Ryan Jacobs
With warmer (but not too warm) temps a-teasing and an extra hour in the evenings, the outdoors beckon. Kayaking, fishing, hiking—all givens for your spring adventure list. But this is 2020, the year to broaden your horizons. After consulting with a couple of unconventional enthusiasts, we’ve put together a guide to enjoying the outdoors in Louisiana, featuring adventures you’ve probably never thought of. The world, after all, is only as small as you make it. Join us in stepping out on the edge.
Mountain Biking
With its uniquely flat terrain and lone geographic feature resembling anything close to a mountain (Bienville Parish’s Driskill Mountain, elevation 535 feet above sea level), mountain biking in Louisiana feels a bit counterintuitive. But for bicyclists craving a bit of height and jump, the prairie state holds a few well-kept secrets, as well as some exciting new elevations.
Hooper Road Park:
Maintained by the Recreation and Park Commission for the Parish of Baton Rouge (BREC), the five miles of trails at Hooper Road Park and Comite River Park are part of a conservation area teeming with wildlife. Includes beginner and intermediate trails. brec.org.
Comite River/Kerry Stamey Memorial Park:
Also maintained by BREC and within riding distance of Hooper Road Park, this winding singletrack set of trails follows the Comite River and Cypress Bayou for around five and a half scenic miles, which include some hills and steep terrain. Includes beginner and intermediate trails. brec.org.
Tim Foster
The Beast:
Tucked between the ravines and bluffs of St. Francisville—behind the West Feliciana Sports Complex—hides this little-known bike trail. Not for beginners or the faint of heart, this eight-mile wooded trail involves a lot of climbing, switchbacks, and technical challenges. Includes intermediate to difficult trails. wfprec.com.
Acadiana Park Mountain Bike Trails:
This four-mile singletrack loop within the public Acadiana Park in Lafayette draws in berms, bridges, small hills and obstacles, and jumps for a family-friendly, all-rider trail beneath the natural majesty of century-old cypress and live oaks trees. Includes beginner trails to intermediate trails. latrail.org/acadiana-park-mountain-bike-trail.
Bogue Chitto State Park Mountain Bike Trails:
This brand-new corporate-funded set of trails was built entirely by volunteers of the Northshore Offroad Bicycling Association. The four miles of single-track trails roll over the Bogue Chitto’s diverse topography, including hills at elevations up to 230 feet. norbatrails.org.
Rockhounding
Louisiana is often much better known for its swampy, wet greenness than its rocks. And yet, across its ancient landscapes are littered remnants of its million-year history of erosion, flooding, shifting, and—well, aging. Rockhounding—the recreational collecting of rocks from their natural environments—is a popular and fruitful activity across the state. “Some of our Louisiana rockhounding outcrops contain rare fossils like petrified woods, shark teeth, sea shells, corals, whale skulls, and crabs—all 24 to 37 million years old,” said President of the ArkLaTex Gem & Mineral Society Del Glasner. “The gravel in Louisiana arrived by rivers from other states, and is filled with fossils of organisms that lived 330-408 million years ago. I find myself examining gravel driveways and roads for fossils and gems at every opportunity.”
What to look for:
Agate: Officially designated the Louisiana State Mineral in 2011, agate is an often-ornate volcanic rock, recognizable for its vibrant colors and “banding” designs. Formed within limestones, then released by erosion, these decorative rocks made their way to Louisiana and Mississippi by way of ancient rivers. Today, they can be found in gravel and limestone deposits, mostly in the southeastern part of the state along the Mississippi River in areas like the Amite River valley in St. Tammany and in the Clinton area of East Feliciana.
Petrified Wood: Louisiana’s State Fossil is petrified palm wood, a silicified fossil distinguished by its rod-like structures. Most of these remains can be drawn back to trees that grew in the Gulf Coastal Plain around thirty million years ago. Find petrified wood in the northern parts of the state, in parishes Rapides, Natchitoches, Grant, and Sabine. Glasner said that he’s often found petrified wood on the Toledo Bend Reservoir Dam.
Agate is the official Louisiana State Mineral, and can be discovered by rockhounders in gravel and limestone deposits across the state, mostly in areas like the Amite River Valley.
Gravel Fossils: Crinoids, corals, bryozoans, bivalves, gastropods, brachiopods, and trilobites are all remnants of organisms that creeped, crawled, and swam around the United States back when it was mostly underwater hundreds of millions of years ago. Most of these fossils have distinct characteristics like ridges, holes, and patterns. Many of them resemble seashells. These fossils can be found in gravel used for roads and driveways across the state, as well as in natural gravel pits along rivers and streams, particularly in the Florida Parishes.
Gold: While gold has never been found in large quantities in Louisiana, there have been several reports by ambitious prospectors of fine flour gold in certain parts of the state. Most documented discoveries occur in the central part of the state, in creeks around Natchitoches and gravel pits in Catahoula Parish. You can also go panning for gold in the Kisatchie National Forest.
For more information on rockhounding in Louisiana, reach out to (or join!) one of the many groups around the state.
Baton Rouge Gem and Mineral Society, brgemandmineral.org
The Gem and Mineral Society of Louisiana, Inc., (504) 214-3205
De Ridder Gem and Mineral Society, rockngemswla.com
Gem, Mineral, and Lapidary Society of Central Louisiana, on Facebook
Ark-La-Tex Gem and Mineral Society, larockclub.com
Stargazing
If you’ve never soaked up the lightless bliss of a rural Louisiana sky, you’ve missed one of our home’s most precious, majestic gifts. On most given evenings (check the weather first, though!), all you have to do is situate yourself in the right place for a show of celestial wonder. First thing? “Get far away from the cities,” says thirty-six-year member of the Baton Rouge Astronomical Society (BRAS) Merrill Hess. “The more remote, the better.”
