New Orleans may be a mecca for visitors to Louisiana, flocked to by people from all over the world who come to experience iron balconies and stray Mardi Gras beads, a bustling city of distinctive scents, sounds and flavors. But what many might not know is that a short drive out of the city on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain, lies a 2,800-acre tract of land that attracts 250,000 of its own visitors every year: Fontainebleau State Park, near Mandeville. There’s a reason Fontainebleau’s attractions have flown under the radar though—the park’s extensive accommodations have been closed since 2012, when they sustained significant damage from Hurricane Isaac.
Newly minted after $1.5 million in renovations, the park’s cabins reopened for booking on August 17, returning to their place as one of the state’s favorite havens for nature-lovers. Overnight accommodations at Fontainebleau include twelve cabins, 126 RV campsites, thirty-seven tent sites, two group camps, and a lodge. Renters can be as relaxed or adventurous as they choose, surrounded by day-use amenities like a beach area, a bathhouse, a three hundred-foot fishing pier, a sailboat launch, and more than five miles of nature trails. The Tammany Trace bike trail also cuts through the park, where a diverse ecosystem remains largely unperturbed. Unless you’re a blue crab, that is. Then you’re fair game.
Reserve the cabins at ReserveLaStateParks.com. For more information regarding Fontainebleau State Park and all its amenities, visit fontainebleaustatepark.com.
