poverty point state historic site

We reserved a cabin at the Poverty Point Reservoir for the night of 2/16 and decided to drive the few extra miles up the road to see the earth mounds of the native americans from 1000 to 1700 years ago so we and our two teenagers could learn something along the way. The park is only 10 to 15 miles north of I-20.Unfortunately it was very cold and rainy that day and we stayed in the car and drove around the park site reading the handout the ranger gave us at the visitor station and the signs from the car.This would have been much better to have hiked around the area and up the Main mound (bird formation) but the weather was too bad.Bring some comfortable walking shoes and plan to hike around for a more meaningful experience.There was an interesting video in the park ranger visitor center and many interesting dsiplays to read about the history of the place and the people.Now this is an UNESCO world heritage site.But the fee to tour around is only $2 / person state park entrance fee.

There's a small museum which should be visited before or after a tour of the mound site. And the video should be viewed before setting out for the mounds. I did a walking tour. The site is impressive in its magnitude, though most of the mounds have been greatly eroded by time and reduced intentionally in modern times. The site was occupied by Archaic Indians at least 3500 years ago. They may have been hunter-gatherers. But may also have been fishers because of the site's proximity to the river. Probably the site was a trading point.

While this is clearly an important historical site, there's really nothing to see or do here. There's a visitor. Center and a small museum with some artifacts. As for the site itself, it's a little more than a hill that you can climb. There is a little known about The site or its history, culture, biology, etc.Much of it is just speculation. Hard to recommend it.

Our timing was good we were told there was a tour later in the afternoon, so we were going to watch the video they showed,,,but the video was NOT IN CLOSED CAPTIONED,, deaf people who plan to visit this site, this place is NOT ACCESSIBLE.. the tour is not interpreted... hubby enjoyed it tho ...the museum exhibits were quite nice,, it is a nice area really and welll kept...

My timing was impeccable as I arrived just as a staff member was about to take a couple on a guided tour in a golf cart. What a stroke of luck. Our 'personal' tour was fascinating and interactive including the climb up the central mound. There are many more questions than answers with sites this old which made for a fascinating conversation between the four of us. I'm glad I stopped by.

Poverty Point State Historic Site is well worth the +/-30 minute drive off I-20. I didn't know of its existence until I read a recommendation for it within a review of the lovely Corners Mansion Inn in nearby Vicksburg, MS. Seniors are admitted free of charge. I'd recommend watching the excellent 20 minute video presentation of the history of the early inhabitants of Poverty Point before being taken on the well guided motorized tour of the extensive site. Following the tour, take the time to look around the well presented exhibits in the museum.

For clarification, I am only rating the campground as it relates to RV and Trailer camping. No consideration is given for other aspects of a campground/park, such as swimming pools, clubhouses, or activities such as fishing or canoeing. Also, many campgrounds may have a variety of quality. My assessment is base on what I perceive as the best they have to offer.I use a two part rating system. The first is based on the basic elements that most campgrounds provide. The value for each of the items is fixed. This puts all campground on the same level based on what they provide. The second and final rating is based on another set of fixed values for things that I think should be part on any quality campground such as good maintenance and cleanliness. I then add a fudge factor just based on my opinion of the value and aesthetics of the campground. Occasionally I will throw in a note to explain my evaluation. Most any campground can earn at least a basic 5.0 rating. For me an acceptable campground for a multiple night stay will have to have a final rating of 7.0 or above. Very few campgrounds will go over a 9.0 with 10 being the max. On Trip advisor a 6.5 to 7.4 is equivalent to 3 circles, four circles will be 7.5 to 8.4 and 5 circles are above will be 8.5 and above.Poverty Point Reservoir State Park 1500 Poverty Point Parkway, Delhi. LA.Poverty Point Reservoir State Park CampgroundBasic evaluation: RV/Trailer Campsite review, (54) sites (9) have, W/E (45) have W/E/S, Surface: Paved (good width with decent back-in ease), Electricity Hookup: all have 30 and 50 amp connection, Water Hookup: Yes, Sewer Hookup: Yes, Dump station: Yes, Grills/Fire Ring: Yes, Picnic Table: Yes, Comfort Station: Yes. Laundry: Yes Campground Wi-fi: Yes Value = 8.75Secondary rating. Based on the excellent additional amenities, a small water park for the kids, good maintenance of the sites, good separation between sites, cleanliness of the comfort station, and the overall value and appeal of park I added .5 points to the rating for an overall rating of 9.25This is a nice state park. I particularly like the level paved RV/trailer pads and decent wi-fi. We stayed here 4/2014 for two nights (30 Ft. travel trailer). There is a public marina and golf course near by. The fishing is suppose to be good.

