Motor out to the Old River Lock near Lettsworth and you'll be heading for some RV camping in the boondocks of Louisiana. The lock is an immense concrete construction put in place in the late 1970s to control the flow of water between the Mississippi River and Atchafalaya River. The lock, part of the Old River Control Project, is managed by the US COE who operate it to maintain water levels, prevent flooding risks, and to produce hydroelectricity in the nearby power plant. If you're looking for an alternative to rugged mountain scenery, you'll find it here. The Old River Lock is located in extensive, wooded flatlands which extend for miles in every direction.
Just because the Old River Lock is in the back of beyond doesn't mean there isn't anything to do there. The COE manage two and a half thousand acres of terrain at the lock which is used for multiple recreation purposes. There are boat launches for anyone wanting to get their craft on the waters of the bayous, plus exciting ATV tracks and trails for hiking both near the Old River and in several wildlife management zones close by. Wildlife is abundant in the area too, which is a big draw for hunters hoping to bag a turkey or hog for thanksgiving. RV camping at the Old River Lock is all primitive. But on the plus side, the fishing is good, and you could find yourself boiling up a batch of Cajun-style crawfish on your camping stove.
Driving your rig to the Old River Lock will seem like you're heading into no man's land. If you're arriving from the west or north of Louisiana head for Alexandria and once you're on the LA 1 wave goodbye to civilization. You may see someone as you pass through the small communities of Echo, Mansura and Red Fish; then again you may not. It'll take you around an hour to get to Lettsworth from Alexandra and there you'll hit the LA 15 which takes you right to the lock.
If you're motoring to the Old River Lock from the east of Louisiana you'll have a picturesque drive on the LA 98 right through the center of the Homochitto National Forest. It might be tempting to pitch camp there and then, but keep on going and you'll be in Natchez in under thirty minutes, where you can pick up the LA 15 southbound. You'll follow the course of the Mississippi River all the way from Natchez, though you'll be pleased to know the highway is nowhere near as winding as the river so you'll have a decent and stress-free journey. The campground at Old River Lock is a grass field with just small asphalted roadways running across it. There are no paved campsites for RVs so if it's been raining heavily or snowing you might find you have problems getting to a vacant spot where you can park up.
If the RV camping at the Old River Lock is just too primitive for you, try the campground in the Homochitto National Forest as an alternative spot. The Clear Springs Campground has twenty-two campsites with full water and electricity hook-ups, showers, restrooms, dump stations, and picnic tables. While it's not five star RV camping by anyone's standard, it'll feel like it after you've spent a few days at the primitive site of Old River Lock.
The Old River Lock Corps campground is located on the west bank of the Old River and can be accessed from off the LA 15 by taking a right turn directly after crossing the river. You'll be turning into a large grassed area with no paved pitches for RVs or tents. It's a case of finding a spot you're comfortable with, or that's vacant, putting the brakes on and setting up camp there. There are no utility hook-ups or on-site amenities. The site one-hundred percent primitive, but the bonus is that camping is free.
Many hunters camp out in their RVs at the Old River Lock in the fall and winter to go game shooting in the Richard K Yancy Wildlife Management Area. The seventy thousand acres of the WMA is a prime spot for the hunting and trapping of deer, rabbit, coyote, and squirrels as well as different species of waterfowl. The WMA holds an annual turkey lottery hunt and has a special season for deer hunting for the physically challenged.
There's great fishing from the banks of the Old River and whether you use a hook, lure, bow and arrow or crawfish trap, you'll be sure to catch something. There's a wide variety of species in the river. Some are edible, others are not, and some are protected by law. Expect to land catfish, crappies, bowfin, carp or drum.
The wooded areas near the Old River Lock are intersected by many ungroomed trails which are popular places for walking and foraging. Wander at will through the trees in the fall and you'll be able to pick baskets full of wild berries from the bushes and pecan nuts from the trees. It's a great way of adding to your winter store cupboard stock so long as you know what it is you're picking.
Off-roading is permitted throughout most of the area managed by the COE at Old River Lock. Riding around on an ATV is a good way of exploring the immense acreage and seeing parts you'd never reach on foot. There are one or two zones which have restricted access, not just for ATVs but pedestrians too, and these are usually clearly marked with signage. If you're not sure where you can go, there's usually a ranger on duty around the campground who you can ask.
While you're camped out in your RV at Old River Lock, you might want to take a quick trip into Baton Rouge to visit Louisiana's Old State Capitol Museum. The impressive turreted ex-state building, affectionately known by the locals as the Louisiana Castle, sits in a domineering position atop a hill on Boulevard Street. While many of the museum's exhibits are fascinating, unmissable sights are the stained-glass dome and watching the Ghost of the Castle theatrical presentation.
If you've taken the kids RV camping at Old River Lock, after a couple of days they may well be climbing the RV walls. The Old River Lock's style of peaceful countryside isn't most youngster's idea of a good time. To save the family vacation from any more juvenile tension, spoil them with a day out at the Blue Bayou and Dixie Landing theme park in Baton Rouge. With sixteen water rides and twenty-seven amusement park rides, you'll get a quiet day and they'll be so thrilled, they'll remember their RV vacation at the Old River Lock forever.
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