USFS · National forest · Louisiana

Kisatchie National Forest

Kisatchie National Forest, the only National forest in Louisiana, United States, is located in the forested piney hills and hardwood bottoms of seven central and northern parishes. It is part of the Cenozoic uplands and has large areas of longleaf pine forests. It is one of the largest pieces of natural landscape in Louisiana, with some 604,000 acres (2,440 km2) of public land, more than half of which is vital longleaf pine and flatwoods vegetation. These support many rare plant and animal species. There are also rare habitats, such as hillside seepage bogs and calcareous prairies. The forest also contains and provides a buffer for the Kisatchie Hills Wilderness, a nationally designated wilderness area that contributes to protecting biodiversity of the coastal plain region of the United States.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

National Forest1.1 million acresUSFSLA15 campgrounds within 10 mi42 Forest Service sites
Official page at U.S. Forest Service ↗
3fires
active
Rx Calv Bu 104-108 (prescribed burn) · 7 mi from the center · 878 acres
2 more within 50 miles
Incident details ↓

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationNational Forest
Managed byU.S. Forest Service
StateLouisiana
Size1.1 million acres (Forest Service administrative boundary (gis_acres))
Forest Service code0806, region 08
Center point31.0099, -93.0672
Night skyAbout as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 12)

Boundary map

7 outlines

Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground Forest Service recreation site

The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.

Where to camp

Campsite Atlas →

14 federal campgrounds sit inside the boundary and 1 more is within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.

FS · Inside
Beaver Dam Campground
Reservable30 sites
FS · Inside
Cane
Reservable4 sites
FS · Inside
Cloud Crossing Recreation Area
Reservable4 sites
FS · Inside
Fullerton Recreation Area
Reservable4 sites
FS · Inside
Gum Springs Recreation Area
Reservable4 sites
FS · Inside
Kincaid Lake Campground
Reservable41 sites
FS · Inside
Kisatchie Bayou Recreation Area
Reservable4 sites
FS · Inside
Loran Camp
Reservable4 sites
Show 4 more

3 more within ten miles are not listed here.

Trailheads and sites

Forest Service directory · 42

The Forest Service lists 42 recreation sites in this forest, among them 17 dispersed campings, 10 campgrounds, 8 boat launchs, 5 viewpoints. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.

Show all 42

Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.

Fire nearby

Within 50 miles · as of 2026-09-17
  • Prescribed
    Rx Calv Bu 104-108

    7 mi from the center point · 878 acres

  • Prescribed
    Rx Kis Bu 32-33

    32 mi from the center point · 2,799 acres

  • Prescribed
    Rx Kis Bu 30-31

    33 mi from the center point · 2,986 acres

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge, and is measured from the center of a boundary that may be many miles across. Check the agency page for closures.

Explore

Nearby on the other atlases

National Park System units within 30 miles · Park Atlas
National Historical Park · 4 mi
Cane River Creole National Historical Park
National Register listings within 15 miles · 193 in all · Register Atlas

Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Kisatchie National Forest?

1.1 million acres.

Source: Forest Service boundary data

Who manages Kisatchie National Forest?

The U.S. Forest Service.

Source: U.S. Forest Service

What state is Kisatchie National Forest in?

Louisiana.

Source: How states are assigned

Can I camp at Kisatchie National Forest?

14 federal campgrounds sit inside the boundary, including Beaver Dam Campground, Cane and Cloud Crossing Recreation Area. 15 in all are within ten miles. Dispersed camping is allowed on most national forest land outside developed sites; check the forest page for closures.

Source: Where to camp

Where are the trailheads in Kisatchie National Forest?

The Forest Service lists 42 recreation sites here, including 17 dispersed campgrounds, 10 campground campgrounds and 8 boating - motorizeds. Each one links to its Forest Service page.

Source: Trailheads and sites

How do I get to Kisatchie National Forest?

A point inside the boundary is at 31.010, -93.067. Cane River Creole National Historical Park is 4 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: U.S. Forest Service

Is there a fire near Kisatchie National Forest right now?

3 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-09-17, the nearest Rx Calv Bu 104-108 at 7 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.

Source: Fire nearby

How dark is the night sky at Kisatchie National Forest?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 12 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, about as dark as the ground gets.

Source: NASA Black Marble

Which national parks are near Kisatchie National Forest?

Cane River Creole National Historical Park (4 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.

Source: Nearby on the other atlases

Are there historic places near Kisatchie National Forest?

193 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Magnolia Plantation and Chopin, Kate, House.

Source: Register Atlas

Sources

  • Boundary, name, acreage and code: the Forest Service Enterprise Data Warehouse.
  • States: computed by intersecting the boundary with Census state polygons; a state is listed when it holds at least one percent of the area.
  • Description: Kisatchie National Forest on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. The article was accepted because its title contains this unit’s name.
  • Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
  • Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, matched by forest code.
  • Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
  • Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.