South Campground — Chicot State Park, near Ville Platte, Louisiana, is a fantastic destination for those looking to immerse themselves in nature while enjoying some modern comforts. With spacious sites that come equipped with picnic tables and fire rings, it’s perfect for gathering around the campfire after a day of exploring.

This campground boasts amenities like drinking water and showers, making it easy to stay refreshed. Visitors rave about the beautiful surroundings, with plenty of tall trees providing shade and a serene atmosphere. One camper noted, “The site was huge and even if there were other campers, we would not have been able to see them,” highlighting the campground's spaciousness.

For outdoor enthusiasts, Chicot State Park offers a wealth of activities, including hiking and biking trails that wind through the picturesque landscape. Birdwatchers will appreciate the diverse wildlife, as one reviewer mentioned, “Great bird watching.” Plus, the nearby Lake Chicot provides opportunities for fishing and paddling, ensuring there's never a dull moment.

While some campers experienced a few pesky mosquitoes at dusk, the overall vibe is peaceful and inviting. Whether you're setting up a tent or parking your RV, South Campground is a great place to unwind and connect with nature.

South Campground — Chicot State Park

The Dyrt is here to help plan your best camping near Ville Platte. There are tons of hikes and other fun activities to partake in. Experience some of the most stunning views that Louisiana camping has to offer. Find the best campgrounds near Ville Platte, plus reviews and photos from other campers like you.

Ville Platte

The Best Camping Near Ville Platte, Louisiana

One of my favorite places to go camping, trails bring you right through the swamps of South louisiana. Love walking elevated on the path right over the mush and cypress knees galore! 

Great biking and hiking trail 

Overall it is one of the best state parks in Louisiana.  Miles of trails for hiking & biking.  Even a paddle trail out on the lake.  Two campgrounds with bathroom/shower bldgs.  Also has scenic primitive campsites that you can hike to and/or paddle to.  No swimming allowed here.  There is some alligators in the water.  Lake is popular for fishing.  Lots of birds here.  Negatives are the wasps, ticks, and chiggers.  

Chicot State Park, N of Ville Platte, LA

Our stays at Chicot have always been awesome. There is a ton to see as far as wildlife goes....armadillos, alligators, tons of birds, snakes, etc. The trail that we took could be taken on foot or by mountain bike. We have done it both ways. Mountain biking is good, but i would auggest fatbiking because of the terrain. It is soft and sometimes very muddy. It's not your typical mud either...full of clay. 

Wind, water, rays

We enjoyed our stay at Chicot! We had a large group that tent and RV camped. The park is rather large with seclusion between a lot of the campsites due to trees. The lake is nice, but we did not try to hiking trails.

A few things to note are that the maps are not drawn to scale, so bathrooms and lakes aren’t as close at they appear on maps. The raccoons are next-level smart here, so protect your food. And be prepared for mosquitos! The roads are narrow and winding. We didn’t see any personnel (besides check in and trash pickup) the 3 days we were there. That struck me as odd.

I love to camp and we did enjoy this campground, but it’s not quite a 5 Star in my book.

Good campground, some quirks 

Lake was beautiful. Awesome kayaking. Camp sites are a little close, especially because we usually go to tent only sections. The is none at Chicot, so the loud Rvs trucks and motorcycles were annoying. Like someone said, the raccoons are not your average raccoons, and the mosquitos were not even those of us In South Louisiana say are normal. The next time we go, I think we will rent a cabin.

Lake was beautiful

Love this place. Sites are really nice and if you forget something there is a really nice grocery store not to far out of the gate

Nice big campsites

It's so well taken care of, it's beautiful, and there's so much to explore. It's a welcoming place to experience Louisiana outdoors.

Clean, open, comfortable 

Chicot State Park is located near Ville Platte, Louisiana. It’s a nice place to hangout for the day. This park has bathrooms and showers, electrical outlets, and clean facilities. The campsites are a mixed bag - some are great, others are extremely unlevel, &amp; close to one another.

The park itself is great. Awesome hiking trails, good fishing, and great scenery! There’s a decent sized lake with some good fishing. I recommend kayaking at this park!


Good hiking, fishing, and scenery!

We went camping in a tent this weekend at the park and really enjoyed it. We stayed at the south landing camping area in loop A. If you plan on camping in a tent I recommend the spots in loop A and most in loop D. B and C are more for RVs but you could still set up there, those two loops are more open and the spots are closer. Loops A and D are a little more spread out and have trees between some spots. The main bathroom was in good shape and had heat. Trash was picked up every morning by the park. Our spot had a fire ring, water , and electricity. The park allows you to use dead tree limbs for firewood. One thing to know about spots on loop A near the comfort station is that there’s a treatment plant in the center that kicks on every once in a while and makes a good bit of noise at night when the motor runs. It helped put me to sleep but it might bother others. Also theres no cell signal except in one or two random spots of the campground but it was nice to unplug for a weekend . We really enjoyed this campground and park though and will definitely be back . 

