Cane River Creole National Historical Park Cane River Creole National Historical Park is located within the Cane River National Heritage Area. The park includes 42 acres of Oakland Plantation and 18 acres of Magnolia Plantation outbuildings. Presently, there are limited National Park Service comfort facilities open for visitation. The administrative offices are located at 400 Rapides Drive in Natchitoches, Louisiana. There is much work to be accomplished. Structures and artifacts require proper documentation, preparation, and/or preservation for visitor use.
The Cane River National Heritage Area extends approximately one mile on either side of the Cane River from the southern boundary of the City of Natchitoches to Monette's Ferry. It also includes the Kate Chopin House and the state commemorative areas of Los Adaes, Fort Jesup, and Fort St. Jean Baptiste. The heritage area includes a total of approximately 40,000 acres of privately and publicly owned lands.
Cane River National Heritage Area Cane River National Heritage Area in northwestern Louisiana is a largely rural, agricultural landscape known for its historic plantations, its distinctive Creole architecture, and its multi-cultural legacy. Historically this region lay at the intersection of French and Spanish realms in the New World. Today it is home to a unique blend of cultures, including French, Spanish, African, American Indian, and Creole.
The central corridor of the heritage area begins just south of Natchitoches, the oldest permanent settlement in the Louisiana Purchase, and extends along both sides of Cane River Lake for approximately 35 miles. The heritage area includes Cane River Creole National Historical Park, seven National Historic Landmarks, three State Historic Sites, and many other historic plantations, homes, and churches. While much of the roughly 45,000-acre heritage area is privately owned, many sites are open to the public.
Please visit our website at www.caneriverheritage.org.
Catahoula NWR Catahoula National Wildlife Refuge, located 25 miles northeast of Alexandria, was established in 1958. Vegetation is primarily lowland hardwood forest subject to annual flooding from Catahoula Lake. Several natural cypress shaded bayous and brakes add diversity throughout the forest. White-tailed deer, small game mammals, songbirds, raptors and waterbirds are commonly seen throughout the refuge. An interesting variety of reptiles and amphibians from alligators to cricket frogs also inhabit the refuge. Waterfowl are abundant during the winter. Peak waterfowl populations of 75,000 ducks have been recorded. The Duck Lake impoundment was constructed in the 1970's to provide additional management capabilities for waterfowl. Catahoula Lake is a 26,000 acre Wetland of International Importance; a historic concentration area for shorebirds, waterbirds and migrating/wintering waterfowl. Catahoula Refuge also borders a portion of the Dewey Wills Wildlife Management Area. Together, these areas provide a haven for wildlife and preserve representative samples of the unique habitats originally in the Lower Mississippi River Ecosystem.
Creole Nature Trail Highlights of this route include four National Wildlife Refuges, salt and freshwater resources, Civil War and archaeological dig sites, and miles of natural beaches, marshlands, and prairie lands, yielding an abundance of wildlife and scenic appeal.
D'Arbonne NWR D'Arbonne NWR was established in 1975 as an enhancement project for the U.S. Corps of Engineers Ouachita/Black Rivers' Navigation project. Located just north of West Monroe, LA, it lies on the western edge of the 75 mile-wide Mississippi Alluvial Plain. The central physical feature is the Bayou D'Arbonne. Permanent water area on the refuge includes oxbow lakes, side channels of Bayou D'Arbonne and bottomland flooded on a year-round basis. This flooding results from backwater from the Columbia Lock and Dam on the Ouachita River. High water levels may inundate up to 87% of the refuge duirng January through May but may occur other times depending on rainfall. The varied environments on D'Arbonne NWR provide excellent habitat for a diversity of migratory birds and resident wildlife -- the purpose of the refuge. Other objectives include: preserve bottomland hardwoods and provide wintering habitat for migratory waterfowl; provide habitat and protection for threatened/endangered species (red-cockaded woodpecker, bald eagle, and alligator); provide opportunities for environmental education, interpretation, and wildlife-oriented recreation.
Delta NWR The refuge provides sanctuary, feeding, and resting habitat for wintering and migrating populations of lesser snow geese and more than 18 species of ducks. Peak populations, in excess of 400,000 ducks and geese, have been recorded. Vegetation includes three-square, duck potato, wild millet, and at high elevations, willow. Over 50% of the refuge has oil and gas activities that are monitored by the Service. Wetland creation work has been active in the past five years, creating over 2,200 acres of land in open water areas. Waterfowl and deer hunting and fishing activities are open to the public. The refuge is only accessible by boat.
