Camp Salmen Nature Park occupies 130 acres that were once part of the Salmen Brick and Lumber Company, where many bricks used to build New Orleans were manufactured. The camp’s only remaining building is a French Creole residence of historical and architectural significance, one of only 26 buildings in the parish dating to before the Civil War, known as the Salmen Lodge and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. According to legend, an unknown Boy Scout shared an umbrella with Fritz Salmen in 1921 and refused a tip, prompting Salmen’s company to donate a 72.5-acre tract on Bayou Liberty in 1924 for use as a scouting camp; in 1956, Fritz’s son Fred donated another 35 adjoining acres. Camp Salmen then served as a Boy Scout summer camp for nearly 60 years. In 2001, St. Tammany Parish agreed with the Trust for Public Lands to acquire the property, with a primary goal of restoring a unique ecological treasure through comprehensive management so the site could become a living museum with restored historic properties and the full collection of plants and animals able to flourish there. The Grotto Garden features native flora, and the camp is divided into six management areas based on differing landscapes and habitats. Four trail loops, called Interpretive Journeys, bring visitors through these landscapes, where native plants and animals can be seen, and the trail system is planned to include about 32,500 linear feet of interpretive trails and boardwalks with guidance to environmental and historical points of interest. Through management of its varied landscapes and habitats, much of the park is intended to be returned to the appearance it had for early European settlers in the 18th century, while future trail connections to the 31-mile Tammany Trace and the development of habitats including a Long Leaf Pine Savannah, along with a Welcome and Nature Center, are meant to strengthen its role as an important educational resource in Southeast Louisiana.