1. Earl G. Williamson Park
City: Oil City, LA
Category: Parks & Recreation
Telephone: (318) 995-7139
Address: 11425 LA Hwy 1
Description: Come enjoy this 40-acre park with all its unique amenities, including a 450-foot fishing pier on Caddo Lake. A public boat ramp is available (this is Louisiana). For the kids, check out the two playground facilities, volleyball areas, lighted ball field, tennis courts, and swimming area. A nine-hole disk golf course is also located on-site. There are many picnic areas, complete with tables. The restrooms are equipped with showers. Need to rent the field for tournament competition? No problem. Fees vary based on days you need the field and whether you will require the field lights for nighttime play. Want to go camping? RV camper hook-ups and areas for tent camping are available. Electric sites will cost $12 per night while the nonelectric will set you back a modest $6 (with an added charge for additional sleeping units). There is a $2 fee for RV waste disposal. No reservations are taken; first-come, first-served. A park ranger lives on the park premises, should you have any questions. The park hosts an annual Get Hooked on Fishing Day on the last Sat of June, a fun and educational fishing clinic for pre-schoolers to 17-year-olds. Learn about fish identification and biology, casting, boating safety, environmental education, and a pier-fishing contest with prizes in four age categories. Each participant receives a free lunch and a fishing-related prize. The annual Christmas on Caddo fireworks extravaganza is held in the park each Dec. Part of the Holiday of Lights sites: expect good food, clowns, fireworks, and a visit from Old St. Nick. Open from dawn till dusk, seven days a week.
2. Earl G. Williamson Park Disc Course
City: Oil City, LA
Category: Parks & Recreation
Telephone: (318) 995-7139
Address: 11425 LA Hwy 1
Description: If you happen to be at the park enjoying the numerous activities, break out the disc and try out this 9-hole course. Each hole has at least one obstacle, including a creek. Flat and slightly wooded, the course does not pretend to be more than it is: a good course if the park or Caddo Lake happens to be your destination. Located north of Shreveport in Oil City.
3. Louisiana State Oil And Gas Museum
City: Oil City, LA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (318) 995-6845
Address: 200 S. Land Ave.
Description: It must be said that Oil City came by its name honestly. Prior to the Savage Brothers and Morrical drilling the first well in June 1904, this wooded area was known for hunting. But after drilling more than 1,556 feet, the team hit shale. With additional work, oil was finally struck, but not in a large quantity. But Pipe Line #1 did demonstrate the potential viability of the venture. Within a year, land prices in the area escalated dramatically and an oil town was born. This 12,000-square-foot state-of-the-art museum chronicles those days when oil fever swept over the region and 25,000 persons called the town home. It also records the life of the Caddo Indians, who occupied the land for thousands of years. Through exhibits, replicas, photographs, and buildings, visitors will learn about the birth of the oil and gas industry in northwest Louisiana, as well as some of the more seedy details, such as the building of a 10-acre red-light district designed to cater to the special needs of oil and gas men. Also the location of the first offshore well. Worth the trip; Oil City is located approximately 19 miles north of Shreveport on LA-1.