restrooms are available, but visitors should be aware that there is *NO WATER AVAILABLE* at this campground. This complex is a designated fee area. At the Day Use Area, there are vault restroom facilities, trash receptacles, picnic tables and fire rings. There are access steps to the bank of the bayou which allows canoe users to unload from the lower parking lot to the waters edge. Fishing is a very popular activity at Kisatchie Bayou with the possibility of hooking a bass, perch, sunfish, or catfish.

Truck-camping & permitted overnight use

Visitors to the Dogwood Campground are near the beginning of the Longleaf Trail Scenic Byway. Easy access to the district and spring dogwood blooms make this campground a popular destination for visitors who want to cover the whole district. Camping (16 drive-in units accessible to small RV's and trailers), drinking water, and sanitary facilities (flush toilets). Trash disposal available.

The official recreation inventory lists Bucktail Hunter Camp, Sugar Creek Hunter Camp, Bankston Camp for dispersed camping. Read each site’s current rules; this does not authorize camping on every forest road.

Bucktail Hunter Camp ↗ — Visitors to Middle Fork's Bucktail Camp and Turkey Trot Camp should expect very primitive camping. Both camps are designated hunter's camps which means they are only maintained during hunting season. They are, however, open year-around and can be used by all visitors.

Sugar Creek Hunter Camp ↗ — Sugar Creek Hunter Camp

Bankston Camp ↗ — The Bankston Camp is a very primitive camping experience northeast of the town of Williana, Louisiana. This camp is located just outside the borders of the Catahoula National Wildlife Management Preserve.

Activities, hiking & trails

Stuart Lake Recreation Complex, Camping/Day Use ↗
There is an assortment of recreational opportunities within the Stuart Lake Recreation Complex. Situated on a beautiful 5-acre lake surrounded by pine-hardwood forest, this area provides outdoor recreational opportunities for camping, picnicking, canoeing (non-motorized boating), fishing, hiking, bicycling, and nature study. The day use facility includes flush toilets, paved parking, a fishing pier, shore fishing, a swimming beach, picnic tables and barbeque pits. The group use facility is located up the hill from the day use area and the swimming beach. It is equipped with a covered picnic shelter, a large party barbeque pit, trash bins, restrooms, and access to day use facilities including the lake. Group use area facilites include: restrooms, gravel parking, extra large barbeque pit, trash bins, large covered picnic shelter, and access to the day use facilities and lake. The Stuart Nature Trail and the Glenn Emery hiking and biking trail may both be accessed from this recreation…

Kisatchie Bayou Recreation Complex Camping/Day Use ↗
Visitors to the Kisatchie Bayou Recreation Complex can enjoy scenic views of the rocky bayou surrounded by beautiful old growth hardwood and pine which gives this out-of-the-way recreation area such a wonderful setting for visitors. Hiking, camping, picnicking, fishing, and just relaxing are all popular activities enjoyed here. Kisatchie Bayou Campground is a primitive walk-in camping atmosphere with 17 walk-in sites and 1 drive-in site at the middle parking area. Tent pads, barbeque pits, and lantern posts are at each campsite. Trash receptacles and restrooms are available, but visitors should be aware that there is *NO WATER AVAILABLE* at this campground. This complex is a designated fee area. At the Day Use Area, there are vault restroom facilities, trash receptacles, picnic tables and fire rings. There are access steps to the bank of the bayou which allows canoe users to unload from the lower parking lot to the waters edge. Fishing is a very popular activity at Kisatchie Bayou…

Longleaf Vista ↗
Visitors to the Longleaf Vista Recreation Area can enjoy picnicking under large pines, taking in the breathtaking panoramic views of the Kisatchie Hills Wilderness Area from a stone gazebo, or hike on the 1.5 mile interpretive loop trail. General day-use, picnic tables and barbeque pits, trash receptacles, flush restrooms, interpretive trail, and drinking water. Utilize the group pavilion with your family.

Maps & road access

Consult the current Motor Vehicle Use Map for permitted motor routes, vehicle classes and seasonal designations. A route on an MVUM is not a guarantee that it is maintained or passable. Check current road closures and conditions with the district; carry an offline map.

Use the official directions for the exact named campground or trailhead; forest boundaries and administrative offices are not campsite entrances. Official directions / site access ↗

Before you travel

Check the forest’s current alerts, seasonal services, fire orders and campground rules. Download the relevant official maps before entering areas with limited reception.

Source review: 2026-11-01. Conditions, fees, permits and availability can change. USDA Forest Service official information ↗

Photograph sources & licensing

Banner: Kisatchie Falls, Kisatchie Ranger District
Kisatchie Falls - Kisatchie National Forest Waterfalls at Kisatchie Falls, Kisatchie Ranger District. USDA Forest Service photo by Erich Vallery
Credit: Erich Vallery / US Forest Service - Southern Region. Original source ↗ · Public domain ↗. Resized and cropped to match the profile display framing; original image source linked.

Second large photograph: Stuart Lake, Catahoula Ranger District
Stuart Lake - Kisatchie National Forest - 001 Stuart Lake, Catahoula Ranger District. USDA Forest Service photo by Stacy Blomquist.
Credit: Stacy Blomquist / US Forest Service - Southern Region. Original source ↗ · Public domain ↗. Resized and cropped to match the profile display framing; original image source linked.

Photographs are real images of the named unit; no AI-generated photographs are used. Federal photo credit register.