Unfortunately, folks are confusing the State Park and Reservoir with the State Historic (Archaeology) sites. The are very different and about 14 miles apart. The state park is for boating and camping. It is nice but not the attraction to be reviewed here. The historic site is amazing, but you may not be impressed unless you take the time to study and understand the site. Visually, it is not something to remember, but what happened here is amazing. The area was occupied 1500 BCE. That is a long time ago. So, go check out this place, study it, and appreciate it.

Saw the brown signs along the highway and decided to visit. It was an interesting place. The movie at the museum was very informative. Never knew these earthworks had existed. Had choice of tram tour, driving tour or walking tour. It's about a 2 mile tour. Took driving tour. You can get out and walk up one of the mounds. It was very good.This is worth seeing.

This place should be MUCH better known than it is. For anyone who still entertains the myths that pre-Columbian America was simple and unsophisticated, this place gives the lie. Take the tour with the ranger: without the tour, you may miss what makes this place so compelling!

Poverty Point Earthworks in northeastern Louisiana offers a family friendly look into history. Across the United States there are Indian burial mounds but these mounds were for living spaces and they are well preserved. The park museum offers both a documentary film and an informative 45 minute tram ride. Poverty Point has recently been nominated to become a UNESCO World Heritage site.

I stumbled upon this magnificent site a few years ago, and recently returned due primarily to the intriguing questions raised on my first visit.A group of hunter-gatherers around 3500 years ago constructing such a large and complex system of mounds, obviously requiring many man-hours of planning and labor, remains a mystery to me. I am really surprised that this site and the unique circumstances surrounding it are not more well known. Additional study (and additional funding for that purpose) hopefully will answer some of my continuing questions...e.g. why is there no evidence of burial, what kind of leadership structure directed this monumental work, why did the large group involved in an obviously massive enterprise just up and leave?

Very interesting story to be told here! One of the oldest known sites of a large civilization that existed well before recorded time. They lived, traded and travelled widely, built ceremonial mounds, and then left! So much is still unknown of these people, but what is known is so compelling that it boggles the mind to imagine that such a large society" just vanished". Take the walking tour along with the self guide brochure to explain each marker along the route. A comfortable 2 hours through fields and wood plots with streams and mounds throughout. About halfway through, you will get to climb the steps of the largest mound to view the bird design in the earth. It's at this spot that you will see the immense size of the ring of mounds. The museum is small but gives a good overview and some pretty good static displays too. "This could really be big if it gets recognition as a world heritage site!"

Even though Poverty Point is out in the middle of no where, it is an interesting drive. At the site there are very nice, clean bathrooms, vending machines with water and small, but well done, museum. if you aren't interested in ancient history or archaeology you won't enjoy this attraction. It is amazing to be in the middle of the site and realize it was constructed sometime between 1650-700 BC. Of course there are no structures left, but there are ridges and mounds made of dirt. To see the whole site, you can either take a guided tour on a tram, walk a 2 mile trail, or go by your car with a booklet explaining each stop. We chose to on in our car. Was the right choice for us to go at our pace. A small hike up to the top of the highest mound is well worth it, even in the heat of day. It is a good idea to bring sunscreen and mosquito repellant. I have never seen so many mosquitos.

I'm sure the site is much more interesting when you're not dodging wind & rain. Obviously, the Ranger-Guided Tram Tour was out of the question. I watched the interesting film & looked at the exhibits in the museum and then set out of the self-guided driving tour, which actually wasn't too bad - the fact that I was the ONLY person visiting, I could take as long as I wanted & not be nudged along too fast by someone following me. The trick, though, was to attempt to take pictures dodging the raindrops and/or the windshield wipers.It's stunning to think of how long ago these people built such a thriving city. Noreen, at the Visitors' Center, was quite knowledgeable and fun to talk with. There IS a fee, but seniors are free, so I didn't notice how much a younger person would pay.