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Facilities
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Established Camping

Lake Bistineau State Park Campground

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Lake Bistineau State Park Campground, near Doyline, Louisiana, is a peaceful spot that invites you to unwind and soak in the natural beauty of the area. With a mix of tent sites, RV spots, and cozy cabins, it caters to all kinds of campers looking for a break from the hustle and bustle.

The campground is known for its clean facilities, including well-kept bathrooms and showers, which visitors appreciate after a day of exploring. Many sites come with wooden platforms, adding a unique touch to your camping experience. As one camper noted, “The sites for campers have decks!!” This makes it easier to set up and enjoy the outdoors without the hassle of uneven ground.

Nature lovers will find plenty to do here, with trails winding through the cypress trees and Spanish moss that define the landscape. Reviewers have enjoyed spotting wildlife, like deer, while taking evening strolls along the Discovery Trail. The serene atmosphere is perfect for those looking to escape and enjoy the quiet, as one visitor described it: “Quiet and serene… truly get a sense of the Deep South.”

While the lake may be a bit swampy at times, it offers a unique opportunity to explore the dry lake bottom and see parts of cypress trees usually submerged. Whether you're here for a quick stopover or a longer stay, Lake Bistineau State Park Campground provides a charming backdrop for your outdoor adventures.

Description

State Park

Situated on the western shore of Lake Bistineau, this park offers a satisfying blend of beautiful vistas and outstanding recreational facilities. Memorable for its upland mixed hardwood forest, its open waters, and its enchanting stands of cypress and tupelo trees, the park offers two boat launches, hiking and biking trails, playgrounds, camping, cabins and excellent fishing!

Beginning in January with the "yo- yo" season and lasting through the spring, summer, and early fall, the dedicated fisherman can draw such freshwater catches as black crappie, largemouth bass, yellow bass, catfish, bluegill, and red-ear sunfish from the lake's clear waters.

Lake Bistineau dates back over 200 years. It began in 1800 when several thousand acres of land were flooded due to a gigantic log jam in the Red River. Gradually, however, as the area was dredged, the lake began to drain. Then in 1935, a permanent dam was built across Loggy Bayou, creating the present-day Lake Bistineau. The dam has since been enlarged, giving the reservoir a surface area of 26.9 square miles, with an average depth of seven feet and a maximum depth of 25 feet.

Area 1 is located in the main section of the park, with cabins, and a group camp. Picnicking along the lake is tremendously popular at numerous sites equipped with tables, grills, and nearby restrooms. Several picnic pavilions are also available for larger groups. The park's trail system encompasses nearly 10 miles of woodland trails and an 11-mile canoe trail, for visitors who want to see the park's beauty from the water.

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Location

Lake Bistineau State Park Campground is located in Louisiana

Detail location of campground

Directions

From I-20 at Minden take LA 371 south to Sibley, LA 164 west to Doyline, and LA 163 south to the park.

Address

103 State Park Rd
Doyline, LA 71023

Coordinates

32.44133035 N
93.381499 W

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Access

  • Drive-In
    Park next to your site
  • Walk-In
    Park in a lot, walk to your site.
  • Boat-In
    Sites accessible by watercraft.

Stay Connected

  • WiFi
    Unknown
  • Verizon
    Poor
  • AT&T
    Unknown
  • T-Mobile
    Unknown

Site Types

  • Tent Sites
  • RV Sites
  • Standard (Tent/RV)
  • Group
  • Cabins
  • Equestrian

Features

For Campers

  • ADA Access
  • Trash
  • Picnic Table
  • Phone Service
  • Reservable
  • Showers
  • Drinking Water
  • Electric Hookups
  • Toilets
  • Alcohol
  • Pets
  • Fires

For Vehicles

  • Sanitary Dump
  • Water Hookups
  • Pull-Through Sites
  • Big Rig Friendly

Drive Time


Reviews

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4.0

out of 5

12 Reviews

Reviewed May. 2, 2023

Decent park

I tent camped here in April 2023. The staff was friendly and the office was still open at 6pm, when I arrived on a Saturday. I don’t know their normal hours. The weather was nice but it had just rained so my campsite was wet with a little mud. Plus it was a little uneven without much clear space for a tent but my tent fit because it is a 2-person tent. Other sites had wooden platforms but mine didn’t. I took an evening walk on the Discovery Trail and saw two deer. There are several other, longer trails. I didn’t explore the lake. The bathroom/shower house was clean. It was a little ways from I-20 but overall decent park.

Site8
Month of VisitApril
  • Review photo of Lake Bistineau State Park Campground by Jacob  W., May 2, 2023
Reviewed Mar. 24, 2023

Nice enough

We stayed here for a one night stopover. I’m not sure I’d go out of my way to stay there again but I was happy enough with my stop. It’s an older park. The lake is pretty swampy. No sewer at the sites, but water and electric. Cell service with AT&T was pretty weak but manageable to get some work done. Bathhouse was a typical older state park set up. Definitely needs some TLC. It would take a little work to get level in most of the sites from what I can see. They do have a wooden platform (almost like a deck) at most sites that is pretty cool. Our table was old and kinda warped. There is a fire pit. Table and fire are down a level but sites where we stayed were large and spacious. The park was almost empty during our stay but when we booked there were very few open sites available less than a week earlier. That seemed odd once we saw there was literally no one staying there. Sunset was beautiful.

