Hodges Gardens State Park

OLG and DCRT
Strategic Plan
2014-15 through 2018-19

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Source: The Impact of the Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism on Louisiana's Economy and Quality of Life for Louisiana's Citizens - June 2006
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• Audubon State Historic Site
• Centenary State Historic Site
• Fort Pike State Historic Site
• Fort Jesup State Historic Site
• Longfellow-Evangeline State Historic Site
• Mansfield State Historic Site
• Marksville State Historic Site
• Plaquemine Lock State Historic Site
• Port Hudson State Historic Site
• Poverty Point State Historic Site
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The Louisiana Office of State Parks provides free wireless internet access at all 20 recreational parks. Extensive coverage areas include most cabins, RV slips and campsites.
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Visitors who hold an America the Beautiful Senior or Access Pass, and whose home State Park system honor the America the Beautiful passes for camping discounts, are entitled to a 50% reduction on camping fees at Louisiana State Parks. Certain restrictions apply, see State Parks' fees & facilities page for more information.
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Capitol Park Welcome Center

The main meeting room in the Capitol Park Welcome Center is named after Margaret Taylor, wife of U.S. President Zachary Taylor. The couple resided in a small house near the present day location of Capitol Park until Taylor was elected to the Presidency.

Hours of Operation:
Site is open daily.

Gate Opening Times:

Sunday through Thursday	open at 6 a.m. close at 9 p.m.
Friday, Saturday and days preceding holidays.	open at 6 a.m. close at 10 p.m.

Entrance Station Hours:

April-September	6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
October-March	8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Facilities And Activities:
View complete listing of available facilities & activities
View facility pictures and floor plans

Map:
Hodges Gardens State Park Map

Entrance Fees:
$5 per person
$4 for Seniors (62 and older)
Free for children (3 and under)

Reservable Facilities, Rentals, And Other Fees:
See below for detailed information

Online Reservations:

Address:
1000 Hodges Loop
Florien, LA 71429

Google Map

Bing Map

Directions:
From I-20, take Hwy. 171 south. Hodges Gardens State Park is located approximately 14 miles south of Many. From I-10, take Hwy. 171 north. Hodges Gardens State Park is located approximately 20 miles north of Leesville.

Coordinates:
31.381124, -93.417038.

Phone:

318-586-4020

1-800-354-3523

Email:
hodgesgardens@crt.la.gov

Facebook:
Find Hodges Gardens State Park on Facebook

Friends of Hodges Gardens:
Friends of Hodges Gardens Website

Overview

Over 700 acres of wild and cultivated beauty, Hodges Gardens State Park, located in Sabine Parish, is a unique member of the State Parks system. Originally designed and opened to the public in 1956 by oil and gas businessman A.J. Hodges Sr., the site's gardens consist of a variety of plants and flowers, from a formal rose garden to bushes that colorful Southern standard, the azalea.

Visitors to the park can enjoy a stroll through the formal gardens, explore nature trails, boat on the lake and fish from the shore. And, after spending a day surrounding by cultivated and natural beauty, sit on the porch of one of the cabins and let the sound of crickets lull you to sleep. An equestrian campground also provides overnight facilities for visitors traveling the park's trails with their horses.

The Hodges recognized the potential of the abandoned quarry on the property and planned a scenic garden using the natural rock formations. Flowers were planted on one level above another, creating a terraced effect. Walkways and footbridges throughout the gardens allow the visitor to stroll through an abundance of flora. Water from a 225-acre lake, built in 1954, is pumped from the lake through the gardens to waterfalls, pools, a geyser, fountains and to the watering system before it is recycled back into the lake. The waterfalls and garden fountains operate daily from sunrise until sunset.

A testament to one family's contribution to the preservation of our land's natural beauty, Hodges Gardens was donated to the State by the A.J. and Nona Trigg Hodges Foundation in 2007.

To read more about the history of Hodges Gardens, read the history page on the Friends of Hodges Gardens webpage.

Reservable Facilities

Cabins: Basic cookware, cooking utensils, dinnerware, silverware, towels and linens are provided. Bring your own food and personal supplies; group camp visitors will also need to bring their own dishes, silverware, paper products, bathroom tissue, towels and linens. (click here for facility layouts)

Standard Cabins	9 available, 2 are ADA compliant	$85/night, sleeps up to 4 people with a double bed and a queen sofa sleeper; ADA cabins sleep 2 people with 1 double bed
Deluxe Cabins	2 available	$120/night, Oct-Mar; $150/night on Fridays & Saturdays, Apr-Sept, sleeps 6 people with 1 double bed, 2 twin beds and a queen sofa sleeper
Group Camp	$250/night	Includes dining hall, meeting room and 2 dormitory wings, sleeping up to 56 people

Camping:

20 equestrian campsites, with no hookups	$14/night
9 Tent Campsites, with no hookups	$14/night
Primitive camping area (maximum capacity of 50)	$50 per night; reservations are by phone only.
America the Beautiful Senior and Access Passes (formerly Golden Age & Golden Access Passports) (Available through the National Park Service. Click here for more information) Holders of the Passes, whose state of residence also honors the America the Beautiful pass, are entitled to a 50% reduction on camping fees at Louisiana State Parks. (Passport holders are allowed one site per passport).

