Cypress Black Bayou Beach
Benton, LA
Cypress Black Bayou Recreation Area's beach sits on a 3,000 acre lake north of Shreveport in Bossier Parish, a real sand beach with shade trees close enough to actually matter on a July afternoon. Locals treat the whole park, beach included, as the go to summer spot for this corner of northwest Louisiana. A petting zoo and nature trails round out a full day here beyond just the water.
A real, shaded sand beach with enough else going on nearby to fill a full day, the main drawback is that it's a genuine destination for the area so it gets crowded fast once summer hits.
How we score beachesGet there early on summer weekends. The day pass line and the beach itself both fill up fast once school lets out.
A lot inside the recreation area serves the beach directly. A day pass, a few dollars per person, is charged at the gate.
A short, flat walk from the parking area to the sand, shaded in parts by mature trees along the shoreline.
Northwest Louisiana runs a genuine four season climate, so the swim season is roughly May through September, with humid summers and winters cold enough for a jacket. Weekday mornings stay noticeably cooler and quieter than summer weekend afternoons.
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