St. Bernard State Park is a
state park
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural ...
located in the
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
state of
Louisiana
Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...
, on a tract of land in
St. Bernard Parish
St. Bernard Parish (french: Paroisse de Saint-Bernard; es, Parroquia de San Bernardo) is a parish in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat and largest community is Chalmette. The parish was formed in 1807. St. Bernard Parish is part of ...
, between the towns of Poydras and Caernarvon. Though located only approximately eighteen miles southeast of
, attendance had been fledgling at the park for years, ranking among the least visited in the state.
History
The St. Bernard State Park was created in 1971 when the land that the park sits on was donated to the state by local businessman and former State Senator
Lynn Dean
Lynn Blackwell Dean (December 22, 1923 – July 6, 2022) was an American politician from Louisiana.
Dean was born on December 22, 1923. He graduated from Warren Easton High School in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1940. He became a marine engineer, ...
and his wife Jackie.
The park operated for 34 years as the only state park in the St. Bernard/
Plaquemines Parish
Plaquemines Parish (; French: ''Paroisse de Plaquemine'', Louisiana French: ''Paroisse des Plaquemines'', es, Parroquia de Caquis) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 23,515 at the 2020 census, the parish ...
area until it was severely damaged by storm surge from the levee failures during
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...
. The park (along with
Fort Pike State Historic Site) remained closed for more than a year due to the severe damage but is now in full operation for camping, birdwatching and day use.
Facilities
St. Bernard State Park includes the following facilities as compared to that which is available at certain other Louisiana state parks as well as a waterpark and playground for children:
Restoration
St. Bernard State Park suffered extensive damage as a result of Hurricane Katrina.
The park was re-opened with a ceremony Tuesday, December 19, 2006 at 4 p.m. with ceremonies by then Lt. Gov.
Mitch Landrieu
Mitchell Joseph Landrieu ( ; born August 16, 1960) is an American lawyer and politician who served as Mayor of New Orleans from 2010 to 2018. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana from 2004 to ...
, local dignitaries, local choirs, followed by hayride tours of the site, coffee, hot chocolate and cookies.
See also
*
List of Louisiana state parks
The state of Louisiana has 21 state parks, which are governed by the Office of Lieutenant Governor, a division of the Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism. Louisiana's state park system began in 1934 when the state passed legis ...
References
External links
St. Bernard State ParkOfficial Facebook Page
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State parks of Louisiana
Protected areas on the Mississippi River
Protected areas of St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana