FRANKLINTON, La. (WGNO) — It doesn’t always feel like fall in Louisiana, but when it starts to get a little cooler, why not take a camping trip — a luxury camping trip!

When you’re ready for an escape into nature, Bogue Chitto State Park is ready for you.

“Well, I think it’s a place where you can come and you can get away,” explained Clifford Melius, the Deputy Assistant Secretary with Louisiana State Parks. “One of the things we wanted when we designed Bogue Chitto State Park, was to make it feel like you were here by yourself.”

Meeting that goal comes, well, naturally. With nearly 2,000 acres to explore, and more than 30 miles of trails for hiking, biking or horseback riding.

Melius helped make the park visitor-friendly and he’s responsible for the layout and location of all the trails.

“Bogue Chitto State Park was actually my first-ever project to design an entire state park, so it’s kind of near and dear to my heart,” Melius explained.

WGNO’s Stephanie Oswald spoke with him at one of 11 glamping sites located in the park. Glamping is short for “glamorous camping.”

“We partnered with TentRR and TentRR has come out and they have over 60 sites across the state park system — multiple state parks, all over the state — where you can come out and rent this tent with the Adirondack chairs, the fire pits, memory foam mattress.”

The glamping tent comes with all the modern amenities, including a queen-size mattress for a good night’s sleep and indoor plumbing.

Hurricane Ida swept away several glamping sites at other Louisiana State Parks, but those at Bogue Chitto were spared from storm damage. To find out more or reserve your glamping site, click here.

Stay tuned for the next Destination Louisiane from WGNO, when we’ll take you on some adventures in the park. Part two of our visit to Bogue Chitto is scheduled for Thursday, November 18th.