Additional Information About Overnight Facilities

Rental Boats (State Park operated rentals)
Due to concerns regarding invasive water-based plants, only site-rented boats are allowed on the lake.

Flat Bottom Boats	$15 per day	includes electric trolling motor, paddles and life jackets
Canoes	$5 per hour or $20 per day	includes paddles, life jackets
Kayaks	$5 per hour or $30 per day	includes paddles, life jackets
Additional life jackets can be rented for $1 each where available Price varies with concessionaire rentals - please contact site to check availability and rates

Trails at Hodges Gardens State Park:

Wild Azalea Hiking Trail - 5 mi.
Longleaf Pine Stump Hiking Trail - 1 mi.
Spring Cove Hiking Trail - .5 mi.
Wagon Wheel Equestrian/Hiking Trail - 7.3 mi.
East Fence Loop Equestrian/Hiking Trail - 6.2 mi.

Equestrian trails at State Parks sites are open to riders and their own horses. Day-use entrance is $2 per person; overnight campsites can be rented for $18 to $20 per night. Certification of a clean Coggins test is required for all horses brought on State Park property. It is recommended that you call ahead for the status of the trail.

Birding
A Birder's Guide to Louisiana gives directions to over 100 areas for birding throughout the state, includes maps, Louisiana specialties, and contains beautiful photography and checklists of Louisiana birds and other wildlife. The Guide was produced through a partnership between the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area and the American Birding Association.

Nearby Attractions

Emerald Hills Golf Resort – Located across the street from the entrance to the park, the resort offers an 18-hole championship golf course, overnight accommodations and a restaurant. Meeting and conference facilities are also available.

North Toledo Bend State Park (9 miles southwest of Zwolle off LA 3229) - Located on Toledo Bend Reservoir, the park offers fishing, a boat launch, improved campsites, 10 vacation cabins, group camp facilities, an Olympic-sized swimming pool, picnicking, pavilion, playgrounds, trails and a conference center.

Fort Jesup State Historic Site (6 miles east of Many off LA 6, formerly the "San Antonio Trace") - The site of a fort established in 1822 by Zachary Taylor to secure the western border of the U.S. frontier. It features the original field kitchen, a replica of officers' quarters which serves as a museum and visitors center, and interpretive programs.

Mansfield State Historic Site (4 miles south of Mansfield on LA 175) - The site of the last major Confederate victory of the Civil War. Visitors may take daily tours, see interpretive programs, spend time in the museum with its comprehensive collection of Civil War artifacts, and walk the trail through the battlefield area.

Rebel State Historic Site (3 miles northwest of Marthaville on State Hwy. 1221, and 25 miles west of Natchitoches and I-49) - Features the gravesite of an unknown Confederate soldier and is home of the Louisiana Country Music Museum. An amphitheater offers concerts featuring gospel, country and folk music.

Cypress Bend Golf Resort (13 miles west of Many) – Offers an 18-hole Audubon Golf Trail championship golf course, as well as luxurious accommodations and fine dining. Meeting and conference facilities are also available.

South Toledo Bend State Park (16 miles west of Anacoco, off LA Hwy. 191) - Set on the scenic bluffs of the southern end of the Toledo Bend Reservoir, the park offers cabins, campsites, a visitor center with meeting room facilities and a paved nature trail. A boat launch provides a route to some of the best fishing in the nation.

Los Adaes State Historic Site (1 mile northeast of Robeline on LA Hwy. 485) - The 14-acre site located on the "El Camino Real" near Natchitoches features the remains of a Spanish fort built in the 1700s to protect Texas from the French. It is a major archaeological site and offers interpretive programs.

Fort St. Jean Baptiste State Historic Site (155 rue Jefferson, Natchitoches) - Located on the banks of historic Cane River, the fort is a full-scale replica of a French colonial fort built in the 1730s. Featured are log walls sharpened to protect the barracks, a warehouse, chapel, mess hall, powder magazine, Indian dwellings and interpretive programs.

Historic Town of Natchitoches (off I-49 on Cane River Lake) - The oldest settlement in the Louisiana Purchase, it has a 33-block Historic Landmark District featuring Creole architecture, bed and breakfasts, restaurants, shops and historic homes.

Cane River Country (South of Natchitoches along LA 1) - Features some of the South's oldest plantation homes situated along the 32-mile oxbow-shaped Cane River Lake. The countryside is dotted with pecan orchards, cotton farms, historic landmarks, plantations and churches.

Sabine Wildlife Refuge (5 miles south of Zwolle) - This 14,780-acre area of loblolly and short leaf pine is open to visitors to enjoy hunting, birding and camping.