Not long ago, those living on the Westbank of Jefferson Parish could take a short drive and experience the beauty of Bayou Segnette State Park. With its large picnic area containing 7 pavilions, a group camp, 16 cabins (20 back in the day) and 98 campsites, there was a little bit of everything for everyone. It was truly a Westbank gem and one that I loved to visit.
Take a ride through today and what you end up seeing is something that would make anyone familiar with the park think it has been forgotten. This park was the most visited and top earner in revenue in the state at one time…. That’s a fact. As for todays numbers, I don’t know. What I do know is, it’s going downhill fast. A top earning park should not be in the condition this park is in. Thanks to Hurricane Ida, there is very visible damage, which cant be helped, but all of these troubles started long before Ida. Out of the twenty something campsites with decks, you would be hard pressed to find more than 5 in safe condition. The decks have been in bad condition for years. Two years ago, I was camping on Campsite 81 and my foot went through the deck. Their fix for it was a piece of plywood. That piece of plywood is still there today.
Other sites have decks that are sagging with broken boards. They came through a couple of years agp and half ass painted the decks, which was like putting lipstick on a pig, it only covered up the ugliness for a short period. Most of that cheap paint has since worn off.
One can only hope things turn around soon.
