Sam Houston Jones State Park
Encyclopedia
Sam Houston Jones State Park is a park in near the city of Lake Charles
, Calcasieu Parish, in southwestern Louisiana
(USA) located at the confluence of the Houston and Calcasieu River
s and Indian Bayou. It consists of 1087 acres (439.9 ha) of woodlands, lakes and rivers. Prominent in the park are many bald cypress trees. Tree-filled lagoons and a mixed pine and hardwood forest combine to create a unique natural environment. The area hosts an abundance of wildlife, including deer
, squirrel
s, bobcat
s, rabbit
s, alligator
s, otter
s, nutria rats, raccoon
s, fox
es, and diverse birdlife. The park also has a herd of deer kept in a special area of the park. Duck
s and geese
are usually found swimming in the ponds.
Originally named for Sam Houston
, the Texas folk hero who traveled extensively in the western reaches of Louisiana, Sam Houston Jones
was given its current name in honor of the state's 37th governor, who was instrumental in setting aside this tract of land for the public to enjoy. Facilities include campsites, cabins, a boat launch, rental boats, a scenic picnic area with pavilions, a playground and restrooms.
The site is located in the Central Migratory Flyway
and just north of the most productive birding region in Louisiana. The park is located just north of the most productive birding region of Louisiana. In the spring and fall, migratory
patterns bring nearly 200 bird species within 30 miles (48.3 km) of the park site.
The numerous waterways in this area make water sports a natural highlight at the park. Two boat launches are conveniently located on the West Fork of the Calcasieu River, providing access to the Gulf of Mexico, only a few miles away. Rental boats are available those who simply wish to take in the serene beauty of the park's ponds or for fishing.
The three hiking trails winding through this beautiful park make strolling or serious hiking, pleasurable. Hikers may visit the old stagecoach road to explore the park and the banks of the various tributaries to the Calcasieu River.
Hours of Operation are 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sunday through Thursday. All park sites close at 10 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and days preceding holidays.
Lake Charles, Louisiana
Lake Charles is the fifth-largest incorporated city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, located on Lake Charles, Prien Lake, and the Calcasieu River. Located in Calcasieu Parish, a major cultural, industrial, and educational center in the southwest region of the state, and one of the most important in...
, Calcasieu Parish, in southwestern Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
(USA) located at the confluence of the Houston and Calcasieu River
Calcasieu River
The Calcasieu River is a river on the Gulf Coast of southwestern Louisiana, U.S.A.. Approximately long, it drains a largely rural area of forests and bayou country, meandering southward to the Gulf of Mexico. The name "Calcasieu" comes from the Native American Atakapa language katkosh, for...
s and Indian Bayou. It consists of 1087 acres (439.9 ha) of woodlands, lakes and rivers. Prominent in the park are many bald cypress trees. Tree-filled lagoons and a mixed pine and hardwood forest combine to create a unique natural environment. The area hosts an abundance of wildlife, including deer
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
, squirrel
Squirrel
Squirrels belong to a large family of small or medium-sized rodents called the Sciuridae. The family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels, chipmunks, marmots , flying squirrels, and prairie dogs. Squirrels are indigenous to the Americas, Eurasia, and Africa and have been introduced to Australia...
s, bobcat
Bobcat
The bobcat is a North American mammal of the cat family Felidae, appearing during the Irvingtonian stage of around 1.8 million years ago . With twelve recognized subspecies, it ranges from southern Canada to northern Mexico, including most of the continental United States...
s, rabbit
Rabbit
Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world...
s, alligator
Alligator
An alligator is a crocodilian in the genus Alligator of the family Alligatoridae. There are two extant alligator species: the American alligator and the Chinese alligator ....
s, otter
Otter
The Otters are twelve species of semi-aquatic mammals which feed on fish and shellfish, and also other invertebrates, amphibians, birds and small mammals....
s, nutria rats, raccoon
Raccoon
Procyon is a genus of nocturnal mammals, comprising three species commonly known as raccoons, in the family Procyonidae. The most familiar species, the common raccoon , is often known simply as "the" raccoon, as the two other raccoon species in the genus are native only to the tropics and are...
s, fox
Fox
Fox is a common name for many species of omnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids , characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail .Members of about 37 species are referred to as foxes, of which only 12 species actually belong to...
es, and diverse birdlife. The park also has a herd of deer kept in a special area of the park. Duck
Duck
Duck is the common name for a large number of species in the Anatidae family of birds, which also includes swans and geese. The ducks are divided among several subfamilies in the Anatidae family; they do not represent a monophyletic group but a form taxon, since swans and geese are not considered...
s and geese
Goose
The word goose is the English name for a group of waterfowl, belonging to the family Anatidae. This family also includes swans, most of which are larger than true geese, and ducks, which are smaller....
are usually found swimming in the ponds.
Originally named for Sam Houston
Sam Houston
Samuel Houston, known as Sam Houston , was a 19th-century American statesman, politician, and soldier. He was born in Timber Ridge in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, of Scots-Irish descent. Houston became a key figure in the history of Texas and was elected as the first and third President of...
, the Texas folk hero who traveled extensively in the western reaches of Louisiana, Sam Houston Jones
Sam H. Jones
--4.230.222.169 Sam Houston Jones was the 46th Governor of Louisiana from 1940 to 1944. He defeated the renowned Earl Kemp Long in the 1940 Democratic primary. Long turned the tables on Jones and defeated him in the 1948 party primary.-Early life:Sam Jones was born in Merryville in Beauregard...
was given its current name in honor of the state's 37th governor, who was instrumental in setting aside this tract of land for the public to enjoy. Facilities include campsites, cabins, a boat launch, rental boats, a scenic picnic area with pavilions, a playground and restrooms.
The site is located in the Central Migratory Flyway
Central Flyway
The Central Flyway is a bird migration route that generally follows the Great Plains in the United States and Canada. The main endpoints of the flyway include central Canada and the region surrounding the Gulf of Mexico; the migration route tends to narrow considerably in the Platte River and...
and just north of the most productive birding region in Louisiana. The park is located just north of the most productive birding region of Louisiana. In the spring and fall, migratory
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
patterns bring nearly 200 bird species within 30 miles (48.3 km) of the park site.
The numerous waterways in this area make water sports a natural highlight at the park. Two boat launches are conveniently located on the West Fork of the Calcasieu River, providing access to the Gulf of Mexico, only a few miles away. Rental boats are available those who simply wish to take in the serene beauty of the park's ponds or for fishing.
The three hiking trails winding through this beautiful park make strolling or serious hiking, pleasurable. Hikers may visit the old stagecoach road to explore the park and the banks of the various tributaries to the Calcasieu River.
Hours of Operation are 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sunday through Thursday. All park sites close at 10 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and days preceding holidays.