News Release

Cane River Creole Reopens Magnolia Plantation

Workers clear Hurricane Laura debris.

NPS

News Release Date: September 18, 2020

Contact: Carrie Mardorf, 318-352-0383 x 100

Cane River Creole National Historical Park is pleased to announce that Magnolia Plantation will reopen to the public on Monday, Sept. 21, following an almost four-week closure due to Hurricane Laura.

The park called in members of the National Park Service Arborist Incident Response team to remove a significant number of downed and hazard trees. The crew spent 10 days clearing trees and debris from LA Highway 119, along historic fence lines, and throughout the Magnolia Plantation grounds. The storm uprooted several large trees and broke major limbs in dozens more.

“More tree damage was sustained at Magnolia than at Oakland, which complicated clean-up efforts. The crew used two aerial lifts, two tractors with grapples, a wood chipper, and multiple dumpsters to clear all the hazard trees from the high visitor use areas,” said Cane River Creole National Historical Park Superintendent Carrie Mardorf. “As Magnolia reopens, visitors should be aware that there are still some areas outside of the visitor use zone that need to be cleaned up. We’re working to get a contract in place to remove the remaining trees from the property.”  

Beginning Monday, Sept. 21, the park will offer new access to the following buildings at Magnolia, with limited occupancy.

• Visitor Restrooms at the Magnolia Store

In addition, the following spaces continue to be available:   

• Magnolia Plantation Grounds
• Magnolia Trails
• Magnolia Visitor Parking Lot
• Magnolia Plantation Overseer’s House
• Magnolia Plantation Blacksmith Shop
• Magnolia Plantation Slave/Tenant Cabin
• Magnolia Plantation Gin Barn

Other sites at Cane River Creole National Historical Park are open, including Oakland Plantation which is offering guided and self-guided tours of the grounds and an outdoor gift shop.  A safe and enjoyable park experience begins at home. The NPS encourages visitors to plan their visit by checking the park’s website and social media for current conditions and travel tips. The CDC has offered guidance to help people recreating in parks and open spaces prevent the spread of infectious diseases. We ask the public to be our partner in recreating responsibly, by following CDC and state and local guidance, social distancing, and wearing a face covering when social distance cannot be maintained. Details and updates on park operations will continue to be posted on our social media channels.