Lake Charles, a metropolis in southwest Louisiana and the state’s fifth largest, delights guests with the various free issues to do it affords.
The metropolis takes satisfaction because the parish seat of the colourful Calcasieu Paris.
This metropolis and the parish usually are not solely a preferred vacation spot for holidays but in addition a middle for gaming and enterprise.
The metropolis goes a great distance, based in 1861 as Charleston and renamed Lake Charles in 1867.
As its identify suggests, the factor of water may be very a lot part of what Lake Charles affords.
Besides its namesake lake, the town’s 45-square-mile space additionally hugs the banks of the Calcasieu River and the shores of Prien Lake.
Three intensive bayous likewise move by the town and contribute to molding many free issues to do in Lake Charles, Louisiana, that you just’ll discover on the next record.
Pick a Fun Spot at Riverside Park
Riverside Park sprawls over 210 acres on the western terminus of Fitzenreiter Road alongside the meandering forks of the Calcasieu River.
Several leisure services have been developed in this park which can also be a middle of native conservation and restoration efforts.
Visitors can benefit from the park’s mountaineering and biking trails amid a quiet riverside setting.
They even have entry to loads of fishing spots, a ship launch, and a wooded wetland space for nature commentary.
Other services in this park embrace picnic areas, a playground, a riverside pavilion, an amphitheater, and restrooms.
In addition, the car parking zone at Riverside Park has been paved and is provided with a surveillance system.
Swim at Lake Charles North Beach
Lake Charles North Beach is positioned on North Lakeshore Drive, straight off Interstate 10.
Eastbound vacationers on this freeway can entry North Beach by way of Exit 29, whereas Exit 30A is for these westbound.
Quite inviting with its white sand, North Beach is certainly one of solely two seashores in Louisiana that’s secure for swimming year-round.
North Beach is a spacious city recreation space dotted with bushes and affords picturesque metropolis views.
This seaside offers coated picnic areas and a public boat ramp which offers entry not solely to the lake but in addition to the Calcasieu River.
North Beach is subsequent to the marina of the casual crusing group, Lake Charles Yacht Club.
On Wednesdays, this membership holds weekly boat races that guests of Lake Charles North Beach can take pleasure in watching.
Take a Stroll at Bord Du Lac Park
Bord Du Lac Park, positioned alongside the east shoreline of Lake Charles, boasts a scenic walkway of a couple of quarter mile.
This park additionally options endearing landscaping with a fountain and benches cozily set underneath the cover of shade bushes.
Via this park’s brick-paved shoreline walkway, you possibly can entry Millennium Park’s a number of leisure services on the southern finish of Lakeshore Drive.
Kids will take pleasure in Millennium Park’s interactive playground, water space, and enormous splash pad.
A small marina throughout Millennium Park is one other attention-grabbing sight in a stroll on the Bord Du Lac Park’s shoreline walkway.
Visit Veterans Memorial Park
The Veterans Memorial Park of Lake Charles was constructed in 1968 to honor those that served in the U.S. Armed Forces onward from World War I.
This memorial is positioned alongside the lakefront boardwalk off West Pryce Street, north of the Lake Charles Civic Center.
One of the park’s options is a statue of 1st Lt. Douglas B. Fournet, Medal of Honor recipient and a Lake Charles native.
Bronze plaques citing all Medal of Honor troopers from Louisiana are additionally displayed on the park’s lakeside fountain.
In addition, the park installs, upon request, engraved commemorative bricks for particular person veterans.
Other factors of curiosity in the Veterans Memorial Park embrace a Vietnam War Huey helicopter, an eight-inch Howitzer M115 cannon, and an iconic WWII Patton Tank.
Explore the Lakefront Promenade
The Lakefront Promenade of Lake Charles traces the hall of the Bord du Lac Drive, stretching for about one kilometer.
This stretch is well-liked for biking, strolling, and jogging due to the various factors of curiosity alongside the best way.
