By Jeanni Ritchie
I was certainly a “lazy gator” myself when I stopped in Westlake, LA right outside of Lake Charles. It had been a long week and I was looking forward to chilling in a lounge chair for a few minutes.
Instead I fell sound asleep, waking nearly an hour later to a blazing sun that had been hidden when I first dozed off. I immediately got in the lazy river.
The 1,000-foot lazy river, Lagniappe Loop, winds around a good portion of the park, under two walkway bridges, and around Crab Island! It circles past Bucky’s Logging, the kiddie splash pad in which I had to play and the two smaller waterslides, Turtle Tango and Crawfish Curl.
Both were enclosed and though I was fairly certain the tube circumference was larger than my waistline circumference, I had this horrifying fear I’d be wrong and imagined myself trapped as the Jaws of Life dismantled the slide to extract me. For everyone’s safety I spent most of time in the lazy river instead!
There are two giant waterslides, Pelican Plunge and Gator Tail, which are slated to open next summer. Lazy Gator Waterpark only opened at the end of June 2025.
On the other side of the park was the activity pool, The Swamp. In addition to lap swimming and diving blocks, guests could play volleyball and basketball in the water. It was a popular pool for the more active crowd!
They also have a pickleball court and concession stand, contracted out by Coolers Icehouse, a local grill. Life jackets in all sizes are available and tubes are available, but optional, for the lazy river.
Like many others, I just floated on my back around the lazy river, letting the jets propel me into serenity. The water is so relaxing….and pristine. The first thing I noticed when I walked in Lazy Gator Waterpark was how clear and clean the water was.
The last thing I did was call my son and tell him we needed to bring the grandkids before school started back!
Lazy Gator Waterpark is located at 2901 Westwood Road, Westlake. They can be reached at 337-471-2105. They are open Monday-Saturday from 10-7 and Sunday from 1-7. Their plan is to stay open on weekends after school starts back. Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/
With just a short drive from Cenla, your day of water fun awaits!
Jeanni Ritchie is a full-time journalist and part-time fish who counts summer as her favorite season. She can be reached at jeanniritchie54@gmail.com.
