Fontainebleau State Park set to get new accessible kayak launch

BATON ROUGE, La. – The Louisiana Office of State Parks was recently awarded a Bronco Wild Fund (BWF) grant through America’s State Parks. The $20,000 grant will be used to purchase a new accessible kayak launch and dock at Fontainebleau State Park.

“Expanding accessibility has long been a high priority at our state parks,” Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser said. “We’re thrilled to bring this new accessible feature to Fontainebleau State Park so people with limited mobility can experience the beauty and freedom of our state’s waterways.”

A dock and EZ Launch will be installed on Bayou Castine on the west side of Fontainebleau State Park, giving kayakers access to Lake Pontchartrain. The launch will include a transfer bench with two heights for easy transfer from wheelchairs of varying sizes and two transfer slide boards to accommodate differing watercraft heights.

The BWF-America’s State Parks program awards grants for projects enhancing public access to outdoor recreation aimed at developing introductory access programs across state parks.

Fontainebleau State Park is a 2,800-acre park located southeast of Mandeville on the shore of Lake Pontchartrain. Park grounds include brick ruins of a sugar mill built in 1829 by Bernard de Marigny de Mandeville, founder of the nearby town of Mandeville. An old railroad track running through the park was converted into the Tammany Trace as a part of the Rails to Trails program. Overnight options include tent and RV sites, deluxe cabins and two group camps that each accommodate up to 65 and 100 guests. 

Make your reservations to stay at a Louisiana State Park today on the Louisiana State Parks website and follow Louisiana State Parks on Facebook.