It opens entry to the Lake Charles Civic Center and Veterans Park Memorial in the north and the Bord du Lac Marina in the south.
Bord du Lac Park and Millennium Park, the 9/11 Memorial, and the PPG Interactive Fountain are additionally alongside this lakeside street hall.
The Lakefront Promenade can also be the standard venue for main occasions in Lake Charles.
These annual metropolis sights embrace the Mardi Gras, Louisiana Pirate Festival, 4th of July celebrations, and the Live on the Lakefront Concert Series.
Drop by Lake Charles Visitor Center
The Lake Charles Visitor Center is positioned on North Lakeshore Drive, simply east of North Beach.
You can collect extra info at this Visitor Center about native locations providing free actions.
From North Beach, which has a pathway to the Visitor Center, you possibly can take a breather on the inviting patio furnished with tables outdoors.
At the wooded grounds of the Visitor Center are Cypress Pond, an enclosure housing medium-sized alligators, fish, and turtles.
The workplace constructing of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries can also be adjoining west of the Lake Charles Visitor Center.
This workplace points affordably priced fishing and searching licenses to Louisiana residents and guests.
Go Fishing in White Oak Park
The picturesque White Oak Park is tucked on the west fork of the Calcasieu River and is definitely accessible to anglers.
The park is tucked in the northwest quadrant of Charles Breaux street and River Road, simply 4 miles north of Interstate 10.
The leisure services in the park embrace a public boat launch offering handy entry to the Calcasieu River.
It additionally offers a fishing wharf free for the general public to solid traces for the doable catches of bass, catfish, bream, and crappie.
Besides these fishes endemic to the river, the waterway additionally guarantees seasonal catches of cobia, tripletail, sheepshead, and Spanish mackerel.
These fishes come in seasonally by way of a 5.5-mile stream connecting Calcasieu to the Gulf of Mexico.
Besides its services for fishing, White Oak Park additionally has 4 tent campsites and eight RV campsites accessible at inexpensive charges.
An Acadian-style pavilion with heating and air con, tables, chairs, a range, and a fridge can also be accessible for hire.
Enjoy Nature at Tuten Park
Tuten Park is a well-liked Lake Charles park that reopened in November 2022 after intensive rehabilitation.
This park spreads over 24 acres off Nelson Road, with its pure woodland serving as an city oasis.
The park’s rehab enhanced this pure space’s strolling and jogging trails.
This park was donated to the town in the Nineteen Seventies and was developed to promote folks’s interplay with the setting in a accountable method.
Besides its pure space, the handicapped-accessible Tuten Park offers a number of facilities, together with a kids’s playground and picnic services.
Check Out the Art Walk of Artisan’s Gallery
Lake Charles boasts an Art Walk that includes the Artisan’s Gallery beginning late April up to mid-June.
This occasion recurs weekly on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
The Arts & Humanities Council of Southwest Louisiana hosts the Art Walk on the Historic City Hall Arts & Cultural Center.
More than 20 well-known artists from the area take part in this annual artwork present, which is open and free to the general public.
Their works embrace numerous work, sculptures, ceramics, and jewellery.
Have Fun on the Krewe of Krewes Mardi Gras Parade
This Lake Charles parade is the climax of the celebration of the Mardi Gras held early annually in the weeks prior to Ash Wednesday.
More than 60 Mardi Gras social teams known as krewes donned in gold, inexperienced, and purple costumes trip floats in this colourful parade.
Their gaudy procession with blaring music winds by the streets of Lake Charles, with the krewes throwing beads, cups, and different enjoyable objects alongside the best way.
The crowds are most plentiful alongside Ryan Street, the place the spectators not solely can watch but in addition be part of and tailgate the parade.
The festive Mardi Gras season, which precedes the fasting season of Lent, additionally options neighborhood sharing of the standard King Cake.
This custom commemorates the go to of the Three Kings to Infant Jesus and their items to him.
