St. Bernard State Park

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St. Bernard State Park
Location	St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, USA
Nearest city	Braithwaite or Poydras
Established	1971
Governing body	Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation, and Tourism; Office of State Parks

St. Bernard State Park is a state park located in the American state of Louisiana, on a tract of land in St. Bernard Parish, between the towns of Braithwaite and Caernarvon, with its headquarters in nearby Violet. Though located only approximately fifteen miles southeast of New Orleans, attendance had been fledgling at the park for years, ranking among the least visited in the state, before the impact of Hurricane Katrina on 29 August 2005. The hurricane caused significant damage to the park, which has remained closed for an indeterminate length of time as the surrounding area attempts to rebuild.

Contents 1 History 2 Facilities 3 Restoration 4 External links

[edit] History

The St. Bernard State Park was created in 1971 when the land that the park sits on was donated to the state by a local family. The park operated for 34 years as the only state park in the St. Bernard/Plaquemines Parish area until it was severely damaged by Hurricane Katrina. The park is one of two in the state (along with Fort Pike State Historic Site) that has remained closed since the date of the hurricane as Louisiana determines the feasibility of any potential restoration.

[edit] Facilities

Prior to the landing of Hurricane Katrina, St. Bernard State Park included the following facilities as compared to that which is available at certain other Louisiana state parks:

Boating	Cabins	Dump Stations	Group Tents	Improved Campsites	Lodges	Picnic Areas	Playgrounds	Restrooms	Swimming	Tent Campsites	Trails	Unimproved Campsites
No	No	Yes	No	Yes; 51	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes; pool	No	Yes; nature trail	No

[edit] Restoration

St. Bernard State Park suffered extensive damage as a result of Hurricane Katrina. The park will be re-opened with a ceremony Tuesday, December 19, 2006 at 4 p.m. Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu will be on hand, as will a host of local dignitaries. Local choirs will perform songs of the season and hayride tours of the site will be offered, along with coffee, hot chocolate and cookies.

For information, call (877) 226-7652.

[edit] External links

• List of facilities available at Louisiana state parks
• The webpage of St. Bernard State Park from the Louisiana Office of State Parks
• AAA article including section on damage sustained by Louisiana state parks

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