Basic Info about the Park
The Jimmie Davis State Park is 294 acres on Caney Lake just southwest of Chatham.
Jimmie Davis is a great state park for birdwatching, swimming, or fishing. We enjoy visiting this park in the winter when the swimming area is closed to people and filled with coots and grebes.
You’ll find all kinds of water birds here: herons, egrets, cormorants, gulls, ducks, coots, and grebes. You’ll find snakes, turtles, and various bugs here, too.
There aren’t a lot of trails here, but the ones that are are easy to walk.
Cabins
Park Size in Acres
Entry Fee per Person
By The Numbers
Learn more about the park.
Days Open
Number of Campsites
Fish Crow
Chipping Sparrow
Rouen Mallard Ducks
Eastern Bluebird
American Coots
Brown-Headed Nuthatch
Double-Crested Cormorant
Pied-Billed Grebe
Blackstripe Topminnows
Rouen mallards are interesting to watch. They forage like wild mallards, but are less afraid of humans and more likely live their lives close to people.
More about How You Can Enjoy the Park
This park is open 365 days a year and is $3 per person (unless you’re under 4 or over 61). Hours of operation are a little confusing. The gate opens at 6 a.m. and closes at 10 p.m. The Entrance Station opens at 8 a.m. and closes at 5 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and at 8 p.m. on Friday, Saturday, and days before holidays.
Learn more about how you can enjoy the park in the tabs below.
Restrooms
You can find public restrooms near the beach and picnic areas.
Trail Accessibility
Visually impaired folks, even those with other mobility problems, will find this park easy to use. The paths are easy to navigate for people using canes, but the uneven ground near the beach and picnic areas may make it a little difficult for people with bad balance.
Learn More
Learn more about the Jimmie Davis State Park at the official website.
Jimmie Davis State Park is a great place to bird during the winter. Along with winter water birds, like cormorants, gulls, coots, and grebes, you can find sparrows, nuthatches, bluebirds, ducks, and even an occasional bird of prey. If you catch the park on a warm afternoon, you can find turtles, snakes, and bugs active throughout the park. You can find lists of birds sighted at the park with eBird’s Trail Tracker sighting list. For more info about the park, check out the Jimmie Davis State Park page.
Fishing
The Jimmie Davis State Park has two boat launches and a fishing pier that you can utilize. You can find information on getting and maintaining your fishing license and what species you can keep, check out the Wildlife and Fisheries “Recreational Freshwater Finfish and Crawfish” page. You can also learn about the crawfishing licenses there.
Camping
You can rent cabins, bring an RV, or set up a tent at the park for a fee. You can learn more on the official Jimmie Davis State Park site.
Visit Other Areas
The Jimmie Davis State Park is one of many places you can enjoy our local wildlife.
Explore North Louisiana's Outdoors.
Learn about national wildlife refuges, Kisatchie National Forest ranger districts, state wildlife management areas, and state parks found throughout North Louisiana.