Join the Revelry at This Is Home Fest
This Is Home Fest is an annual occasion in April whereby Lake Charles celebrates tradition and music by way of performances of native and worldwide artists.
First held in 2021, this cultural extravaganza is held on Ryan Street in the town’s downtown.
The competition has a family-friendly theme and options two levels, with worldwide performers taking the Main Stage.
Musicians from Southwest Louisiana are assigned to the competition’s Hometown Stage.
Besides music concert events, This Is Home Fest additionally features a Kid Zone, with face-painting and video games amongst its actions.
Art and meals distributors are additionally a part of this competition.
Cheer Spikers at South Beach Volleyball McNeese
South Beach Volleyball McNeese is the primary and solely sand volleyball facility in Lake Charles.
This sports activities venue options 9 sand volleyball courts inside its five-acre complicated which additionally affords pickleball.
You can watch aggressive membership and college leagues in addition to open play at this complicated on McNeese Street.
Matches are held year-round in this venue simply east of the campus of McNeese State University.
You can count on to watch optimum play from match-ups in this seaside volleyball complicated.
This is thanks to the high-quality sands used in its courts and their well-designed drainage.
Besides its courts, the South Beach Volleyball complicated additionally includes a patio bar and grill that contribute to the ambiance of a California surf shack.
Watch the Chennault International Airshow
The skies of Lake Charles turn into a Top Gun area when the town holds the Chennault International Airshow.
This occasion, which set its tenth version in May 2023, is held throughout odd-numbered years.
Its schedule isn’t mounted and could be held early or late in the 12 months on the Chennault International Airport on Sen. J. Bennett Johnston Avenue.
The web site of its nonprofit organizer, the Chennault International Airshow, offers alerts on the occasion’s schedule.
You can watch the airshow totally free in public areas from anyplace in the neighborhood of the Lake Charles worldwide airport in the jap a part of the town.
It can be extra handy, nevertheless, to avail of the occasion organizer’s tailgate airshow mannequin.
With this setup accessible for an inexpensive per-car payment, you’ll get a parking house shut to the airshow actions.
The typical lineup of this occasion contains exhibition flights of the Thunderbirds workforce of the U.S. Air Force.
Check Out the Calcasieu River Bridge
If you’re coming from the west into Lake Charles by way of Interstate 10, take a look at the Calcasieu River Bridge.
It holds the excellence of being the steepest bridge in Louisiana, with a gradient starting from 3.8% to 5%.
Standing 135 toes above the Calcasieu River, the bridge was constructed in the early Nineteen Fifties hailed as Louisiana’s “picturesque bridge era.”
Besides being the state’s steepest bridge, Calcasieu River Bridge can also be famous for the replicas of crossed flintlock Derringer pistols that adorn its railings.
There are 5,286 units of those pistols, which had been put in as an homage to the pirates of outdated who supposedly used them throughout their heydays in southwest Louisiana.
Several factors of curiosity are close to this bridge, together with Lake Charles North Beach, Escape Room Louisiana on Pine Street, and the Mardi Gras Museum of Imperial Calcasieu on Kirby Street.
Other Free Things to Do Nearby
Visit the Dequincy Railroad Museum
This museum is positioned on Lake Charles Road in Dequincy, about 25 miles northwest of Lake Charles.
It has a number of out of doors reveals, together with a 1913 steam engine, a 1947 Pullman coach, and two cabooses.
Inside the museum, you will notice classic rail station setups of an agent’s workplace, ready room, and baggage room.
The museum hosts an annual competition from Thursday to Saturday on the second weekend of April.
This occasion options enjoyable actions in its park and playground, resembling rides, crafts, and contests.
Final Thoughts
A well-planned itinerary can embrace loads of free issues to do in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
Many of the parks and pure sights of this metropolis are open to the general public, providing loads of services.
These public locations additionally function a venue for annual festivals offering enjoyable actions that gained’t drain your pockets.
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