Jimmie Davis State Park Beach
Chatham, LA
Jimmie Davis State Park sits on a peninsula in Caney Lake near Chatham, and its sandy day use beach is one of only a handful of official swimming beaches in north Louisiana. The water here runs noticeably clearer than the state's coastal beaches, since it's spring fed rather than muddy Gulf runoff. Families spread out on the sand while the lake itself stays busy with boats and skiers.
Clear, spring fed water is a real point of pride for a state with mostly brown coastal water, but it's a small beach sharing a lake with heavy weekend boat traffic.
How we score beachesGo on a weekday if swimming is the priority. Caney Lake is popular with boaters and skiers on summer weekends, and the wake makes the swimming area choppier than a lake beach usually is.
The day use lot sits off Boggy Creek Road inside the park, a short walk from both the beach and a splash pad. A per person entry fee is collected at the gate.
A paved path leads from the day use parking area to the sand, flat the whole way with no stairs.
Louisiana State Parks policy keeps dogs off designated swimming beaches even on leash, though leashed pets are welcome elsewhere in the park.
North Louisiana runs a real four season climate compared to the coast, with the swimming season roughly May through September and occasional winter cold snaps that the Gulf beaches don't see. Summer afternoons bring the heaviest boat traffic on the lake.
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