Biking the Bogue Chitto

“Wooooohoooo!” a blonde toddler squealed as she rolled the red dirt berms through the piney woods of the Bogue Chitto State Park Mountain Bike Trails on a recent Saturday morning. Before her first birthday, she was riding a balance bike—learning the physics of steering from the hips. It wasn’t long before she was pedaling her own two fat tires down the trails behind her Papa, a trail regular and one of the many volunteers who have been working this past year moving muscle and mud to shape the rolling hills of Southeast Louisiana into a world-class mountain biking experience.

[Read this: A Guide to Biking the Atchafalaya Basin]

Nestled in the loess hills along Washington Parish’s Bogue Chitto River, the original four miles of singletrack mountain bike trails were developed in 2018 through a partnership between Louisiana State Parks and the Northshore Off-Road Bicycling Association (NORBA). Winding through forests with exhilarating ups and downs—mostly at an intermediate blue level of difficulty—these trails created an adrenaline-fueled momentum among local mountain bikers, keeping them coming back not only to ride but to also volunteer.  Over the past few years, this group has worked together to add more trails, create new technical challenges, and build a variety of opportunities for riders of all skill levels.

Guiding this expansion of the trail system is Mountain Bike Park Developer Toby Cortez and his team of ten trail captains, who each volunteer their time building and maintaining trails. Cortez’s enthusiasm is infectious. On my recent visit, I followed him on a ride throughout the park. Along the way, he checked on volunteers and attracted a small train of mountain bikers trailing behind him. We all followed along as he gave an impromptu tour and shared NORBA’s vision of the Bogue Chitto becoming an International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA) Ride Center—a designation earned by destinations offering an array of high-quality mountain biking trails. Ride Centers attract cyclists from all over the world; they are places where local economies flourish as communities embrace their role in welcoming mountain bike enthusiasts to their trails.   

With support from local, state, and private funding, Cortez was able to hire professional trail builder Preston York from Flowmotion Trail Builders, whose extensive experience includes work on trails that have achieved IMBA Ride Center status. When deciding to accept the job, which would require living in the campground with his crew for three months, York recalled, “I was excited for the opportunity to create trails in this unique hill country in the middle of the swamplands.” Capitalizing on the natural elevation of the land and the gorge running through the park, his crew, alongside NORBA volunteers, expanded the trail system to almost fourteen miles of trails, each aptly named after once-famous Louisiana roller coasters. These earthen counterparts offer the same stomach-flipping, adrenaline-pumping experience of a roller coaster ride, except that the biker is in full control of their experience, determining speed, jump, drop, and flight.   

The Ghost Train offers over two miles of green beginner level switchbacks, ups, and downs through a grove of tall pine trees. Zydeco Scream and Muskrat Scrambler provide three more miles of green trails for those who prefer a more mellow ride. Zephyr, which includes some of the original trail network, sends riders along 5.6 miles of intermediate blue level climbs and descents.   

For downhill fun—coming and going—ride the 1.25 miles of Jump Trail, which was carefully designed to flow naturally downhill in one direction and to use berms, pump rollers, tabletops, and jumps to create an illusion of downhill flow in the opposite direction. Taking a break from the Jump Trail, a young rider related, “I started riding out here with my dad a few years ago, and it was fun, but. . .” she paused with a big smile on her face “ . . . but with these new trails, I can’t wait to get out here—it’s exciting.”  

For riders looking for more adventure, the half mile section known as the Mega-Zeph boasts one of the biggest jump zones in the region. This black level area is stacked with jump upon jump—with plenty of opportunities for experienced riders to catch air. And if the Mega-Zeph isn’t enough challenge for you, just beyond the jump zone is the Tower of Terror. At twelve feet, it is the tallest trail gap drop in the South. To the newbie, this straight down drop from the edge of a bluff evokes images of broken necks and impossible landings. To the highly-skilled rider who understands, at a muscular level, the physics of the drop—this is pure thrill.   

Riders eager to feel the excitement of flying over the trails but not quite skilled enough to achieve it yet should head over to the new trailhead area, designed to be a mountain biking education center. This spring it opened with a balance bike course and a progressive jump park. Soon-to-be-added ladder bridge drops will help riders gain confidence for the larger drops out on the trails and a dual slalom course will allow riders to test their speed and skill against each other. An asphalt pump track is planned for completion in 2022.

"When we opened the first four miles of this trail, Bogue Chitto jumped from being the seventh most-visited park to second place," said Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser. "With this extension we're predicting it will jump to number one, because this will be the premiere mountain bike trail in the southeast United States. This is a proud  moment for Louisiana State Parks, thanks to a community effort and one thousand volunteer hours." 

Before visiting, riders should check the weather at Bogue Chitto State Park since a heavy rain, especially on the newer sections, might cause temporary closures to protect trail integrity. Maps are available through the Trailforks App. 

The grand opening of Bogue Chitto’s new trails is planned for later this spring. On Saturday, April 17, trails will open to the public at noon, and a ceremony will be held at the new trailhead at 2 pm, followed by the “Mega-Zeph Mega Jam,” a rider demo on the black line trail’s jump zone. Throughout the day, guests can take part in guided tours, watch a flat lander demo by three-time NORA (Number One Rider Award) Cup winner Terry Adams, and learn more about the park’s other offerings including: horseback riding, tubing, disc golf, and hiking. Glamping venture Tentrr will also unveil new sites throughout Bogue Chitto State Park. 

[Read about Arts & Entertainment Editor Alexandra Kennon's experience with Tentrr, here.]

For the day, the $3 park fee will be waived, though visitors are welcome to support their state parks by paying the fee as a donation. Visit norbatrails.org or the NORBA Facebook page to keep abreast of trail events (there is rumor of a festival in early October) and find more information on the grand opening at lastateparks.com. Don’t forget to air up the tires before heading out, and on the advice of the trail manager, “Prepare to be amazed!”