Lake Bistineau State Park Campground

Lake Bistineau State Park encompasses 750 acres of cypress-studded wetlands in northwestern Louisiana, where this state-managed campground provides access to one of the region's distinctive swamp ecosystems. The park sits roughly nine miles from Haughton, offering campers a base for exploring the lake's maze of bayous and bald cypress groves draped in Spanish moss.

Recent infrastructure improvements have addressed long-standing access concerns. Daniel H. notes that "roads in the park have recently been replaced," though some reviewers still mention uneven sites that require leveling blocks. Most campsites feature wooden deck platforms that extend the usable space, with water and electric hookups but no sewer connections. A centrally located dump station serves RV campers who need to empty tanks during longer stays.

The lake itself undergoes periodic drawdowns to manage invasive plant species, creating unusual opportunities for exploration. During low-water periods, visitors can walk on the exposed lake bottom and examine the normally submerged portions of ancient cypress trees. When water levels are normal, the lake supports kayaking and fishing, with two boat ramps providing access to the main body of water. Wildlife sightings include deer along the Discovery Trail system, though campers should secure food against raccoons that frequent the camping areas.

Cell coverage remains limited throughout the park, with both AT&T and Verizon providing only two bars of service according to recent speed tests. The bathhouses reflect the park's age but receive regular cleaning, and laundry facilities are available for extended stays. Kiva R. observes that "the park was almost empty during our stay but when we booked there were very few open sites available less than a week earlier," suggesting advance reservations help secure preferred sites during peak periods.

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Location

Public Campground

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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Connectivity

  • signal strength bars
    T-Mobile
    No Coverage
  • signal strength bars
    VerizonLTE
    Some Coverage
    Verified by 2 users
    Last on 4/23/26
  • signal strength bars
    AT&TLTE
    Some Coverage

Connectivity

  • signal strength bars
    T-Mobile
    No Coverage
  • signal strength bars
    VerizonLTE
    Some Coverage
    Verified by 2 users
    Last on 4/23/26
  • signal strength bars
    AT&TLTE
    Some Coverage

Access

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

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


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Reviews

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4.5

out of 5

15 Reviews

Many mentioned the unique wooden decks, clean facilities, and peaceful lakeside setting with Spanish moss-draped cypress trees. Recurring comments addressed the lack of sewer hookups and some challenging site angles for RVs.

Reviewed Feb. 8, 2026

Beautiful Park

This is a very quite well maintained park. It has restrooms and showers and even laundry.

Site12
Month of VisitFebruary
  • Review photo of Lake Bistineau State Park Campground by lynn K., February 8, 2026
  • Review photo of Lake Bistineau State Park Campground by lynn K., February 8, 2026
  • Review photo of Lake Bistineau State Park Campground by lynn K., February 8, 2026
  • (6) View All
Reviewed Dec. 17, 2025

Amazing

This park is amazing.  The views are incredible.  Although the heat and humidity were a bit much for this yankee, I couldn't get over the setting.  We chose a site (of which there were many) with its own deck overlooking the bayou.  It was a view right out of a painting.  And the senior 50% discount was made it 200% better!

Month of VisitSeptember
  • Review photo of Lake Bistineau State Park Campground by Gary B., December 17, 2025
  • Review photo of Lake Bistineau State Park Campground by Gary B., December 17, 2025
  • Review photo of Lake Bistineau State Park Campground by Gary B., December 17, 2025
  • (6) View All
Reviewed Apr. 14, 2025

Nice state park

Roads in the park have recently been replaced. My spot #46 was nice and level and included a deck. Got in some kayaking. Beautiful lake for paddling. Looking forward to going back. Only wish they had some full hookup sites available. I hear that’s coming soon.

Site46
Month of VisitMarch
  • Review photo of Lake Bistineau State Park Campground by Daniel H., April 14, 2025
  • Review photo of Lake Bistineau State Park Campground by Daniel H., April 14, 2025
  • Review photo of Lake Bistineau State Park Campground by Daniel H., April 14, 2025
  • (4) View All
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

Are there cabins available for rent at Lake Bistineau State Park?

Yes, Lake Bistineau State Park offers cabins for rent. Visitors report the cabins are clean, well-maintained, and fully equipped for a comfortable stay. These accommodations provide an excellent alternative to traditional camping, especially for those looking to experience the park's natural beauty without roughing it. The cabins are situated to take advantage of the park's scenic surroundings, including views of the cypress trees and Spanish moss that characterize this Deep South landscape.

What amenities and facilities are available at Lake Bistineau State Park campground?

Lake Bistineau State Park campground offers water and electric hookups at campsites, with some featuring personal decks. While there are no sewer hookups at individual sites, the park provides clean restrooms and shower facilities that are regularly maintained. The campground features asphalt pads, though some areas of the roads may need repair. Additional amenities include boat ramps, picnic tables, and approximately 10 miles of trails for hiking and biking. The park is known for being clean, quiet, and peaceful, with friendly and helpful staff available to assist campers.

How do I find a map of Lake Bistineau State Park campground?

To find a map of Lake Bistineau State Park campground, check the official Louisiana State Parks website where downloadable park maps are typically available. You can also contact the park office directly by phone for the most current map. Upon arrival, paper maps are usually provided at the entrance station or visitor center. The park layout includes numbered campsites (including site #46 noted as being level and featuring a deck), boat ramps, hiking trails, and cabin locations. For navigation within the park, these maps will show the recently repaved roads and various facilities.

What activities can visitors enjoy at Lake Bistineau State Park?

Lake Bistineau State Park offers numerous recreational activities for visitors. The park features approximately 10 miles of trails perfect for hiking and biking through the distinctive Louisiana landscape. Water activities are popular when the lake has sufficient water, with two boat ramps available and opportunities for kayaking and paddling amidst cypress trees draped with Spanish moss. Wildlife viewing is exceptional, with many species to observe in this swamp-like environment. Visitors can also enjoy picnicking throughout the park. The serene setting makes it ideal for relaxing and connecting with nature in this unique ecosystem that showcases the beauty of north Louisiana's swamps.