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Cane River National Heritage Area

Cane River National Heritage Area is a place where many cultures - American Indian, French, Spanish, African, Creole, and later American - came together to create a way of life dependent on the land, the river, and each other.

 
Melrose Plantation, Photo by John Lees

Cane River Region

Cane River National Heritage Area is a region known for historic agricultural landscapes, Creole architecture, and multi-cultural legacy. Historically, this region lay at the boundary of French and Spanish realms in the New World. Today, it is home to a unique blend of cultures that reflect this legacy. Cane River National Heritage Area  boasts a variety of beautiful historic sites. This region includes Cane River Creole National Historical Park, seven national historic landmarks, three state historic sites, and 24 properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Much of the 35-mile-long region is privately owned, yet many sites are open to the public.

 
Front Street, Photo by John Lees

Natchitoches National Historic Landmark District

Natchitoches traces its history to a French colonial settlement established in 1714 near the Natchitoches Indian village on the Red River. Trade and plantation agriculture shaped the city's early years. The original French settlement lay south of the current town center. As the Louisiana territory became Spanish and eventually American, the town moved north to Front Street. Much of the town's historic architecture has been preserved. The shifting Red River left Natchitoches behind, protecting it from 20th century development. Caring citizens recognized the importance of this accidental legacy. Today, the National Historic Landmark District encompasses 33 blocks in the heart of Natchitoches.

 
Cannon at Fort St. Jean Baptiste, Photo by John Lees

Historic Places  

Today, colonial forts, Creole plantations, churches, cemeteries, archeological sites, historic transportation routes, and commercial centers provide a special view into this past. The people of Cane River continue the traditions handed down through generations that keep the unique cultures of this region alive.

 
 

Write to

P. O. Box 1201
452 Jefferson Street, Suite 150
Natchitoches, LA 71457

Phone

Cane River National Heritage Office
(318) 356-5555

Fax

(318) 356-8222

Climate

Typical Louisiana weather, hot and humid in the summer, usually cold and wet in winter...dress appropriately for the seasons
Communities Surrounding Cane River National Heritage Area
Note: The times listed below are approximate driving times to the park.
Natchez, LA (9 min. ) Pop. 583
Natchitoches, LA (13 min. ) Pop. 17,865
Flora, LA (19 min. )
Forest, LA (20 min. )
Oak Grove, LA (21 min. ) Pop. 2,174
Melrose, LA (21 min. )
Clarence, LA (23 min. ) Pop. 516
Westlake, LA (24 min. ) Pop. 4,668
Provencal, LA (28 min. ) Pop. 708
Campti, LA (31 min. ) Pop. 1,057
 Powhatan, LA (32 min. ) Pop. 141
Saint Maurice, LA (32 min. )
Cloutierville, LA (32 min. )
Robeline, LA (33 min. ) Pop. 183
Gorum, LA (39 min. )
Montgomery, LA (42 min. ) Pop. 787
Marthaville, LA (45 min. )
Summerfield, LA (59 min. )
Atlanta, LA (1 hr.  2 min. ) Pop. 150
Goldonna, LA (1 hr.  2 min. ) Pop. 457