Courtesy of Lake Isabel Farm
In rural Washington Parish, Louisiana, a 125-acre artesian-fed lake atop a former gravel quarry is the crowning jewel of Lake Isabel Farm.
Think about Louisiana waterways and you might envision a swamp, bayou, or muddy, slow-moving river. One privately-owned beach in Bogalusa, Louisiana, is challenging that narrative. Less than two hours from Baton Rouge or New Orleans, Lake Isabel Farm’s crystal clear water surrounded by white-sand beaches might just leave you imagining you’ve somehow stumbled into the Turks and Caicos Islands.
The crowning jewel of the farm is the water itself—a 125-acre man-made, artesian-fed lake. Its turquoise water stretches for a mile from end to end, plummets to a depth of forty-five feet, and maintains a constant seventy-eight degrees, even during the height of summer. Because the man-made sand bowl that forms the lake bed serves as a kind of filtration system, many even consider the water to be drinking quality.
This beach destination, which opened to the public last summer, is the brainchild of Chicago transplant, Anthony Sedlak, who first came to Louisiana to assist in clean-up after Hurricane Katrina. Instantly taken with the culture, Sedlak attended Loyola University and made New Orleans his home for twelve years. In 2021, he surprised family and friends by purchasing a large plot of land in Isabel, Louisiana, an unincorporated area of Washington Parish. What Sedlak bought was a 422-acre abandoned gravel mining operation. What he saw was a diamond in the rough.
He explained, “The land began as a mixed-hardwood forest like much of this area of the parish. But because the nearby Bogue Chitto River once ran through here, it held vast deposits of sand and gravel.”
The crowning jewel of the farm is the water itself—a 125-acre man-made, artesian-fed lake. Its turquoise water stretches for a mile from end to end, plummets to a depth of forty-five feet, and maintains a constant seventy-eight degrees, even during the height of summer.
In recent decades, sand and gravel mines of all sizes have popped up in this part of the parish. Some are small, family operations. Others are massive corporate endeavors taking over miles of former forest. The abandoned mine Sedlak purchased was of the latter variety.
“This mine was started in 1999 and grew large enough for miners to bring in a huge dredging barge to help dredge up sand and rock deposits,” Sedlak said. “Because sand is worth much less than gravel, they sifted out the rock and spread the unwanted sand around the site, essentially creating a desert. They sold the rocks primarily for concrete production, digging as deep as forty-five feet in search of more.”
As they dug, they not only carved out a 125-acre sand bowl, but also tapped into underground artesian springs, which filled the mine with crystal-clear water. Some have speculated that this water flows from the same aquifer that provides Abita Springs with its renowned healing waters.
All that once-rejected sand has settled, forming the startling sight of miles of powder-white beaches, surrounding a bowl of turquoise water. Because the trees were the first thing to go, Lake Isabel Farm enjoys year-round breezes.
Courtesy of Lake Isabel Farm
In rural Washington Parish, Louisiana, a 125-acre artesian-fed lake atop a former gravel quarry is the crowning jewel of Lake Isabel Farm.
Still, it isn’t as though Sedlak strolled in, set up a few beach umbrellas, and opened for business. His initial vision was followed by years of sixty to seventy-hour work weeks—often more. Last summer, he felt like Lake Isabel Farm was finally ready for a soft opening.
“We opened with limited occupancy,” Sedlak said. “We wanted to learn from visitors and listen to their feedback on any ways we could improve their experience.” Soft as the opening may have been, Summer 2025 saw more than three thousand visitors flock to Washington parish’s new eco-luxury beach.
Once there, guests were offered a white-glove beachside experience. Their day passes afforded them access to the beach and miles of walking trails that surround the lake, as well as waterside structures and solar-operated cabanas for larger groups.
“We want to avoid any upcharges,” Sedlak said. “So, once visitors have bought their ticket—online, ahead of time—they have free access to an A-frame or cabana, beach chairs, kayaks with life jackets, a diving platform, beach volleyball court and other games, propane grills with cooking utensils, a covered grilling and dining area with shaded seating, and ice chests for larger groups. The 125-acre lake teems with bass and catfish and visitors are welcome to cast a line (from the lakeshore opposite the beach), and to keep whatever they catch.
Courtesy of Lake Isabel Farm
In rural Washington Parish, Louisiana, a 125-acre artesian-fed lake atop a former gravel quarry is the crowning jewel of Lake Isabel Farm.
Visitors are welcome to bring their own chairs, canopies, and paddleboards, which the Lake Isabel team will provide ATV service to haul to the beach. “We’ll help you set things up, provide sandbags for anything that might blow away, and haul it all back to your car at the end of the day,” Sedlak said. Still, he’s conscious of protecting the experience, as well as the land itself, limiting access to a maximum 150 visitors per day.
Stewardship is part of the mission, after all. To begin reforesting the property, Sedlak is currently planting four thousand longleaf pine trees and has plans to host land conservation activities and educational classes.
Other plans are also underway: Currently, the first of what will be a dozen vacation rental cabins is under construction. Each will feature its own private entrance, a dock for fishing and boats (electric-powered motors only). Sedlak also outlined plans for an event center for hosting waterside weddings, yoga retreats, corporate events, and parties. He’s designing a frisbee golf course, and eventually would like the onsite farm to host farm-to-table dinners, too.
Later this fall, Lake Isabel Farm will host its first major public event, the inaugural Lake Isabel Off-Road Triathlon—with a ten-mile, off-road bike ride around the lake, a 3.1-mile trail run, and a half-mile swim.
This summer, Lake Isabel Farm is open 10 am–sunset, Fridays–Mondays, with options for day passes ($55 for adults, $40 for children and seniors) and afternoon-only passes ($35). Reservations must be made online in advance. More details at lakeisabelfarm.com.
Courtesy of Lake Isabel Farm
The lake's waters reach a depth of forty-five feet and never rise above 78 degrees, even at the height of summer.
