Parks, LA

Parks sits along Bayou Teche in St. Martin Parish, seven miles northwest of Breaux Bridge and seven miles south of St. Martinville, the parish seat. Highways 31 and 347 follow the bayou through the village, placing Parks within the Lafayette metropolitan area and the wider Acadiana landscape. The 2020 estimate counted 696 residents. Even the name carries local lore: one story connects it to the railroad and another says the first train arrived on Easter Sunday.

Today, the village's municipal site describes a community organized around bayou heritage, local merchants, public notices, and utility service. Parks Primary and Parks Middle serve local students through St. Martin Parish Public Schools, while older students are assigned to Breaux Bridge High or St. Martinville High. The village also promotes local shopping, a farmers market, and email or text alerts for village news. With the bayou, two parallel highways, nearby parish offices, and schools split between two towns, Parks' daily geography is regional by design.