Grand Isle State Park (Louisiana)

Grand Isle State Park
A view of the Gulf of Mexico at Grand Isle State Park
Map showing the location of Grand Isle State Park
Map showing the location of Grand Isle State Park
Map of Louisiana, United States of America
LocationJefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States
Coordinates29°15′31″N 89°57′17″W / 29.25861°N 89.95472°W / 29.25861; -89.95472[1]
Area140 acres (0.57 km2; 0.22 sq mi)[2]
Established1968[3][4]
Visitors16,835 (in 2022)[5]
Governing bodyLouisiana Office of State Parks
Official website

Grand Isle State Park, lies at the eastern tip of Grand Isle, a barrier island in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, U.S.A. Grand Isle is the only inhabited barrier island in the state.[6]

The park has been seriously affected in the past by Hurricanes Katrina, Gustav, and Ike. However, much of Grand Isle State Park has been renovated. Beach restoration in the area is ongoing.

The area has a long-standing reputation as one of America's best fishing spots with access to over 300 species of fish.[7] At one time, the park's fishing pier was especially popular, but it was destroyed in 2005 by Hurricane Katrina and had to be repaired.[8][9] An observation tower provides fine views of the surrounding coastal scenery. Visitors come to 160-acre (0.65 km2) Grand Isle State Park to beachcomb, birdwatch, boat, camp, crab, fish, and sunbathe.[10][11]

The site is rumored to hold the buried treasure of famed 18th century privateers Jean and Pierre Lafitte whose operations were based at the neighboring Grand Terre Island across the Barataria Pass.[12][13] The legend of the rougarou also is told as part of the area's history.[14]

On May 22, 2010, the beach was closed due to oil contamination from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.[15] On May 3, 2011, a portion of the beach reopened.[16] On June 26, 2011, volunteers, organized by the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, planted 1,600 black mangrove trees along the coast to prevent erosion.[17]

It was named in 2020 to The New York Times' List of 52 Places to Go which noted that the site "may soon vanish" and faces one of the world’s highest rates of relative sea level rise.[11]

  1. ^ "Grand Isle State Park - Louisiana Office of State Parks". Archived from the original on January 12, 2011. Retrieved January 30, 2011.
  2. ^ Frois, Jeanne; Calhoun, Milburn (May 31, 2006). Louisiana Almanac: 2006-2007 (17 ed.). Pelican Publishing. p. 58. ISBN 978-1-58980-306-0.
  3. ^ "Make a Weekend Stop to Grand Isle State Park". Houma, Louisiana: Gumbo Entertainment Guide. July 6, 2011. Retrieved April 11, 2012. Nestled in the northeastern portion of the only inhabited barrier island in the state, Louisiana purchased the 150-acre park in 1968.[permanent dead link]
  4. ^ "Facebook–Grand Isle State Park". Office of State Parks, Department of Culture Recreation and Tourism. Retrieved April 11, 2012. The park was purchased in 1968 by the State.
  5. ^ "Fiscal Year 2024 Executive Budget Review Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism" (PDF). Louisiana House of Representatives. March 29, 2023.
  6. ^ "StackPath". offshore-mag.com. April 2, 2020. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  7. ^ DeHaan, Vici (1996). State Parks of the South: America's Historic Paradise ; a Guide to Camping, Fishing, Hiking, & Sightseeing. Big Earth Publishing. p. 193. ISBN 978-1-55566-167-0.
  8. ^ Writer, NIKKI BUSKEY Staff. "Grand Isle's recovery from Katrina nearly complete". Houma Today. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  9. ^ Cajun Country. Pelican. 1992. p. 138. ISBN 9781455601752.
  10. ^ "Grand Isle State Park, a Louisiana State Park". stateparks.com. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  11. ^ a b "52 Places to Go in 2020". The New York Times. January 8, 2020. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  12. ^ "Heart of Louisiana: Descendants of Jean Lafitte". fox8live.com. February 16, 2011. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  13. ^ "Lafitte and His Barataria Pirates, New Orleans, extenstive historical content". storyvilledistrictnola.com. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  14. ^ Wiederhold, Art (June 2011). Hunter: Undead Reckoning. Trafford Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4269-7212-6.
  15. ^ "BP May Attempt to Plug Oil Leak With Mud Next Week (Update2)". Archived from the original on May 25, 2010.
  16. ^ "Portion of Grand Isle State Park Beach Reopens" (PDF) (Press release). Office of State Parks. May 3, 2011. Retrieved May 12, 2011.[permanent dead link]
  17. ^ Rodriguez, Maya (June 27, 2011). "Volunteers help renew Grand Isle Park". Lafourche Parish, Louisiana: The Daily Comet. Retrieved June 27, 2011.