Poverty Point Reservoir State Park

This park envelopes a 2,700-acre man-made lake, a crucial stopover site for migrating and overwintering waterfowl. The site falls within the Mississippi Flyway, a massive conveyor belt for many winged species. The site hosts cormorants, ducks, geese, pelicans, and other water birds depending on the season. 

Birding can be done all over the park. Numerous overlooks, observation decks, and piers allow ample views of the reservoir and adjacent coves. Waterfowl such as Canada Goose, Wood Duck, and Blue-winged Teal are commonly seen, as are other waterbirds. Numerous raptors cruise the coves, including Osprey and Bald Eagle. 

Woodland birds recorded here include Northern Flicker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and a variety of woodpeckers. Look for numerous flycatchers along the edges of the water and forests, including Eastern Wood-Pewee, Eastern Phoebe, Great Crested and Acadian Flycatchers, Eastern Kingbird, and Scissor-tailed Flycatcher. 

In winter, woodland birds of interest include Red-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Winter Wren, Hermit Thrush, and Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned Kinglets. 

This is the perfect spot from which visiting birders can headquarter while in northeastern Louisiana. Overnight guests can glamp it up, choosing from two-bedroom waterfront cabins, spacious lodges with loft bedrooms, or RV camping. A water playground in the campground area provides a place for younger visitors to beat the heat. 

The park is accessible from the south end of the reservoir. On the lake's northwest corner, the North Marina Complex features a swimming beach, boat launch, marina with 48 covered boat slips, concession area, fishing pier, and fish cleaning station. 

Additional amenities include paved parking, restrooms, drinking fountains, equipment rentals, and boat launches. Outdoor recreational activities include hiking, biking, boating/paddling, fishing, swimming, camping, and nature photography. The site is partially handicapped-accessible.