Palmetto Island State Park

About Palmetto Island State Park

Palmetto Island State Park is a new state park south of Abbeville, Louisiana, in Vermilion Parish. The Palmet to Island State Park was first opened to the public on July 1, 2000 as part of the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources.

Louisiana purchased the land for the park in 1981 and began construction in 2002 when it opened to the public. Government budget constraints and other concerns delayed the opening until October 28, 2010.

Palmetto Island State Park features a visitor center that includes a public library, museum, rented multipurpose room and picnic area. The park covers 1,299 hectares and is known for its diverse flora and fauna, which is formed by the predominant deciduous forests and the coastal floor.

Guests can use one of the park's 95 campsites or stay at the Palmetto Island State Park Resort, a two-bedroom, three-bathroom hotel. There is a strategically located picnic area, and a water playground is nearby, as well as a beach with swimming pool, beach volleyball court, tennis court and volleyball court.

Water pavilions overlook the Vermilion River, and canoeists and kayakers can observe native flora and fauna from the rim of the Palmetto Island State Park water park. A footbridge leads to the green riverbed, overlooked by a water pavilion, as well as a picnic area, a beach volleyball court, tennis courts and volleyball courts.

There is a new population of Iris nelsonii, and an educational trail starts at the park's visitor center.

The address for this park is the Palmetto Island State Park Visitors Center on the south side of the Vermilion River.