Creole Nature Trail
Sabine Pass Lighthouse, LA

Perhaps the most impressive landmark in Cameron Parish, the Sabine Pass Lighthouse was built in 1854 where the Sabine and Neches rivers join in their flow to the Gulf.

During the Civil War, the light was extinguished by order of the Confederate Army to cause problems for Union troops attempting to attack Fort Griffin. The lighthouse became the site of several Civil War skirmishes, and Union soldiers used the tower to spy on enemy ships. Successful battles by local militia saved southwest Louisiana and southeast Texas from the destruction suffered in other parts of the South.

After the war, the light was re-lit at the lighthouse. The structure would survive a storm in 1886 that produced eight-foot tides, and a hurricane in 1915 before a decision was made in early 1952 to extinguish the light a final time after 95 years in service. Today the lighthouse is owned by the Cameron Preservation Society, a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the history of Cameron Parish.