The North Toledo Bend State park is remotely situated in a pine tree forest fringing the beautiful Toledo Bend Reservoir, near the Texas-Louisiana border. The reservoir covers most of Louisiana's western border. The reservoir is one of the United States' biggest human-made reservoirs and therefore has a wide range of water-based activities for RVers and recreation seekers. Toledo Bend is renowned for its fishing; in 2015, it was even named as the best location for bass fishing in the country. There are several fishing competitions held at Toledo Bend Reservoir every year, and fishers from all over the country flock to this incredible body of water. Even though the reservoir plays a big part in the activities available at the park, there are also land-based activities to do.
Over 900 acres of the park is land, and visitors can enjoy exploring by hiking, biking, and picnicking. There is even a swimming pool at the park for families looking for a relaxing day near water that isn't a lake. A meeting room is also available for hire and can accommodate up to 60 people for theatre set-ups, conferences, and more. North Toledo Bend State Park is open year-round and offers a variety of habitats, including uplands and interconnected valleys and ravines. There are two state parks found on the edge of Toledo Bend on the Louisianna side, North Toledo Bend State Park and South Toledo Bend State Park. Zwolle, the nearest town, is around a 10-mile drive west from the park and has shops and restaurants available in case you might want a meal away from your RV.
The park is located just over 10 miles away from the town of Zwolle, which is in Sabine Parish, Lousiana. The proximity of the city is helpful if you need to buy groceries or something at the drop of a hat. RVers traveling to the park from Zwolle can take LA-191 or LA-3329 to get to the park. Look out for the North Toledo Park Road, which will take you all the way to the park.
RVers driving bigger rigs won't have to worry about any height restrictions along the way. Guests to North Toledo Bend State Park will find ample parking available within the park. There is also parking available near the park office, the picnic area, the pavilion, in the group camping area, and the campground area.
North Toledo Bend State Park has 63 campsites for you to choose from. These include 54 RV and tent campsites with water hookups and 30-or 50-amp electrical hookups. The campsites are spacious and well shaded, allowing for campers to not feel overcrowded, even when the park is full. Most sites have trees and shrubs in between, which offers some privacy. The campsites have a concrete pad for RVs and a dirt square for tents and can sleep a maximum of six people per site. Each site has a fire ring, picnic table and there are communal restrooms, showers, and a playground a short distance away. If you want a more upgraded stay, rent one of the eight premium RV and tent campsites. These are located near the other RV and tent campsites and offer the same facilities, but are considered more luxurious and are slightly more expensive than the normal RV campsites.
For those who would rather sleep in a permanent structure, the park has 10 deluxe cabins to rent. Each cabin can accommodate four people with a maximum of six people allowed. There is one single bed, two double beds, and one sofa sleeper. The cabins have aircon and electric heating and there is a woodstove that visitors can use. Visitors may park up to two vehicles on the site. Utensils, pans, pots, a fridge with freezer, microwave, and stove/oven are provided. There is a TV inside and a BBQ and picnic table outside for visitors to enjoy.
A group lodge that sleeps up to 150 people is also available for large parties and organizations. This lodge is especially accessible for people with disabilities. Visitors will have a lakefront view from the lodge and are allowed to have up to 20 vehicles parked by the lodge. The lodge sits in full shade and has air conditioning and electric heating. There are 75 bunk beds and a selection of toilets and showers provided. A freezer, microwave, fridge, stove/oven are all provided. Visitors can also make use of the woodstove inside and campfires are allowed outdoors.
You can enjoy swimming at North Toledo Bend State Park swimming pool during your stay. Make sure to pack enough food, water, and sunscreen. Pools in the Toledo Bend area will be open from August until Labor Day, although it is best to check with the park when their pool will be open for use. Except for holiday Mondays, pools are usually closed on Monday—Wednesday for cleaning and maintenance. If the pool was open on Monday, then the maintenance will fall to Tuesday—Thursday.
Water is abundant in Louisiana in the form of swamps, rivers, freshwater lakes, and oceans. One of the best ways to explore this expanse is boating, whether it be on a kayak or canoe, pedal boat, or a motorboat. At North Toledo Bend State Park, you can bring your own kayaks, canoes, and boats, or you can rent s boat when you get to the park. The boat launch is available to launch your craft, and it is situated on the east side of the park near the fishing pier. By the boat launch, you will find the boat rental area, and for a small fee, you can also rent life jackets if you don't have your own.
As mentioned already, North Toledo Bend Reservoir is famous for its fishing! If you are looking for somewhere to spend countless hours fishing, then you've found it. This reservoir is home to a variety of fish including catfish, white perch, bream, and largemouth bass, the most popular fish. A common challenge is to try and land a lunker, which is a name given to a bass that weighs more than 10 pounds. Fishers can enjoy the scenic beauty of the reservoir and catch fish in abundance at both the fishing pier located on the eastern shore of the park or a boat out on the reservoir. You can clean your catch at the fish cleaning station, which is found near the parking lot, a short distance away from the fishing pier.
Immerse yourself in the rolling pine forests of North Toledo Bend State Park. When walking through the forest, you may be able to hear the trees whisper to each other in the wind. You can choose between two trails when hiking at the park, Trail A and Trail B. Trail A is an interpretive loop that is 1.5-miles long and Trail B is a four-mile biking and hiking trail that traverses through the forest. The hikes are fun and not extremely challenging. The trails are well marked, and you will frequently find benches along the trail to rest at and enjoy the scenery.
Campers can enjoy biking along the Trail B or through the park along the paved roads. The Toledo Bend area is known for excellent forest terrain biking trails, and mountain bikers can enjoy rushing through the hilly pine forests that encompass the park. Biking is a fun activity that allows you to explore nature, and it is an activity that is suitable for the whole family. You will need to make sure to bring your own bike and other biking equipment with you in your RV since there aren't any bike rentals in the park.
Thanks to the amazing landscape surrounding the park, visitors will have ample opportunity to see many species of birds. The surrounding area provides habitat for numerous species of birds, and many of these birds are endangered and threatened species and are rarely seen. The birds include red-cockaded woodpecker, bald eagle, waterbird nesting colonies, as well as a range of and coastal shorebirds. Other species like the belted kingfisher, black scoter, and American white pelican can be seen in droves. Campers will also be able to see birds pass over the park along their migration path, which frequently leads them along the Toledo Bend Reservoir. This park is a birders paradise, and RVers who enjoy birding will have a ball marking birds off their birding checklist.
