PARK LOCATION
We are 3.5 miles West of I-49 easily accessible by LA 6. We are only 4 miles from Parc Natchitoches Sports Complex. Our park is located 5.5 miles from Northwestern State University and only 7 miles from the historic downtown Front Street of Natchitoches and riverbank area. 37 miles west is Toledo Bend Reservoir.
HISTORIC NATCHITOCHES
FRONT STREET & RIVERBANK
In all of Louisiana, no other place is as unique as the Cane River Country. Located in Central Louisiana on Interstate 49, you will find the original French Colony in Louisiana. Established in 1714, Natchitoches (Nack-a-tish) retains its European flavor through its architecture, heritage and lifestyle. At the heart of this National Historic District lies Front Street, a brick thoroughfare where wrought iron balconies, restaurants and shops face the beautiful Cane River Lake.
Named after a Native American tribe, Natchitoches (pronounced Nack-a-tish ) is the oldest permanent settlement in the Louisiana Purchase Territory. Since 1927, we are home to one of the oldest community-based holiday celebrations in the country. Starting as a one-day festival, the Natchitoches Christmas Festival has evolved into a six-week long Christmas Season. The Christmas Season begins on the Saturday before Thanksgiving and concludes on January the 6th, the Epiphany. Over 300,000 lights and 100 plus set pieces are on display every night at dusk.
Northwestern State University was established in 1884 in the old Bullard Mansion atop a hill overlooking the bustling river port city of Natchitoches. The campus grew as the school expanded from a two-year degree for teachers at Louisiana State Normal School to the four-year education degree at Louisiana Normal College in 1921. In 1944, the school became Northwestern State College and Northwestern State University in 1970.
Today, over 130 years later, three columns remain of the original structure on what is now called Normal Hill in a National Historic District. This location is the oldest continually occupied site for higher education in Louisiana. The campus expanded to the south and west as the school grew, and Northwestern State established satellite campuses in Shreveport, Alexandria and Fort Polk.