The two ways to enjoy Toledo Bend are experiencing North Toledo Bend State Park (NTBSP) and South Toledo Bend State Park (STBSP) in Louisiana. The two state parks are about 50 miles apart. NTBSP is located off of U.S. 171 southwest of Zwolle, Louisiana. STBSP is also off of U.S. 171, and you can get to STBSP from either Hornbeck, or Anacoco, Louisiana on U.S. 171.
Toledo Bend Reservoir lies over the Sabine River on the border of southwest Louisiana and southeast Texas. The Texas State Legislature formed the Sabine River Authority of Texas (SRA-T) in 1949, and in 1950, the Louisiana State Legislature created the Sabine River Authority (SRA-L), to create Toledo Bend. It covers 181,600 acres, is 65 miles long, and is the largest manmade lake in the southern U.S.
North Toledo Bend State Park
Get to North Toledo Bend State Park by taking LA 482 west to 482/191 north for one mile, then 482 west again for less than a mile. Go south on LA 3229 for about four miles and go south or left on North Toledo Park Road into the state park. The park is over 900 acres of rolling uplands and interconnected ravines and valleys. Mixed pine and hardwood forest covers most of the park. Admission costs $3 per person, but it is free for seniors 62 and over and children 3 and under.
Number of Campsites
There are 63 RV or tent pads with water and 30 and 50 amp electric hookups. There is room for 40-foot RVs. There are ten cabins that sleep up to six. Two cabins and some campsites are handicap accessible. There is one group camp. The park charges a non-refundable $6.00 processing fee for online transactions and accepts all major credit cards.
The campsites are $20 to $33 per night year round, depending on how you are camping. The cabins cost $150 to $175 per night and sleep up to six people with one double bed, two single beds, and one sofa sleeper. All park buildings are pet and smoke free environments including cabins. The group camp fee is $600 per night. This includes a dining hall, a kitchen, five dormitories with bunk beds, restrooms, a bathhouse, a fishing pier, and accommodates up to 150 people.
Campground Amenities
NTBSP offers a boat launch with a double ramp, a large parking lot, boat rentals, a fish cleaning station, and access to Toledo Bend. Organizations associated with the Toledo Bend Reservoir host numerous freshwater fishing competitions which attract fishermen from around the country.
NTBSP features an Olympic size swimming pool and a kiddie pool. The pools open from Memorial Day weekend to August 1 and close from Monday to Wednesday for maintenance, except for holiday Mondays, and open from August 1 through Labor Day. The pools are open on modified schedules. Please check with the park for specific days and hours of operation. All pool schedules are subject to change. When the pools are open on a holiday Monday, the pools will close for maintenance from Tuesday to Thursday following the holiday Monday.
There are two pavilions that accommodate up to 40 people each and require a reservation. They are equipped with electric lighting, grills, and fire rings. The rental fee is $50 per day.
NTBSP offers a meeting room with capacity for 60 people for both the conference and theatre set-ups. The meeting room at North Toledo Bend is great for birthday parties, reunions, and meetings. The fee is $100.00 per day plus a $3.00 per person entrance fee, and requires a reservation. To check availability and make a reservation, call 877-226-7652.
NTBSP offers internet, but it can be sketchy in parts of the park. There are laundry facilities and a camping supply store as well. There is a small, but very nice playground for children with swings, a slide, and structures to climb on.
This is a pet-friendly park, but no pets are allowed in buildings, including the cabins. All pets must be on at least a five-foot leash.
Available day-use facilities include the meeting room, which can be reserved for group functions, the pavilions, swimming pools with restrooms for the summer season, picnicking, hiking, fishing, and swimming in Toledo Bend.
Hiking Trails
NTBSP features two hiking and biking trails. The Dogwood Trail Nature Walk is an easy well-marked 1.5-mile interpretive loop on a dirt path with a view of Toledo Bend and bridges over tiny streams. The Magnolia Trail is a 4.0-mile hiking trail that winds through the forest and considered easy. A short hiking trail in the camping area leads to an observation deck and a great place for a picnic. The entry fee is $3.
