Tom Merrill Recreation Area
- Right now
- Taking bookingsSites offered on 30 of the next 30 nights read 14:11 UTC
- A night
- $20From, per site
- Sites
- 20All of them booked ahead
The place
the agency’s own description · what’s there · 15 notices
In the agency’s own words
Tom Merrill Recreation Area sits downstream of Bayou Bodcau Dam, along the Bodcau Creek. The small quiet campground provides all the facilities of a Class A campground, and is open year-round to visitors. Bodcau Creek provides fishing and boating opportunities, along with hiking/biking trails and other recreation. Bayou Bodcau is a large wildlife management area, and is very popular during hunting season for deer and other wild game. Downtown Bossier City and Shreveport are only a 30-45 minute drive away, and have many opportunities for other interests such as museums and restaurants. Keep reading
Bodcau is well off the main travel roads, so traffic and other noise issues are of no concern. The campground has no designated fee booth and is by-reservation-only, so all reservations must be made through recreation.gov. Reservations can be made up to 6 months in advance or upon arrival; we recommend reserving prior to entering the campground. For more information on Bayou Bodcau, please visit the following website. (https://www.mvk.usace.army.mil/Missions/Recreation/Bayou-Bodcau/)
Facilities
Tom Merrill Recreation Area has 20 campsites, all of which have electric hookups. Some campsites are closer to the forest, while some are more open within the park. All sites are within walking distance of the water. Amenities at this recreation area include flush toilets, showers, playground, outdoor exercise equipment, dump station, a game cleaning station, disc golf course, and bike trail. The outlet channel, where Bodcau Reservoir drains into the Bodcau Creek, is an excellent place for fishing. 20 RV/Tent sites (1 Handicap Accessible) with: -20/30/50 AMP Hookup -Water Hookup -Firepit and Grill -Picnic Table -Lantern Hangar -RV Pad Facilities available for all campers: -Picnic Shelter (requires separate reservation) -Playground -Showerhouse & Bathroom -Game Cleaning Station -Dump station Campground Host available for assistance when stationed on site.
Natural Features
Bayou Bodcau is 33,500 acres of public land, much of which consists of moss-laden cypress swamps. The area also consists of lowland and upland areas, consisting of mixed deciduous or pine forests. Bayou Bodcau is considered a "dry reservoir", and only fills up during periods of high rainfall. The creek can be slow moving and almost stagnant during the dry summer, but a swift and deep torrent during the cooler winter. The area is home to a diverse group of natural areas, and hosts some rare and endangered species. Alligators, beaver and more can be found amongst the forest and swamps. Cypress Swamps, Bottomland Forests, Morse Clay Calcareous Prairies and more can be found within the project boundaries. The project is also home to some of the largest trees in the state, and such "Champion Trees" have been found and recorded at multiple locations throughout the park. Bodcau is also home to 500 acre Ivan Lake, which is a small but well-maintained lake for fishing and boating. The lake is known to be popular with local fisherman, and wildlife such as Bald Eagles can be spotted there.
Nearby Attractions
There are many other nearby attractions including South Abundant East Recreation Area, the Durden House, the Rifle Range, a Horse Camp and Horse Trails, ATV/UTV Trails, and Ivan Lake. Ivan Lake is a small local lake well known for fishing, boating and birding. Bossier City and Shreveport are within 30 to 45 minutes drive of the campground. The area consists of many different attractions, including museums, a minor league Hockey team, and Barksdale Air Force Base, which has a small museum attached to it. Bossier City also has a large Convention Center where events are often held. There's also other natural attractions, including Red River Wildlife Refuge in Bossier City.
Charges & Cancellations
Last minute changes and cancellations may be subject to additional fees.
What the agency tells you
Campground follows all rules from Title 36, part 327, Code of Federal Regulations. A full copy of Title 36, part 327, Code of Federal Regulations can be obtained from one of the Park Rangers, the Campground Hosts, or at the Bayou Bodcau Main Office. Regulations are enforced at Bodcau by our Park Rangers, the local Sherif’s Department and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
Only one RV and three tents allowed per site.
It is required you clean your campsite before you leave.
Everything else this campground posts · 12
Check out time is 1:00 PM. Check in time is 3:00 PM.
Length of stay policy is 14 days in a 30 day period.
