The Acadiana Park Nature Trail is a 42-acre tract of land purchased by the City of Lafayette in 1967. This land has been maintained in an unaltered state to provide a wooded oasis in the midst of sprawling urbanization. It is the goal of the Acadiana Park Nature Station staff to retain this forest complex as a living record of this area's natural landscape.

Upon entering the park, first-time visitors are often surprised to find a series of sloping hills in this region, which is typically known for being very flat. These hill-like formations actually represent the Mississippi River escarpment which divides this area into floodplain and prairie ecosystems.

Today, the active body within the park is the François Coulee (also known as the Dan Debaillon Coulee). François Coulee drains from west to east near the northern edge of the park, following the old Mississippi River meander.