Get Outside in Ouachita Parish
Monroe-West Monroe has ample opportunities to immerse yourself in nature
Nestled between the banks of the Ouachita River and Bayou Desiard, the parish of Monroe-West Monroe makes it easy to lose yourself in your surroundings with a host of outdoor experiences, including but not limited to: sprawling wildlife areas, gorgeous gardens, amenity-packed public parks, and off-kilter adventures that include stringing up a bow at the local archery range and trying out your axe-throwing aim at target practice.
For those of us who have aged out of summer camp by now and aren't big hunters, it's not everyday you get the chance to shoot a bow-and-arrow for fun. The public firing and archery range is located at the Ouachita Parish Sheriff's Office Training Center, or for an even bigger rush, try your hand at axe-throwing! Savage Axe Monroe accommodates throwdown parties large and small, but word to the wise, the sport is harder than it looks. For a more family-friendly excursion, the Louisiana Purchase Gardens and Zoo provides up-close encounters with more than five-hundred animals, while H2Go Paddle has you covered to get out on the waterways with kayaks and stand-up paddle boards.
Kiroli Park is one-hundred-and-fifty acres of trails, playgrounds, gardens, and a greenhouse. If you’re lucky enough to visit in springtime, you’ll find tons of colorful tulips in bloom, which serve as an idyllic backdrop for the regular Yoga in the Park event series hosted at the facility. Other public green spaces, each with ample amenities such as biking trails, boat launches, and beach volleyball courts, to name just a few, include: Cheniere Lake Park, Forsythe Park, Restoration Park, and Lazarre Park.
The region’s many wildlife refuges allow you the chance to immerse yourself in the natural beauty of North Louisiana that often doesn’t get enough credit. The 1,800-acre Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge is the regional favorite for its picturesque views of sportsman's paradise fit for a postcard, which can be seen from the refuge's boardwalks, bird blinds, and walking trails that wind through forested wetlands; if you'd rather get out on the water, the facility has canoes and kayaks available to rent. Be sure to stop by next to the Visitor's Center, a restored 1880s Acadian home, to see the Conservation Learning Center with live animal exhibits, an arboretum with native Louisiana flora, and a prairie demonstration area with native wildflowers.
For the more rough-and-rugged traveler interested in hunting, fishing, and camping, Ouachita Wildlife Management Area and Russell-Sage Wildlife Management Area both offer an abundance of game in the midst of pristine wilderness, bringing the backwoods country reservoirs right to Monroe-West Monroe's backyard.