Sam Houston Jones State Park

I recently traveled to Sam Houston Jones State Park near Moss Bluff, LA with the family. Our intention was to tent camp which we had not done in awhile.

A deer close up to the car. Photo by Lucrecia Mouser

Upon arrival we checked in at the front gate and then went down to the tent area to select a site. Needless to say we were disappointed. 

The tent sites are all lumped together in a small area with a circle gravel road around most of them. The main road is very close to the tent sites. There was no privacy for any of the tent sites or a safe place for the kids to play in the tent area.

We left the tent area and went back to the gate and were happy to discover they had a cabin available. We rented the cabin and went to settle in for two days. The cabin was very small with two bedrooms, a bathroom, a small dining living area, a screen porch, and a cooking area which doubled as a hallway. Outside of the cabin there is a picnic table and grill.

Outside our cabin. He wanted some food. Photo by Vinson Mouser

The master bedroom had a double bed. The second bedroom had two bunk beds. The living area had a small double couch, TV with cable, and a table for four. The screen porch had a table for four. The kitchen had all of the cooking utensils we needed and a refrigerator.

The cabin is definitely a place to stay and should not be the main reason for going to Sam Houston Jones State Park. It is a good place to get out of the weather, to sleep, cool off, and is adequate for cooking. The small size of the cabin relegates it to not much else.

The park itself has a lot to offer. There are numerous hiking trails, some of which pass through an interesting swamp area; there is a playground for the kids, bike riding for everyone, a Frisbee golf course, and plenty of wildlife viewing. There are many good RV sites.

  

While we were in the park we saw raccoons, ducks, geese, and deer. A little caution is needed with the wildlife because they have become very accustomed to humans. A sign at the main gate warns not to feed the animals but it was a common sight to see people feeding the deer and raccoons. 

We stopped to watch the deer near the road and take a few pictures. One of the deer walked up to the car and touched his nose to Lucrecia’s camera. Talk about a close encounter.

  

Another good thing about Sam Houston Jones State Park is its proximity to Lake Charles. We took a trip to Lake Charles and found plenty for a family to do. We especially enjoyed the Millennium Playground and Splash Pad near the Civic Center. We also went to the USS Orleck.

Because we were so close to Lake Charles we were able to have some friends and their family visit us at the park. We utilized the outside grill and picnic tables and grilled some burgers and hot dogs. Afterwards we went to the playground until the mosquitos drove us away.

Sam Houston Jones playground. Photo by Vinson Mouser

We returned to our cabin and the kids played inside while we set out on the porch reminiscing about old times and catching up on recent happenings. 

Even though we did not get to tent camp we still had a great time at the park. The staff was very friendly and helpful at every turn. We would return to this state park but not to tent camp.