Are you an equestrian lover who prefers a more rustic experience when you visit Ruston? Finding a place to stay in Louisiana while traveling with your horse is easy. You're sure to find the perfect site for your Louisiana horse camping excursion.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
Great park , lots to do and see the sites for Campers have decks!! No sewer though!
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.
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.
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.
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.
Large lakeside park that very seldom has water Parkside lol. That being said very quiet peaceful and back to nature.
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.
Camping near Ruston, Louisiana, offers a mix of beautiful scenery and fun activities for everyone. Whether you're looking for a peaceful getaway or an adventure-filled trip, there are several campgrounds to choose from.
Camping near Ruston, LA, has something for everyone, from families to RV enthusiasts. Enjoy the great outdoors and make some lasting memories!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Ruston, LA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Ruston, LA is Lake Bistineau State Park Campground with a 4.2-star rating from 12 reviews.
