Make A Selection
Visit Official Website
|
Cane River Creole National Historical Park
|
Wander thoughtfully through the grounds of Oakland and Magnolia Plantations. While admiring a hand-wrought door hinge or a cleverly-worked wooden gate, we might reflect on the social and agricultural practices that built these tenant houses, pigeonniers, carpenter and blacksmith shops. The hand-hewn cypress beams, ancient bousillage walls, and weathered fencerows may remind us of the people who not only left us this legacy of rural landscapes and farm buildings, but also labored to bring the United States to the country it is today.
|
 |
Directions |
 |
|
|
To reach Oakland Plantation, take I-49 to Exit 127, Flora/Cypress. Head east on LA Highway 120 toward Cypress. Cross over LA Highway 1 onto LA Highway 494. The parking lot and entrance pavilion for Oakland are 4.5 miles east of Highway 1 on the left. To reach the grounds of Magnolia Plantation, take I-49 to Exit 119, Derry. Head east on LA Highway 119. Cross over LA Highway 1 and proceed for two miles. The grounds of Magnolia Plantation are on the right.
|
|
Climate |
|
| |
The park is sunny and warm most of the year.
Summer: High humidity, and temperatures average 85° ferenheit.
Winter: Generally mild, but can occasionally reach low 30's.
Visitors should be prepared with sunscreen, rain gear, etc.
|
Link to our Natchitoches Weather coverage for more information.
|
Fees |
|
|
Things To Do |
|
| |
Cane River Creole National Historical Park consists of Oakland Plantation and the outbuildings of Magnolia Plantation. Grounds of both sites are open from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. daily, and self-guiding maps are available on-site. A guided tour of Oakland Plantation is conducted by a ranger every day at 1:00 p.m. Formal tours of the Magnolia grounds are given only on weekends, at 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Margaret Jones and other members of the Natchitoches Art Guild host free painting workshops for park visitors.
|
|
Indoor Activities |
|
| |
Musicians, storytellers, and craftspersons use the historic Oakland and Magnolia Plantation stores as enchanting stages for their performances and programs.
|
|
Nearby Attractions |
|
| |
Numerous sites of historical and natural interest surround Cane River Creole National Historical Park. Natchitoches, the oldest permanent settlement in the Louisiana Purchase Territory, maintains its European flavor through its architecture, heritage, and lifestyle. Louis Juchereau de St. Denis founded Natchitoches in 1714 near the mouth of Bayou Amulet where the foot of the Red River raft, a 100 mile log jam, stopped further boat traffic upriver. The town developed along crooked streets that followed the natural levees and river channels of Les Isles de Natchitoches. River traffic had to be shifted to land transportation at Natchitoches due to the raft, so the town became an important transport city. Several overland highways met at Natchitoches, including the Natchez Trace from the east and the El Camino Real from Mexico. These river and highway connections made Natchitoches a primary transfer point for trade and a gateway for settlers going to Texas. In the 1830s, the River jumped its main channel and shifted its course about five miles east of town. Although that action left Natchitoches without a direct outlet to the sea except at times of high water, what remains today is picturesque Cane River Lake.
|
Link to our Natchitoches Attractions coverage for more information.
|
Places To Go |
|
| |
The Pavilion at Oakland Plantation is a popular place for family reunions, special events, and informal meetings.
|
|
