North Beach + Lake Charles Visitor Center

North Beach, just off of Interstate 10 in Lake Charles, is the only inland white sand beach in Louisiana. North Beach sits on the north shore of Lake Charles with views of the city and boats that pass by. This urban beach is spacious for even the most active summer days and dotted with trees and covered picnic areas for shade. It’s a great place to have a picnic at any time of the year. Kids will enjoy building sandcastles in the white sand and taking a dip in the cool water.

If you walk to the eastern edge of the beach, you’ll find a pathway that leads you to the Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana Convention & Visitors Bureau Welcome Center, the visitor or welcome center, which has a wealth of information on the area. Visitors to the Lake Charles area are encouraged to stop in. Inside the visitor center, you’ll also find a small cafe with a small indoor seating area and a nice patio with a few tables outside.

If you continue just a bit farther east on the pathway past the visitor center, you’ll come across the Cypress Pond—a small alligator enclosure that is home to a few medium-sized alligators, turtles, and fish. The Cypress Pond allows visitors to get up close to the alligators while still remaining safe for both humans and gators alike.

To expand on your trip to North Beach, you could make the walk from the beach to the Lakefront Promenade, which has many sights and recreational activities to offer. The Lakefront Promenade is a scenic public park with fountains, playgrounds, splash pads, annual events, and much more. One could easily fill part of a day visiting the wonderful sights along the northeastern shores of Lake Charles. Surrounding the lake are plenty of locally-owned restaurants if you find yourself getting hungry amid all of the lakefront activity.