Paul B. Johnson State Park

We’ve been here a few times now. The park itself is beautiful, large lake, lots of land, very relaxing. The cabins however are horrendous. The cabins clearly have not been renovated since the ’60’s. They all have plastic 2″ thick mattresses, they are extremely dirty, doors that won’t close, mold, minimal utensils and 2 pots per unit. Overall we love the scenery but this place is in desperate need of a good cabin cleaning and renovation.

Maybe it has a lot to do with all the memories of this place, or maybe it’s because this state park truly is an absolute piece of heaven on earth, but this park is definitely worth 5 stars and it is definitely worth the 80 mile drive north from Slidell.
My memories of this park start in 1988 when my father would bring my sister and I the week of Thanksgiving while my Mother worked. She would join us for a day or two then leave. Back then, we stayed in the same cabin every year, 14B. Back then it was fun enough to slide our butts down the slopes from that particular block of cabins down to the water to play in the stream and woods. Back then, they didn’t have microwaves in any of the cabins, so we had to heat our food on the stove or… outside on the fire. ;) Ah! The good old days.
But that was… 27 years ago and things were different then. But… My father STILL gets a cabin every year, tho he prefers cabin 3 now because it’s right on the lake, and my sister (along with her husband) and I STILL go out there with him. It really is that awesome of a place. There is a big rec house where you check in and it has a game room that used to be fun for us kids. Not so much anymore; cuz we’re not kids. There is a large lake where you can swim, boat, fish, etc., The entire park is basically structures around Geiger lake, which is a large man-​made lake, I believe. There is a «nature trail» close to the entrance of the park that has a couple of lookout towers and is about 2 miles long and definitely a pleasant trek.
When entering the park and on the way to the check in area, you have to drive over a levee that holds the lake on one side and drops off to a gorge about 30 feet below, which is an interesting sight to flat-​landers. From there, you go over a bridge that is situated BELOW the water level of the lake, so water is often rushing over the road. It’s all very beautiful.
The park offers a nice primitive camping area, though not as nice and secluded as it was before Katrina. After the storm, this park saw LOTS of evacuees and had to expand to accommodate them. Into the primitive camping area was the only place to do so. They do have another area set up though, a little further from the previous area. I have not camped there since be Katrina, but if it’s anything like it used to be, it still pretty. They also seem to «feed» the area cut up timber from felled trees throughout the park, so finding firewood isn’t a big problem.
The cabins have modernized from three decades ago, that’s for sure, yet they still retain a rustic feel to them. It’s all brick on the outside and wood on the inside. The three cabins by the lake are fine and the lake is just a few feet from your back door. Cabins now include a microwave, fridge, ac, and cable tv! Lol. Though… what are you gonna need cable tv for?! You should be outside, sitting by a fire, exploring or walking around!
They rent canoes and kayaks, though, we only did that one year. I can’t recall how much it was. I DO recall that across the lake, where there are no cabins, my father and I came across a few old ruined docks and walkways, probably washed away from a storm long ago or something. I don’t know. I was a kid and my imagination ran wild when I saw that.
They do have a separate camping area for larger groups. I’ve never been a apart of any of that, but I can often hear them from across the lake at night.
Over all, this is a really fine state park and camp ground. There are plenty of places to stop and chill and enjoy the forest and the lake. I’ve not seen too much bigger wildlife out there, however there are lots of ducks and geese around the lake. Definitely worth a little drive to go check it out!

Wow! The 225 acre lake was absolutely stunning. We had campsite number 71 and has the perfect view. Tons of watercraft in the water. They had 5 ducks roaming around always looking for food– you can feed them out of your hand! Nearest town is only a few miles away.
We will be back!

This is my stop when ever I come through area. I love site 86. Right on water. Price has gone up a bit for state park… but worth it for the views.

Went to Paul B Johnson State Park last weekend for a group retreat before the end of the school year and had a great time.
The park is definitely geared to the fishing/​boating/​RV set, but we had a great time hanging out, laying around at the fake lake beach, and grilling to our hearts’ content.
We stayed in Cabins #4 and 5. They cost us $ 60/​night each and were WAY nicer than we expected. Each has two queen beds and a pull out couch in two separate bedrooms. Stocked with clean linens, toiletries, and towels it seemed more like a hotel room and less like a cabin! I was very impressed. No bug problems inside to speak of either, which is always a concern for the squeamish folk in the group. The kitchen came with pots and pans and two cans of Hormel Chili in the cabinet, which we left for the next group to enjoy.
The official website lists canoeing as an activity than the park offers, but canoes are not available here. Its BYOC. There is a canoe rental place about 15 minutes away though called Black Creek Canoe Rental. Check out my review of them too.
This park would be a great choice if you have a boat or want to relax outside while watching people boat.