Great Campground

The campground isn't the prettiest, but it's got a convenient location and offers hiking, kayaking, boating, and fishing options. I was warned over and over about the racoons, but we didn't experience them. Even in February there was a good bit of humidity - and the fish weren't biting. We had an enjoyable time, but only plan to stay here when going further is not an option.

It's good enough.

This was a quiet spot surrounded by woods but near the super clean bathroom! There was a fire pit, grill and picnic table for use! Day 2 we rented a boat and paddled out for some fishing. The process was seamless and the staff friendly. The fishing pier was amazing and the kids loved how far out it went. Overall a great experience.

Wooded, quiet, convenient, amazing

We were alone, literally alone! What I love, but when you alone all the little things gonna focus on you... cats, raccoons, possums, we were surrendered! The park is really nice for one night.

Swamp and raccoons 

We go to Chicot often because it is close to us. It has good hiking trails and arboretum. We usually tent camp on the south loop. These sites are not too close together. The only complaint have is that the tent pads need to be redone. The bathhouse is old but kept clean. 
There is a playground and splash pad near by for the kids. The lake is beautiful. 
Convince store is near by and WalMart about 20 minutes away. 

Great hiking

Great 

Very clean and well maintained park.  Very friendly park employees.

Beautiful and clean

Enjoyed hiking the trails, being able to ride my bike from the front it's the back of the cabin sites.

👪 vacation!!

I stayed here a few months ago and it was really nice. Everything was accessible and the trail was easy to see and well maintained. I recommend 100%.

Great for Tent Camping

Chicot State Park is wonderful and well maintained. We had a wonderful weekend stay, and the weather was perfect. Take the time to drive around to the East Landing in the evening before sunset. It has one of the prettiest views of Chicot Lake. Also drive down to the South Fishing Pier below the South Campground. It has a long pier that goes out into the lake. My son spent a lot of time at the splash pad. Be sure to visit the free La. State Arboretum onsite. It has a great visitor center with some fantastic exhibits and nice hiking trails. 

  

Stayed in campsite#84. It has a nice deck with picnic table. BBQ grill and fire pit are on the other side of the RV spot. Even though it is in the front, it is actually quite secluded with woods all around. Nearest neighbor was at least 40-50 ft. Away. My son could easily walk or ride his bike to the splash pad. Both AT&amp;T and Verizon had poor signal(1 bar each). Was able to connect to the free park Wi-Fi. It was slow, but I could send text messages and make the occasional phone call. Wasn't a big deal, because I came here to camp and get unplugged. We camped at Chicot State Park in a Travel Trailer.

Great State Park

This park is humongous, with a splash pad, boat launch, nature center, tons of hiking and biking, nice paved campsites and many have decks too. We enjoyed our stay here. 

Huge & Well Maintained 

Arrived just before the office closed, but the staff took the time to put us in a nice tent spot.near the showers. 

Beautiful maintained.  Really nice staff.

We stayed at campsite 91. It was very well shaded and the deck attached to it provided a very nice seating area. There weren't a ton of horse flies at the campsite itself, but they were bad on a few of the trails. Bathrooms were decent but smelled of cleaning products. It was a quiet area and the park has a lot to offer. Highly recommend checking out the Arboretum and the trails near it.

Tall Trees and Nice Trails

The site was 55’ long, paved with a fire ring and picnic table, w+e, dump station available. Great bird watching.

Gorgeous bird song, beautiful park

We were there November 5th and basically had the whole campground to ourselves. (there were probably 6 other campers scattered around the park). Our site was huge and even if there were other campers we would not have been able to see them.

Not the easiest park to get to but well worth it. At dusk the mosquitoes came out but what do you expect staying in a Louisiana bayou?? Had decent cell coverage w/ T-mobile (3 bars). Have some great trails throughout the park (mainly at the north campground)

SUPERB

Very clean well maintained camp sites and cabins. Fishing, canoeing and hiking trails are available as well as splash pad for the kids. 
I’ve been going here all my life and even though a live a couple states away now.  It’s my go to place to stay when I return. 
There is showers available as well.  Grocery store 6 miles where you can purchase wood as well.  

Bayou Country   

Camped here frequently as a child. Now enjoying it as an adult. Large state park and always have a site available, even with short notice. Lots of things to do. Great park. 

South landing

There are several different waivers for entrance fees, Disability and Age being the main ones. Ask at the gate and you could have your fees reduced.
There are two different campgrounds located in different locations. The North &amp; South campgrounds. The North is closed during the Fall &amp; Winter, while the South is open year round. 
The site in the campground have water and electric. The Bath Houses have hot showers and were very clean.
The South has a Splash pad, Boat launch, Cabins and a fishing Pier. While the North has Lodges, Boat launch, and fishing pier.
There are 22 miles of hiking trails.


Photos of South Campground — Chicot State Park

Real photos from real campers