Courtesy of Webster Parish Convention and Visitors Commission
Bayou Dorcheat, Webster Parish
Webster Parish Tourism and the Bayou Chapter of the Ozark Society often collaborate to host seasonal open paddles at waterways throughout the parish. Designed to immerse participants in the northern region's natural beauty and foster community through outdoor recreation, previous paddles have drawn more than one hundred attendees.
Like much of the terrain in our beloved Bayou State, Webster Parish is best explored by its many bodies of water. Profuse with paddling opportunities and boat launches scattered throughout the parish, Webster is a hub of outdoor recreation.
The Webster Parish Paddle Trail, created by the Webster Parish Convention & Visitors Commission in conjunction with the Bayou Chapter of the Ozark Society, contains two phases: one on Lake Bistineau, ideal for novice paddlers at just under ten miles long, while the second is installed between Dixie Inn and Sibley for a six-mile stretch along Bayou Dorcheat.
Courtesy of Webster Parish Tourism
Kayaking in Webster Parish
Speaking of the lake, its western shores lay claim to the beautiful Lake Bistineau State Park. The park offers a laundry list of amenities for visitors to take advantage of, including: two boat launches, hiking and biking trails, playgrounds, a swimming pool, a baseball field, lakefront beach, camping, cabins, lodges, and several pavilions perfect for picnicking.
There’s more. Encompassed within the park’s trails are ten miles of woodland paths suitable for all skill levels, a six-mile equestrian trail, AND an eleven-mile paddling trail. You can even rent flat bottom boats, canoes, and kayaks by the day or hour—whatever floats your boat, as they say. To hit the water and #PaddleWebster, come out for a Beginners Paddling Course on April 18.
Courtesy of Webster Parish Tourism
Webster is also one of seven parishes that form Kisatchie National Forest (the only designation of its kind within the state!), where the Caney Lakes lay under boundless blue skies. The Caney Lakes Recreation Complex has a diverse array of day-use areas to choose from, whether you want to swim by the beach, picnic, or play, plus the upper and lower lakes are perfect for enjoying a hike on the Sugar Cane National Recreation Trail. No boat? No problem. Several nearby sites can be accessed for bank or pier fishing to reel in bass, crappie, catfish, bluegill, and sand bass.
Courtesy of Webster Parish Tourism
Caney Lake
In a state known as Sportsman’s Paradise, you’re never far from an off-road adventure. At Sarepta’s Muddy Bottoms ATV & Recreation Park, mud-loving riders of all ages will be thrilled to find 5,000 acres of trails, bogs, and tracks to get lost (or depending where you are, submerged) in. You’re unlikely to depart from its gates without having made a muddy mess of a good time, your sludge-covered vehicle parked like a badge of pride. The park even has overnight facilities, so your ATV escape doesn’t have to end when the sun goes down. Muddy Bottoms is open only for special events, however, like Mudapalooza and Mudstock, so you’ll want to check their calendar before planning a visit.
Courtesy of Webster Parish Tourism
Muddy Bottoms ATV
Mark Beattie, left, hangs out at the Gorilla Axle Mud Pit at Muddy Bottoms ATV and Recreation Park in Webster Parish. The park provides outdoor enthusiast with 5,000 acres of trails, bogs and tracks. Park amenities includes a welcome center, bathhouse, pro shop, eating pavilion, amphitheater, cabins, RV hookups, and a sprinkler park.
What are you waiting for? To start planning your Webster waterborne adventure, head to visitwebster.net, or download the Webster Parish Guide app for on-the-go resources, digital mapping tools, and more.
