FAQ's

COSTS AND PAYMENT

Q. What does it cost to enter the park?

A. $2/person/day (free for kids 5 & under)
*see "Rentals" for pricing regarding camping, cabins, cottages and party reservations.

 

Q. What types of payment do you take?

A. Cash (no bills over $20), debit or credit cards (Visa, MC, AMEX and Discover).

 

Q. Will I need to pay the gate fee again if I leave the park and come back in the same day?

A. No. Anyone who has already purchased a day pass may leave and re-enter the park in the same day. If additional guests are with you upon your return, they will need to pay their own gate fee.

 

Q. Does it cost extra to visit the zoo and the nature center?

A. No. These are included with the gate fee.

 

Hours of Operation

Q. What are hours at Cypress Park?

A. All gates open at 8 a.m. The front gate is open until 6:45 p.m. The beach gate closes at 6 p.m. and swimmers must finish up by 6:30.

!!CAMPERS!! Be sure to purchase all late arrival and/or guest passes during business hours! No one may enter the park after the gate closes without having secured their passes beforehand. GIVING OUT YOUR GATE CODE IS NOT PERMITTED and will cause the parties at fault to be evicted without refund.

 

Q. What are the Marina's hours?

A. The Marina is open from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursday-Sunday.

 

Q. When are the Nature Center and the Cypress Zoo open?

A. The Nature Center is open from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. (M-Sat) and the Cypress Zoo is open from 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m. daily. 

*please note that Cypress Park is closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Years Day.

 

Q. How late can we stay at the park?

A. At the beach until 6:30 p.m., nature trails until 6:45 p.m., fishing piers until 10 p.m. (9 p.m. on Sundays) and RV or tent sites until 10 p.m. with $2 day pass (overnight passes available for $5).  

 

CELL SERVICE/WIFI

Q. Is there cell service?

A. Yes, major service providers like AT&T and Verizon operate with hardly any trouble.  Reception can be a bit spotty with some smaller service providers. 

 

Q. Does the park have wireless internet?

A. No.

 

CAMPING

Q. How many vehicles can we have at our site?

A. Cabin or cottage renters and tent campers may have 2 vehicles. RV's may have 3. Any other vehicles will need to park at the Nature Center.

 

Q. Can we have a tent at our RV site?

A. No. Tent camping is only permitted in the primitive camping area.

 

Q. How late can guests stay?

A. Until 10 p.m.

 

Q. What if our guests arrive after the front gate closes?

A. They may enter provided that a permissible pass (day or overnight) was secured for them through the front gate during business hours.

 

Q. Will I get a refund if I have to cancel my reservation?

A. If you cancel 15 days or more prior to the reserved date, a full refund will be issued. Cancellations within 14 days of the date can be rescheduled for a different date within the next year.      *see Occupancy Rules for further details

 

FISHING LICENSES

Q. Do I need a fishing license to fish at the lake?

A. Yes. Louisiana state law requires fishing licenses.

 

Q. Do you sell fishing licenses?

A. No. You can get a fishing license at places such Academy Sports and Bass Pro Shops.

 

BOATING

Q. Do you sell Cypress Lake/Black Bayou boating permit stickers?

A. Yes.

 

Q. Where are the boat launches?

A. For Cypress, there is one boat launch inside of the park, a second off Parks Road and a third off Highway 162.  One launch for Black Bayou is located off Old Palmetto Road.

 

Q. If I have a boat sticker, why do I need to pay a launch fee?

A. A $15 boat sticker allows you permission to have your boat in Cypress Lake/Black Bayou for the year.  $3/launch is the cost to use one of the launches provided by the district.  At the beginning of the year, a certain number of boat stickers are available for $70 which cover the sticker and unlimited use of the launches.

 

Q. What happens if I don't pay to launch my boat?

A. If you launch a boat without having paid the launch fee, a Park Ranger is authorized to issue a ticket in the amount of $25. The same $25 penalty will be incurred if the boat and/or its trailer fail to have current Cypress Lake/Black Bayou boat stickers.  Anyone with outstanding tickets is flagged in the computer and will not be permitted to enter Cypress Park or utilize the boat launches.

 

TICKETS

Q. Where do I pay my ticket?

A. Tickets can be paid by mail or at the front gate during business hours or at the yellow drop-boxed found at either of the boat launches outside of the park. 

 

Q. How long do I have to pay my ticket?

A. Tickets must be paid within 30 days of issuance. The ticket must be paid in full within those 30 days in order to re-enter the park or use the boat launches.

 

Q. What happens if I don't pay my ticket?

A. Your name will be flagged in the system and you will not be allowed to enter the park or use the boat launches until payment is made.  After 30 days, the tickets are turned over the the District Attorney.