Site71
Month of VisitMarch
  • Review photo of Lake Bistineau State Park Campground by Kiva R., March 24, 2023
  • Review photo of Lake Bistineau State Park Campground by Kiva R., March 24, 2023
  • Review photo of Lake Bistineau State Park Campground by Kiva R., March 24, 2023
  • (6) View All
Reviewed Jan. 16, 2023

Peaceful and quiet

Beautiful site off the beaten path. Quiet and serene. between the Spanish moss and the cypress trees truly get a sense of the Deep South.

Site16
Month of VisitJanuary
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Reviewed Nov. 24, 2022

Beautiful state park

Lake Bistineau is a great state park park near Shreveport, LA. We stayed 2 nights. The sites are very shady. The park streets and sites are asphalt. Some roads need repaving. The park was clean and quiet, and the staff was friendly. Unfortunately, the lake was drawn down to eradicate an invasive water plant. But, this presented a unique opportunity. We could walk on the dry lake bottom and see the parts of cypress trees that are normally under water. 

Stayed in back-in campsite#14 which was level side to side, but the front was higher. The site has a nice view of the lake and a large wooden deck. There was just enough parking for my 34 ft TT and truck. Neighbors are nearby, but not too close. The site included: picnic table on concrete, BBQ pit, trash pole, and fire ring. Utilities: 20/30/50A electric in back. Water in back, good pressure. No sewer, but a dump station is available. 

AT&T had 2 bars of LTE and Verizon 2 bars of LTE service. AT&T Speedtest: 5.1 Mbps down, 0.7 Mbps up. Verizon Speedtest: 7.4 Mbps down, 0.1 Mbps up. No WiFi. 

Would stay here again. We camped at Lake Bistineau State Park in a Travel Trailer.

Site14
Month of VisitNovember
  • Review photo of Lake Bistineau State Park Campground by David B., November 24, 2022
  • Review photo of Lake Bistineau State Park Campground by David B., November 24, 2022
  • Review photo of Lake Bistineau State Park Campground by David B., November 24, 2022
  • (5) View All
Reviewed Nov. 23, 2022

Very clean!

Very clean! Clean bathrooms, beautiful scenery, but the sites are angled so it’s difficult to back in. There are trees right at the road edges that you have to worry about while backing

Site52
Month of VisitApril
  • Review photo of Lake Bistineau State Park Campground by Emily , November 23, 2022
Reviewed Feb. 22, 2022

Beautiful Park.

Great place, good rates. So very quiet and peaceful. Winter deals were great on my budget. Park personnel were awesome. Helped me with a dead truck battery and were just all around wonderful. Showers/bathrooms were spotless. One minor drawback—no sewer sites. I stayed two weeks and had to hook up to dump once (small tanks). Drive to Shreveport for shopping was easy and pleasant.

Month of VisitFebruary
  • Review photo of Lake Bistineau State Park Campground by Kat E., February 22, 2022
  • Review photo of Lake Bistineau State Park Campground by Kat E., February 22, 2022
  • Review photo of Lake Bistineau State Park Campground by Kat E., February 22, 2022
Reviewed Oct. 28, 2021

Great views. Easy camping.

I stopped at this campsite on my way back to atlanta. The views of the "swamp" are great. It's dry, and apparently has been for some years, so there's a lush grass growing down to the water's edge. Lots of wildlife to watch.

Month of VisitOctober
  • Review photo of Lake Bistineau State Park Campground by Christopher D., October 28, 2021
  • Review photo of Lake Bistineau State Park Campground by Christopher D., October 28, 2021
  • Review photo of Lake Bistineau State Park Campground by Christopher D., October 28, 2021
  • (4) View All
Reviewed Oct. 15, 2021

Very quiet, lots to do depending on time of year

Stayed in a cabin and it was great! Very clean and useable. Didn’t realize they lowered the lake. My fault for not investigating more. Facilities are nice and has about 10 miles of trails to walk/bike.

Sitecabin 11
Month of VisitOctober
Reviewed Mar. 18, 2020

Classic southern cypress setting

A taste of the swamps in north Louisiana. Spanish moss clad Bald Cypress trees in a stereotypical Louisiana lake. Two great boat ramps, cabins and picnic tables. Keep your small dogs on a leash or you may feed the gators. Mosquitoes big enough to land at Barksdale AFB.

  • Review photo of Lake Bistineau State Park Campground by Jason W., March 18, 2020
Reviewed Nov. 29, 2019

Off the main highway

Large lakeside park that very seldom has water Parkside lol. That being said very quiet peaceful and back to nature.

Reviewed Jun. 29, 2016

Lake Bistineau State Park, nw Louisiana

State park by a lake. Pretty nice all in all. Fairly close to Shreveport, LA. Park was clean, and grass kept cut. Has a nice boat ramp and parking area by the lake. Raccoons are pro's at this park, so you may want to safely store your food and trash if staying in the campground area. They didn't get any of my stuff, but did get into another campers bag of trash.

  • Review photo of Lake Bistineau State Park Campground by Mike V., June 29, 2016
  • Review photo of Lake Bistineau State Park Campground by Mike V., June 29, 2016
  • Review photo of Lake Bistineau State Park Campground by Mike V., June 29, 2016

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Does Lake Bistineau State Park Campground have RV hookups?

    According to TheDyrt.com, Lake Bistineau State Park Campground has water hookups.

  • Are fires allowed at Lake Bistineau State Park Campground?

    Yes, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, fires are allowed at Lake Bistineau State Park Campground, although make sure to check current fire restrictions in the area.

  • Does Lake Bistineau State Park Campground have wifi?

    No, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, Lake Bistineau State Park Campground does not have wifi.

  • Is there cell phone reception at Lake Bistineau State Park Campground?

    According to campers on TheDyrt.com, Verizon signal is poor, AT&T is unknown, and T-Mobile is unknown.