A 25-acre nature park taking shape along the Tammany Trace in Lacombe is edging closer to its debut, according to a new announcement from St. Tammany Parish. The park, called Lacombe Trace & Trails Nature Park, is planned to sit steps away from the Bayou Lacombe Trailhead and is expected to open in the coming months, though the parish has not given a firm date.
Four Themed Zones Planned Along the Bayou
The parish announced the park on Facebook as a planned new attraction along the St. Tammany Parish trail system, describing it as covering 25 acres with four themed zones. According to the parish's post, the park will include winding trails, boardwalks, picnic spaces and a preserved train. A separate parish announcement lists the four planned zones as Swamp Experience, Woodland Trail Loop, Industrial Discovery Zone and Marsh District, according to St. Tammany Parish Government.
The parish's post notes the park still requires additional ingredients before its grand opening, though it does not specify what those remaining steps involve. Combined with the open-ended timeline for opening in the coming months, that leaves the park's exact completion date unconfirmed for now.
A $2 Million Project Years in the Making
The park’s history helps explain what visitors may find when it opens. St. Tammany Parish broke ground on the project April 25, 2025. At the time, it was described as a 25-acre, $2 million development with a kayak launch, gardens, wetland boardwalks and a historic caboose, according to NOLA.com. Parish officials said $1.1 million in state and federal grants and $1 million in parish dollars were available, and estimated construction would take about a year.
The park’s planned approach is unusual: after community input, parish officials opted for access only from the Tammany Trace or the bayou, rather than a conventional road entrance, the report noted. An earlier planning document put completion on track for spring 2026, according to a post from Tammany Family; whether that schedule held remains unclear.
Part of a Busy Trail System
The park is also part of a larger trail network. Parish officials have said the 31-mile Tammany Trace draws about 300,000 runners, walkers and cyclists annually, according to nola.com's reporting. In another recent expansion, a Trace extension from Neslo Road into Camp Salmen Nature Park opened Oct. 27. The $750,000 project was funded partly by grants from the state Department of Transportation and Development and the Federal Highway Administration.
Camp Salmen offers a local point of comparison, with boardwalks, nature trails, picnic spots and an all-inclusive playground. It is now open daily from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., after previously opening only on weekends, according to nola.com. The parish has not yet detailed whether Lacombe Trace & Trails Nature Park will have the same daily access.
A Visitor Center in Lacombe
The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service describes its Bayou Lacombe Visitor Center in Lacombe as a gateway to exploring the Southeast Louisiana Refuges, with exhibits, maps and a nature store, according to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