The unauthorized placement of camping equipment or other items on campsite and/or personal appearance at a campsite without daily occupancy for the purpose of reserving the campsite for future occupancy is prohibited (title 36 section 327.2C).
Playground is closed after dark.
All pets MUST be on a leash no longer than six (6) feet long.
Speed in the campground is ten (10) MPH. Remember to be vigilant, there are children in the campgrounds. The campground road is a one-way road. Vehicles must be parked on your site, not obstructing others. (ATV's can only be loaded and unloaded from trailers in park.)
Quiet time is strictly observed from 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM. Please keep other campers in mind as they often have children trying to sleep. Violation may result in citation or eviction.
There is absolutely no dumping of gray water (wash water, dish water, bath water, and cooking water) on the ground at any time.
All Campfires MUST be confined to the fire rings that are provided or to personal grills. Fires may never be left unattended. To remove potential hazards for future users, extinguish campfires and remove fire debris before leaving.
No outside firewood allowed; obtain or purchase firewood at or near your camping destination and burn it on-site; firewood can carry invasive insects and diseases that destroy forests. Firewood cutting permits may be obtained at the Bayou Bodcau Main Office. Only fallen deadwood may be collected. Absolutely no fires during burn bans. Don't Move Firewood: Protect your forests from tree-killing pests by buying your firewood locally and burning it on-site. Visit Dontmovefirewood.org for further information.
The picnic shelter located at Tom Merrill Recreation Area can be reserved up to 6 months in advanced by reserving online at Recreation.gov or by calling the reservation line at (877) 444-6777. The fee is $50 per day, with a max capacity of 75 people. (Reservations must be confirmed at least 1 day prior to the date of reservation. Payment by card only.)
At the end of your stay, visitors must fill out a Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Self Check Permit located at the entrance to Tom Merrill Recreation Area at the top of the hill Adjacent to the Bodcau Dam Road.
Tents and rigs
- Sites
- 20
- Hookups
- 20 electric, 20 water
- Accessible sites
- 1
- Pets
- Allowed
- Campfires
- Allowed, barring fire bans
- Shade
- Every site
Facilities
- Toilets
- Flush Toilets
- ACCESSIBLE FLUSH TOILETS on 21 of 21 campsite records
- Showers
- Accessible Showers
- ACCESSIBLE SHOWERS on 20 of 21 campsite records
- Dump station
- Yes
- recreation.gov lists “Dump Station”
- Playground
- Yes
- Camp host
- On site
- recreation.gov lists “Host”
- Stay limit
- 14 nights
- recreation.gov facility rule maxStay
Around the campground
- On the water
- Reservoir, Lake, River, Creek
- Biking
- Birding
- Boating
- Canoeing
- Crawfishing
- Disc Golf
- Fish Viewing Site
- Fishing
- Hiking
- Horseback riding
- Hunting
- Kayaking
- Motor Boat
- Mountain biking
- Cell signal · Cell signal · Army Corps says
- Yes
7 of 21 sites open on Sat, Oct 17read 14:11 UTC
Every site here is reservable, and the record lists none held back for anyone who drives up.
OpenBooked
Watch for a cancellation
Full? Watch it.
One email when a night opens, plus More Than Just Parks dispatches. Unsubscribe any time.
We read recreation.gov once an hour, at 40 minutes past, and write the first time a site in your window is free for the nights you asked for.
Scanners that check every few minutes exist, and most of them charge. This one is free, it reads the same calendar, and it won’t always be first.
Tell me when the season opens
Watch for the season to open
One email when the season goes on sale, plus More Than Just Parks dispatches. Unsubscribe any time.
We check once an hour, at 40 minutes past, and write the first time the agency has that season on sale.
Scanners that check every few minutes exist, and most of them charge. This one is free, it reads the same calendar, and it won’t always be first.
We make nothing when you book. The link goes straight to the government.
Every line of the receipt · 15
What you actually pay
Derived by CAMPANAC: the agency’s published rate for this season, $20 a night, plus one $8 recreation.gov reservation fee for the booking. A weekend here means Friday and Saturday night, booked once. Optional charges (an extra vehicle, a second tent, a dump-station fee) are listed separately and aren’t in this total.
