DNR Touts 30 New Campsites In Atchafalaya Basin

LAFAYETTE, La. (AP) — The state Department of Natural Resources has created 30 primitive campsites in the Atchafalaya Basin that are accessible only by boat.

The Advocate reports that the department created the campsites on undeveloped, publicly owned properties so people can use the sites without worrying about trespassing on private property.

The state's Atchafalaya Basin Program, which announced the campsites this month, has cleared out the camping areas and offers online maps and coordinates of the sites.

Atchafalaya Basin Program Director Don Haydel said the campsite project began in 2011, and the consensus among those interested in basin camping was to have only primitive campsites with minimal amenities.

The regional chapter of the Boy Scouts of America was one of several groups involved in choosing the locations.