Duck Dam Primitive Camping

public land records

Researched — The record is detailed and internally consistent, and the coordinates land where the managing agency says this site is.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers primitive camping area on Bayou Bodcau Reservoir, Vicksburg District, Louisiana Field Office (Monroe, LA -- 318-322-6391). Corps description, verbatim: "Duck Dam Road Primitive camping area is located on Bayou Bodcau just north of the second bridge that crosses Duck Dam Road. There is a gravel parking area and a small gravel boat ramp located here. There are no park amenities at this site." NO CORPS CAMPING FEE AT THIS AREA. The USACE Corps Lakes Gateway page for Bayou Bodcau Reservoir (https://corpslakes.erdc.dren.mil/visitors/projects.cfm?ID=B400105, read 2026-08-15) flags fee-collecting areas with '$ Corps Fees Collected'. Only South Abutment East Recreation Area and Tom Merrill Recreation Area carry that flag. None of the primitive camping areas do. The Corps' own GIS description of the Ivan Lake primitive campsites states outright: 'This site is free to use.' Coordinate and description are the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' OWN published GIS, not a geocode and not a field visit: Vicksburg District (MVK) feature service Bayou_Bodcau_20200501, layer 20 'Primitive_Camping', https://services7.arcgis.com/jAIyTAA0NX5yFUMp/arcgis/rest/services/Bayou_Bodcau_20200501/FeatureServer/20 queried 2026-08-15. Layer authored by USACE MVK staff on usace-mvk.maps.arcgis.com. TWO SETS OF RULES APPLY HERE. This point falls inside LDWF's Bodcau WMA boundary polygon: the land is owned by the Corps and managed for wildlife by LDWF under long-term licensing agreement (https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/page/bodcau, read 2026-08-15, which confirms 'Camping is available at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers improved camping area located on the south end of Bodcau WMA and at several primitive camping areas'). LDWF WMA CAMPING RULE (2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting & WMA Regulations, https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/assets/Resources/Publications/Regulations/26LAHD.pdf p.52, read 2026-08-15): 'Camping on WMAs, including trailers, houseboats, vessels, recreational vehicles and tents, is allowed ONLY IN DESIGNATED AREAS and for a period not to exceed 16 (EXCEPT Bodcau WMA is not to exceed 14 days during a 30-day period) consecutive days, regardless of whether the camp is attended or unattended. At the end of the 16-day period camps must be removed from the area for at least 48 hours.' Camping is first-come, first-serve unless otherwise specified. Human waste may not be discharged on a WMA: where no public restroom exists, campers in a camper/trailer must use an operational attached disposal system and TENT CAMPERS MUST CARRY A PORTABLE WASTE UNIT AND PACK ALL HUMAN WASTE OUT. Trash must be contained; burning trash is prohibited; glass containers are prohibited on campgrounds; only hunting dogs are allowed in WMA camping areas. NOTE THE BODCAU EXCEPTION: 14 days in any 30-day period here, NOT the statewide 16. ACCESS PERMIT, NOT A CAMPING FEE: LDWF requires a WMA Access Permit of every user 18 or older on LDWF-administered land -- Annual $20, or a 5-consecutive-day permit $5, same price for residents and non-residents; included with the Sportsman's Paradise, Senior Hunt/Fish and Lifetime licences; not required of anyone 17 or under (https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/page/wmarefugeconservation-area-licenses-and-permits, read 2026-08-15). A SELF-CLEARING PERMIT is separately required for all activities on a WMA, obtained at an on-site permit station or through the LDWF check-in/check-out app or web portal. The SEPARATE $7.00/night WMA Camping Permit is required only 'for each camping party utilizing a LDWF-OPERATED CAMPGROUND on a WMA' -- LDWF publishes no list of which of its camping areas it counts as 'LDWF-operated', so budget for $7/night and verify with the region office before relying on this being free. No potable water is claimed at this site by the managing agency. This is an active hunting area. Check LDWF season dates before you go and wear hunter orange in season. Nearest town: Cotton Valley ~5.9 mi -- STRAIGHT-LINE distance to the nearest OpenStreetMap place=city/town/village, NOT a driving distance. Ingest 2026-08-15. | auto:agency-trust 2026-08-18: state agency GIS record with a source URL and coordinates, confidence not low. Fee value is the agency's own, not field-checked. Not field-verified -- confirm access, road conditions and fire rules before you go.

US DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center station locator, snapshot 2026-09-16. Straight-line miles to the nearest public, open, unrestricted station; restricted and planned units are shown but never counted.

On the agency's books. The land manager inventoried this site, so its existence is not in question — current conditions are. Nobody from here has camped it recently.