“Last minute changes and cancellations may be subject to additional fees.” · this campground’s own terms
Who keeps the booking fee
The agency’s own policy text says the reservation fee and the cancellation processing fee are “retained by the reservation service contractor”, and that a campground concessionaire will decline to refund them because “they did not receive these fees”. Recreation.gov is run under contract by Booz Allen Hamilton. What share of your booking fee the contractor keeps isn’t published in any federal dataset we can read, so we print no number for it. Our reporting on the contract →
How we know this receipt · 6
recreation.gov availability, read 14:11 UTC · rules read Sep 9, 2026 · rates Sep 10, 2026 · How we know all this
The sites
21 records · which ones have room · the site map
The sites, ranked
from 19 mapped sitesAll 21 records
The price is derived by CAMPANAC, not published per site: the per-night rate this campground publishes for each site’s own site type. 20 of the 21 sites listed carry one, and a site whose type has no published rate sits out of the price rather than being called free.
| A | 1 | standard electric | 50 amp | $20 | |||
| A | 10 | standard electric | 50 amp | 69 ft | 403 ft | $20 | |
| A | 11 | standard electric | 50 amp | 49 ft | 472 ft | $20 | |
| A | 12 | standard electric | 50 amp | 49 ft | 521 ft | $20 | |
| A | 13 | standard electric | 50 amp | 83 ft | 526 ft | $20 | |
| A | 14 | standard electric | 50 amp | 90 ft | 503 ft | $20 | |
| A | 15 | standard electric | 50 amp | 83 ft | 449 ft | $20 | |
| A | 16 | standard electric | 50 amp | 87 ft | 397 ft | $20 | |
| A | 17 | standard electric | 50 amp | 100 ft | 333 ft | $20 | |
| A | 18 | standard electric | 50 amp | 58 ft | 314 ft | $20 | |
| A | 19 | standard electric | 50 amp | 58 ft | 261 ft | $20 | |
| A | 2 | standard electric | 50 amp | 55 ft | 308 ft | $20 | |
| A | 20 | standard electric | 50 amp | 172 ft | 122 ft | $20 | |
| A | 3 | standard electric | 50 amp | 55 ft | 360 ft | $20 | |
| A | 4 | standard electric | 50 amp | 59 ft | 326 ft | $20 | |
| A | 5 | standard electric | 50 amp | yes | 70 ft | 296 ft | $20 |
| A | 6 | standard electric | 50 amp | 70 ft | 248 ft | $20 | |
| A | 7 | standard electric | 50 amp | 54 ft | 211 ft | $20 | |
| A | 8 | standard electric | 50 amp | 54 ft | 199 ft | $20 | |
| A | 9 | standard electric | 50 amp | 85 ft | 318 ft | $20 | |
| B | 1 | day use | 15 amp | yes | $50 |
The agency files 1 more record here that isn’t a site for the night. It files it as day use. It’s in the table above, marked for what it is, and it isn’t counted as a site.
OpenStreetMap has no toilet mapped within 1 km of this campground, so no site here carries a toilet distance. That’s a gap in the map, not a finding about the campground.
Getting there
the map and the coordinate · the agency’s directions · the phone number
Where it is
South Abutment East0.4 mi
Beaver Dam Campground (Kisatchie National Forest, LA)Kisatchie National Forest · 12 mi
Wenks Landing12 miSouth Shore Campground and Day Use AreaKisatchie National Forest · 47 miNorth Shore Primitive Campground and Day Use AreaKisatchie National Forest · 48 miCloud Crossing Recreation AreaKisatchie National Forest · 55 miFrom Interstate 20, take exit 33 and head North on State Route 157. Drive 9 miles and turn right on Bodcau Dam Rd. Drive 3 miles and destination will be on the left.
The weather
the next four days · the thirty-year normal
Next four days, and the thirty-year normal
Forecast
NWS forecast for Red Chute, LA
Typical weather
Typical October night 53°F, day 79°F.
Coldest month of the year: typical January night 34°F. Bring the bag rated for it.
Daily high and lowDays with 0.10 in or more
A normal is the 1991-2020 average for the month, not a forecast: about half of all Augusts are colder than the August line. The seven-day forecast above answers the other question.
The land, and who answers for it
who answers for it
Who answers for this land
Tom Merrill Recreation Area is in Louisiana’s 4th congressional district. Its representative, Mike Johnson (R), votes on the laws that decide what happens to this land. Public-lands grade so far: F. See every public-lands vote →
How we know
every fact on this page, and where it came from
“the agency's own site records list "CELL PHONE SERVICE" on 21 of 21 campsites here”