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Cypremort Point in St. Mary Parish, Louisiana — The American South (West South Central)
 

Vermilion Bay

Cypremort Point State Park

— Atchafalaya Water Heritage Trail —

 
 
Vermilion Bay Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Cajun Scrambler, May 7, 2018
1. Vermilion Bay Marker
Inscription.
Between Grand Isle and Cameron, Cypremort Point is the only locality near the Gulf of Mexico that can be reached by car.

Cypremort is derived from the French words cyprés (cypress) and mort (dead). This point of land at Vermilion Bay may have been created by an old distributary of the Mississippi River during the building of the Maringouin Delta (between 5,000 and 7,500 years ago). The Chitimacha Tribe inhabited this area before European contact, and tribal tradition states that one of their boundary markers—an especially large or great cypress—grew at this site. The Chitimacha had some permanent villages inland, but members also traveled to the coast—especially in the winter—to fish and harvest oysters. During the summer, they typically moved inland, away from the possibility of high water during hurricanes and tropical storms.

To the northwest is Weeks Island, one of five major salt domes located along the Louisiana coastline in the Gulf Coast Salt Dome Basin. Salt rose here from thousands of feet below the surface, creating domes that act as island habitats for birds and other animals. Significant hills are unusual in south Louisiana, so this view is particularly striking.

At the end of LA Hwy. 319 are the open waters of Vermilion Bay and, beyond that, the Gulf

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of Mexico. This area is especially vulnerable to inundation storm surge from hurricanes and tropical storms between May 1st and November 30th each year. Marsh Island, a barrier island that provides some protection from storm surge, is located in the distance. Its low-lying coastal marshes are home to waterfowl and crustaceans, and a colony of snow geese winters at the Marsh Island Wildlife Refuge. The island’s shores also harbor a series of relict oyster reefs—remnants of the few that were not mined during the 20th century. Today oyster reefs along Louisiana’s coast are protected, and efforts to restore them are helping to rebuild some of this critical ecosystem that defends shorelines and provides habitats for many species of fish and crustaceans.

Between Grand Isle and Cameron, Cypremort Point is the only locality near the Gulf that can be reached by car. A half-mile stretch of a man-made beach provides a fun area for picnics. Visitors can also enjoy the water via activities ranging from fishing and crabbing to water skiing and sailing.

Visit Atchafalaya.org for more information about this site.

This site’s geology/geomorphology: Holocene deltaic deposits of Teche course of Mississippi River.
 
Erected by State of Louisiana and National Park Service.
 
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these

Vermilion Bay Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Cajun Scrambler, January 2, 2009
2. Vermilion Bay Marker
topic lists: EnvironmentWaterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the Atchafalaya Water Heritage Trail series list.
 
Location. 29° 44.047′ N, 91° 51.299′ W. Marker is in Cypremort Point, Louisiana, in St. Mary Parish. Marker is on Beach Lane, 0.7 miles west of State Highway 319 when traveling west. Located at the western terminus of Beach Lane. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 309 Beach Lane, Franklin LA 70538, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 13 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Avery Island, Louisiana (approx. 12.4 miles away); Bamboo (approx. 12½ miles away); Bird City (approx. 12½ miles away); McIlhenny (approx. 12½ miles away); The Cleveland Oak (approx. 12½ miles away); Sunken Gardens (approx. 12½ miles away); Buddah (approx. 12.6 miles away); This Buddah (approx. 12.6 miles away).
 
More about this marker. Located inside Cypremort Point State Park. Admission is likely to be required.
Located in front of fishing pier, at western terminus of Beach Lane.
 
Cypremort Point State Park image. Click for full size.
January 2, 2009
3. Cypremort Point State Park
View from fishing pier.
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on November 21, 2023. It was originally submitted on May 8, 2018, by Cajun Scrambler of Assumption, Louisiana. This page has been viewed 528 times since then and 35 times this year. Photos:   1, 2, 3. submitted on May 8, 2018.

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Mar. 29, 2024