Lake End Park

Morgan City, Louisiana · Lake End Park

Verified · 4 independent sources

WATER: lake
ACCESS: Designated swim area
FEE: $8 per vehicle
SEASON: Gatehouse day-use season runs April 1 through Labor Day, indicating the park treats this as the primary swimming season.

About Lake End Park

Lake End Park is a Morgan City, Louisiana municipal park and campground on the shores of Lake Palourde, offering a sandy swimming beach alongside camping, boating, and fishing facilities. It is an official, developed swimming hole rather than an informal or hidden spot, and it gives Morgan City families a convenient lake to swim in.

The park sits on the shoreline of Lake Palourde in south Louisiana's Atchafalaya Basin region, with cypress and live oak shade areas, a marina, and adjoining Brownell Memorial Park with its Carillon Tower.

Swimming at Lake End Park

Swimming takes place at a maintained sandy beach on Lake Palourde, described by the park as suited to relaxing, sunbathing, and swimming; it is an open lake shoreline (not a swimming pool) with no lifeguard on duty, so it suits confident, self-supervising swimmers and families willing to watch their own kids.

How to get to this swimming hole

The park is located at 2300 LA Highway 70 in Morgan City, Louisiana, reached via a seasonal gatehouse entrance.

The walk in

No real hike here. The water is a short walk from where you park. This is a drive-up municipal park/campground reached via a vehicle gatehouse; the sandy swimming beach sits within the developed park grounds next to the campground and marina, not at the end of a hiking trail. Exact walk distance from a specific parking spot to the beach was not published, but no hike is needed to reach the water. A separate 1-mile walking trail exists in the park but is a recreational loop, not the access route to the swimming beach.

Plan your visit

Bringing kids

OK with supervision

Shallow, maintained sandy beach on the lake shoreline is easy entry for kids, but the park explicitly states 'swim at your own risk' with no lifeguard on duty, diving from docks/shore is prohibited, and boats operate in nearby channels. Fine for families who actively supervise; not a lifeguarded or fenced-in kiddie area.

Parking

Paid, $8/vehicle (seasonal day-use gatehouse fee, Apr 1-Labor Day); $5/motorcycle; $5/walk-in or roadside drop-off; exercise walkers free

Vehicles enter through a seasonal gatehouse at the park entrance (2300 LA Hwy 70) and park on-site near the campground/beach area; a reviewer mentioned some parking pad surfaces could be improved. No separate description of a dedicated day-use lot distinct from the campground parking was found.

Restrooms

Yes

Bathhouse with showers and restrooms serving the beach/campground area, per the park's amenities page; described as handicap-accessible. A campground reviewer noted the soap dispenser in at least one restroom was mounted too high to be easily accessible.

Hours

Office/gatehouse hours: Mon-Tue and Sat-Sun 8am-5pm, Fri 8am-8pm (per park homepage). The day-use entrance fee gate operates seasonally April 1 through Labor Day. Per posted rules, the park closes to non-campers at dusk, with quiet hours 11pm-8am.

On the water

KayaksPaddleboardsMotorboats

Restrictions: Per posted park rules, boats must idle within channels and stay clear of designated swimming areas; no diving from docks/shore/structures. A boat launch fee applies ($5/day visitor, free for registered campers).

The park operates its own boat launch and marina on Lake Palourde and rents out kayaks, paddleboards, and pontoon boats on hourly/daily/weekend/4-hour bases (per the park's rates page), in addition to allowing visitors to launch their own motorboats.

Rentals nearby

Lake End Park Marina (on-site)

Kayaks, paddleboards, pontoon boats, golf carts, and other water/recreation equipment for hourly, daily, weekend, and special 4-hour rental

At the park's marina, 2300 LA Highway 70, Morgan City, LA, on Lake Palourde · Park office hours: Mon-Tue & Sat-Sun 8am-5pm, Fri 8am-8pm

What regulars say

Visitor reports compiled on the park's own campground page describe the park as consistently clean, neat, and quiet, with a nice waterfront view from lakeside campsites. Downsides mentioned include heavy mosquitoes for those camping right along the water, unpredictable wind off the lake strong enough that visitors are advised to retract or anchor RV awnings, and rougher unpaved roads in the campground's extension area. No first-hand comments specifically addressing water clarity or crowd levels at the swim beach were located.

Lake End Park: FAQ

Does Lake End Park charge a fee?

Seasonal day-use gatehouse fee (open April 1 through Labor Day): $8 per vehicle, $5 per motorcycle, $5 per walk-in/roadside drop-off; exercise walkers enter free. Boat launch fee is $5 for day visitors (free for registered campers). Camping and pavilion rentals have separate rates.

Is Lake End Park kid friendly?

Do I need to hike to reach Lake End Park?

No significant hike is required. The swimming area is close to parking and access.

Where do I park for Lake End Park?

Can I bring a kayak or paddleboard to Lake End Park?

When is the best time to visit Lake End Park?

Gatehouse day-use season runs April 1 through Labor Day, indicating the park treats this as the primary swimming season.

What are the rules at Lake End Park?

Swim at your own risk, no lifeguard on duty; no diving from docks, shore, or structures; boats must idle in channels and avoid swimming areas; pets prohibited from the beach and must be leashed elsewhere; no glass containers, firearms, or fireworks; quiet hours 11pm-8am; park closes to non-campers at dusk.