Grand Isle State Park

Grand Isle State Park is the only state-owned and operated beach on the Louisiana Gulf Coast.  There is excellent opportunities for fishing, crabbing, sunning, camping and nature watching.  Ever present off of the coast are the offshore oil rigs dotting the horizon, busily extracting energy sources from below the Gulf, also superb fishing spots around their supporting structures.
 

Some business activites, besides the oil and gas industry,  include shrimp and other fishing boats carrying their cargo to New Orleans and markets throughout the area.
 
 

The rock jetties below help provide some protection against the erosion of the coast.  Louisiana has over 25% of the nation's wetlands and 40% of the nation's salt marshes.  The U.S. Corp of Engineers estimates that the coastal rate of land loss is at 25 square miles per year.  The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates are higher at 34 square miles per year.  One project involved in saving the marsh has been the "Christmas Trees".  Christmas trees are picked up after the Christmas Season and delivered to the marshes where they are placed and tied down to prevent erosion and help with deposition.