Grant Parish is one of the "Reconstruction" parishes of Northwest Louisiana, created out of the southern part of Winn Parish and the northern part of Rapides Parish. The name honors Ulysses S. Grant.
The parish consists of 417,920 acres, a third of which is national forest. According to the 2000 census, Grant Parish has a population of 18,698. Colfax, the parish seat, is 25 miles north of Alexandria.
Chief crops in the parish include cotton, soybeans and corn. The timber industry is also a major economic contributor.
The parish is known for two major recreational lakes and two rivers. Iatt Lake comprises 7,000 acres and Nantachie Lake, 1,580 acres. The Red River forms the western boundary of the parish and Little River forms the eastern boundary.
Kisatchie National Forest offers camping, swimming, hiking and fishing at its Stuart Lake site near Pollock. Hiking and nature trails can also be found throughout the national forest.
Colfax is the site of the Colfax Recreation Area. It is a $2.4 million facility on the Red River. It offers overnight camping sites, picnic pavillions, a children's play area, bathhouses, a boat ramp, floating marina and parking for vehicles and trailers.
Other areas popular with recreationists include Iatt, Nantachie and Hardwater Lakes and Little River. There are public access boat ramps on the area's major lakes, and several sites along Little River. All of these waterways are popular for fishing, boating and hunting, while Little River and Red River can also be enjoyed by water-skiers.
Grant Walker 4-H Educational Center is in Pollock. Every summer 4-H'ers from throughout the state attend 4-H Camp. The state camp is also a site for many statewide 4-H educational activities.
Grant Parish is home to two annual festivals. The Louisiana Pecan Festival has been steadily growing in popularity since it began in 1969. Each year the Town of Colfax hosts 50,000 to 75,000 visitors for the three-day festival. The festival is held the first weekend in November.
The Grant Parish Dogwood Festival has been entertaining locals and visitors for more than 20 years with its family-oriented activities and music. The festival is always the first Saturday in April and held at LaCroix Park in Pollock.