Why Lake Charles is Louisiana's playground
Tucked into the southwest corner of Louisiana is the city of Lake Charles, which bills itself as having "a Cajun personality with a Texas flair." Its proximity to the Texas border means you'll find a mixture of cowboy spirit mingling with Cajun and Creole culture here. With more than 75 festivals and events annually, this is a place that loves to throw a party. You’ll eat well here—with plenty of options for barbecue, Cajun and Creole cuisine. Plus with all the casinos, you might actually make money while on vacation.
Lake Charles is located within a reasonable drive from Houston, Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Mobile, Austin and Dallas. For those coming from farther distances, Lake Charles Regional Airport has flights from United (via Houston) and American (via Dallas).
Read on for our guide to enjoying all that Lake Charles has to offer.
Explore Louisiana's Outback
Lake Charles is the largest city in this region of Louisiana—geographically, it's about the same size as Boston—and, as the name implies, overlooks a brackish lake. Stroll the marina promenade or relax at North Beach, the only white-sand inland beach in the Gulf Coast. Hit the water by renting a boat or kayaking on the lake.
At one point, longleaf pine trees stretched from Virginia to Texas, a total of 90 million acres. Today, only 4 million acres of longleaf forest exist. Sam Houston Jones State Park, southwest Louisiana’s only state park, is home to more than 70 acres of these trees, the oldest living southern pine species. In addition to hiking, boating, kayaking and birding, camping is also allowed here.
Historically more cattle country than plantation economy, southwest Louisiana is full of wild prairies and marshes. Get up close to the natural beauty of coastal wetlands and wildlife refuges by driving the Creole Nature Trail All-American Road, one of only 43 All-American Roads in the U.S. Whether you're tackling all 180 miles of "Louisiana's Outback" or just part of it, be sure to stock up on food, water and gasoline—and please pick up your trash so you leave no trace.
Test your luck
With casinos making up about one-third of the hotel-room inventory in Lake Charles, this might be where you base your stay. Weekends tend to be very busy at the casino resorts, but they have more room availability and lower prices during the week.
With your bags dropped off, it’s time to hit the jackpot. Golden Nugget Lake Charles Hotel and Casino has more than 1,600 slots, 87 table games and seven live-action poker tables. L’Auberge Casino Resort Lake Charles has 1,200 slot machines and 85 table games, plus sports betting. Delta Downs Racetrack Hotel & Casino has 1,500 slot and video machines, plus horse racing from spring to fall. Horseshoe Casino & Hotel has nearly 1,000 slot machines and table games, plus the only Gordon Ramsay Steak restaurant in Louisiana.
In addition to the gaming opportunities, casino resorts offer multiple golf courses at places like Contraband Bayou at L’Auberge and The Country Club at Golden Nugget. (Outside of the casinos, visitors can also golf at Mallard Golf Club or The National Golf Club of Louisiana.)
Welcome to No Man's Land
After the Louisiana Purchase, the western part of Lake Charles became part of the Neutral Strip, a.k.a. No Man’s Land from 1819–1821. This buffer between Spain and the U.S. was an area where there were no troops from either side and people could pretty much do as they pleased. This drew pirates, cowboys, pioneers, African Americans and Native Americans to the land, where they all lived in relative harmony and helped to create a diverse culture.
Get close to the area's history by heading to the Imperial Calcasieu Museum, which displays local artifacts and memorabilia from Native Americans to present day. The museum is also well known for showcasing the work of local artists throughout the five-parish region of southwest Louisiana. Be sure to get a selfie with the legendary Sallier Oak Tree that has stood there for nearly 300 years. (Lake Charles is named for Charles Sallier, an early resident.)
The Historic City Hall Arts & Cultural Center offers free admission to its three floors of gallery space. Its Black Heritage Gallery honors local African-American emerging and mid-career artists. New exhibits open on the first Friday every other month starting in February; the public is invited to come and meet the artists.
A full plate of options to enjoy
There’s a lot of passion behind the dishes you’ll be served in Lake Charles; the Inspiring Chef Series on YouTube gives a bit more insight into the foodie culture of the area. Being so close to Texas, barbecue is no stranger here and is infused with local Louisiana spices and flavor. Everywhere you go in Lake Charles, you'll find Cajun and Creole staples like jambalaya, gumbo, po'boys and crawfish, as well as a regional staple: boudin.
While its name means “sausage” in French, this isn’t quite like the one you might be used to. A combination of pork, cooked rice, bell pepper, celery, onion, liver and cayenne is stuffed into a sausage-like casing. Some locals squeeze the filling out to eat it, almost like a meaty freezer pop. Others spread the filling on crackers. You can also grill or smoke the boudin to make the casing crispy and edible. Boudin balls are also popular and look similar to hush puppies from the outside; they’re often served with remoulade. Sample boudin at mom-and-pop restaurants, specialty meat shops and grocery stores along the Southwest Louisiana Boudin Trail.
Along with all the good food you’ll be eating, check out some of the craft breweries around Lake Charles. Both Crying Eagle Brewing Co. and Rikenjaks Brewing Company feature outdoor games as well as live music, where you might hear some Zydeco music playing. Zydeco was created in southwest Louisiana by African Americans of Creole heritage and is a mixture of traditional blues, Native American music, French Creole music, R&B, gospel and jazz. (And if you’re wondering what Zydeco means, it comes from a colloquial Creole French expression—Les haricots ne sont pas salés—which translates to “the snap beans aren't salty” a.k.a. “times are hard.”)
Take advantage of dining deals around the region during Chuck Eats Restaurant Week (Jan. 17–26, 2025). Alternatively, plan ahead to be in town for the Louisiana Food & Wine Festival (Sept. 18–21, 2025) to eat and drink yourself silly as you sample the best of the state.
An expanding menu of family-friendly fun on tap
Continue the new year celebrations by getting into the Mardi Gras spirit in Lake Charles. From Jan. 6–March 4, 2025, the city is full of parades and gumbo cookoffs (as well as lots of purple, green and gold colors around town). There’s King Cake—that traditional blend of coffee cake and cinnamon roll—to be had at many bakeries and restaurants; though it’s a symbol of luck and prosperity if it’s in your slice, just be sure not to choke on the plastic baby hidden inside. Specifically for families, the 2025 Mardi Gras Children's Day (March 2) is entirely devoted to kids. This free event combines interactive, hands-on exhibits on science, culture and music with Mardi Gras arts and crafts. Later that day, there will be a Children's Day Parade rolling through downtown Lake Charles.
Set to open in the next few months along the lakefront, the Port Wonder building will be a blend of family-friendly attractions. One will be the Children’s Museum of Southwest Louisiana and its four distinct galleries: Nature, Health, Tech and City, each with different interactive elements. The Nature Gallery will immerse visitors in giant nature features (likened to a “Honey, I shrunk the kids” experience), while the Health Gallery will have a digestive maze. The Tech Gallery will have a lab with rotating STEM activities and the City Gallery will have a miniature city with themed areas.
Also included in the 25,000-square-foot Port Wonder development will be the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Nature and Science Center. It will showcase the state’s biodiversity and different habitats with several aquarium exhibits, including a 2,900-gallon Touch Tank with stingrays and other species.