Learn more on our North Toledo Bend State Park campground listing.
South Toledo Bend State Park
South Toledo Bend State Park is closed for updates until August 2022. Get to South Toledo Bend State Park from 171 in Hornbeck, Louisiana, take LA 392 south for 1.5 miles, then west on LA 473 for about eight miles, and go south on LA 191 into the park. South Toledo Bend State Park covers 1,000 acres.
Number of Campsites
The RV sites are also the tent campsites, except for the primitive campsites. There are 41 improved tent campsites, 14 premium tent campsites, and five primitive campsites. The sites have 20, 30, and 50 amp hookups. All sites have water hookups. Several are handicap accessible. There is one group site, and 11 glamping tents. Visitors need to make arrangements for the group site by calling 1-888-398-4770.
Many of the improved and premium campsites feature a lakefront view, and all are equipped with water and electrical hookups. Reservations must be made at least two days ahead of arrival and can be made up to 13 months in advance. There are 11 double glamping tents, 9 single glamping tents, and 19 cabins.
The cabins sleep up to eight people with one double bed, two bunk beds, and one queen sofa sleeper. Cabins are furnished with basic kitchen utensils, pots, and bed linens with pillows. All park buildings are pet and smoke free environments including cabins and lodges.
Glamping tents are furnished with a queen-size memory foam mattress, side tables, and a propane tent heater. The glamping tent package includes a picnic table, fire pit with a grill, solar shower, and portable camp toilet. Glampers are free to use the park's restroom/shower facilities. There is an additional pop up tent provided for extra guests for glampers, but you will have to bring your own air mattresses/sleeping pads for this extra tent.
A maximum stay of 14 consecutive days is allowed in the park. Entrance hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. There is a daily entrance fee of $3, plus facility and camping fees and a non-refundable $6 transaction fee for online reservations. There is no entrance fee for seniors, 62 and over, and children three and under. All major credit cards are accepted.
14 Premium Tent Campsites
- $33/night plus tax, Fri-Sat
- $30/night plus tax, Sun-Thurs, Apr-Sept
- $25/night plus tax, Sun-Thurs, Oct-Mar
41 Improved Tent Campsites
- $28/night plus tax, Fri-Sat
- $25/night plus tax, Sun-Thurs, Apr-Sept
- $20/night plus tax, Sun-Thurs, Oct-Mar
5 Primitive Tent Campsites
11 Glamping Tents
20 Glamping Tents
- 9 Single -$70-$85 per night
- 11 Double-$119-$139 per night
19 Cabins
Campground Amenities
STBSP features an Interpretative Center, displaying informational booths about the fish and wildlife native to the area.
STBSP’s conference/meeting room fee is $160 a day, plus an entrance fee for each person, and has a capacity of 60 people for both conference and theatre set-ups. Check in/check out times are 8 a.m to 9 p.m. The conference room provides electric heating, fridge with freezer, full shade, hot water, a meeting table, a microwave, a paved driveway, restrooms, and a stove with oven.
There is one boat ramp and fishing piers, a beach with a designated swimming area, cable and satellite TV, restrooms and showers, and laundry facilities. The off-highway vehicle trails are open daily from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. The ATV trail is a total of 9.2 miles including the main ATV access trail.
Each trail is marked by number and designates a start and end on the access trail. All ATVs must be driven in one direction going in at the start trailhead and coming out at the end trailhead. Parking and public restrooms are available in between the entrance gate and the main ATV trailhead. Helmets are required.
The fees are $15 per machine per day, or save dollars with an $100 annual pass.
Hiking Trails
The Toledo Bend region is a common nesting ground for the bald eagle, who feeds from the plentiful supply of freshwater fish that they love to devour, like the largemouth bass, catfish, bream, and white perch so readily available in Toledo Bend.
South Toledo Bend State Park has a 3,000-foot surfaced nature trail near the Visitor Center called the Lakeview Trail, which is an easy 0.5-mile hike. Hippie Point Trail is a 1.5-mile trail through the woods and along the shores of Toledo Bend.
Learn more and find out how to book a site on our South Toledo Bend State Park campground listing.