Packing List:
Grab a friend: Stargazing is always more enjoyable with a person to share it with, and it’s always safer to visit remote areas with a partner.
Extra clothing and/or blankets: Especially in the winter and fall months, you want to be comfortable enough to enjoy the outdoor environment for a prolonged period of time.
Bug spray: For the summer! There’s nothing worse than trying to bend your neck back to take in the universe, and having a mosquito nip you on the jugular.
Flashlights: You’ll need it to navigate your way to the perfect gazing spot (the obstacles are many: anthills, cow patties, tree-roots). Once you get there though, turn it off for the real show.
Binoculars: Unless you have a telescope (in which case, of course, we recommend bringing that), binoculars are the next best way to get a closer look at the stars.
Star Maps: Bring along a printed out star map or sky chart to help you identify planets, constellations, and named stars. You can find examples on the BRAS website at brastro.org. Another popular option is to download the SkyView stargazing app, which uses your phone’s camera to spot and identify celestial objects in the sky.
Where to go:
Grand Chenier: The areas around the Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge and Cameron Parish beaches offer plenty of remote spaces, as well as plenty of bodies of water—a bonus element that can enhance your stargazing experience with gorgeous reflections. Settle into a remote camp-like area or on the beach for the show.
State Parks: Most state parks, particularly outside of the more densely populated southeastern part of the state, are settled in areas remote enough for a dazzling sky, and most offer accommodations in the form of campsites, RV setups, and cabins. In particular, Hess recommends: Poverty Point Reservoir State Park in Delhi, Lake Fausse Pointe State Park in St. Martinville, Chicot State Park in Ville Platte, and Lake D’Arbonne State Park in Farmerville. He also recommends Kisatchie National Forest in Pineville.
The Darkest Part of the State: Perhaps the most remote place in Louisiana, says Hess, is the village of Mangham (population 595) in Richland Parish. In “the middle of nowhere,” it is miles from any major city, offering ideal conditions for stargazing.
Your friend’s backyard: If you yourself don’t have access to private property away from Louisiana’s more light polluted cities, ask around. Chances are you know someone, or a friend of someone, who does.
Keep up with (or join!) one of your local astronomical clubs to learn about events like stargazing parties and trips, as well as plenty of educational programs regarding the wonders of the night sky.
Baton Rouge Astronomical Society, brastro.org.
Pontchartrain Astronomy Society, Inc., astronola.org.
Shreveport-Bossier Astronomical Society, Inc., shreveportastronomy.com.
Foraging
If you’ve got an itch to get closer to nature, there’s nothing more intimate than incorporating it into your meals. Louisiana—with its remarkably diverse ecology—is covered in edible plants growing right under your nose. Foraging can be a great way to discover more about the ecosystem in which you live through exploration and experimentation. “I’ve always been into plants, gardening and stuff like that. Boy Scouts, edible plants and plants with medicine,” said Johnny Bordelon, founder of the “Louisiana Wild Edibles, Foraging & Wild Medicinal Plants & Mushrooms” Facebook Group to interact with and learn from other edible-curious locals. “I always wanted to go outside and find stuff to make a salad, and it bothered me that I didn’t know what the weeds in my own yard were.” Bordelon recommends that beginners start by digging into the research—“Just Google ‘edible plants’ specific to your area.”
Martin Cooper on Flickr
Where to find them:
If you don’t have access to private forestlands or pastures, Bordelon recommends visiting Wildlife Management Areas, which allow collections up to a five gallon bucket a day. Some State Parks have provisions to allow for certain amounts of foraging as well. Contact the WMA or State Park before visiting to ensure that you understand its individual rules. Some locations may require a collection permit, which can be acquired via the USDA Forest Service (fs.fed.us). Edible plants can be found just about anywhere, though—check out your own backyard. That weed you’ve been fighting? It just might go great in a stew.
What to look for:
Bull Thistle: Considered an invasive species, these plants have short, sharp prickles on the surface of their leaves, bright purple rosettes, and a firm, thorny stem. The stems of the thistle taste similar to celery, and can be used in a salad—along with the leaves—or sautéed. Flower buds can be cooked similarly to a small artichoke, and the seeds can be roasted. It’s mostly found in pastures, the edges of woods, fencelines, and roadsides.
Wild Violets: Found mostly in woods, thickets, and along streams, this perennial flower is distinguished by its heart-shaped leaves and large violet flowers (although they are occasionally yellow or white), which grow each on its own leafless stalk. Violets are full of vitamins and can be eaten in their entirety. Many people cook them with greens or include them in salads. The flowers can also be made into jellies or even candied.
Clover: Saint Patrick’s Day is coming up—blow everyone away with a clover salad! This populous weed can be found just about anywhere, and is edible from blossom to root when it is fresh.
Mushrooms: A foraging favorite, there are plenty of mushrooms to be found around the region. Some favorites are Lion’s Mane and oyster mushrooms, which are both found on decaying hardwood trees and can be cooked in a wide variety of ways.
Join in on the conversation in the “Louisiana Wild Edibles, Foraging & WIld Medicinal Plants & Mushrooms” Facebook Group.
Diving
It’s no secret that Louisiana’s waters—though murky—are teeming with a wildly diverse collection of marine life. What few people take advantage of, though, is the fact that you can see it.
Diving—both free and scuba—grants access to some of Louisiana’s most important and mysterious ecosystems. Regional Manager of Divers Destination of Louisiana Robbie Barry says that in addition to offshore reef systems, oil rigs offer a uniquely Louisiana diving experience. “Rig diving, you see all these little ecosystems. There’s a lot of microflora clinging to those rigs—sponges, barnacles—then there’s the shrimp, the tiny fish, the crabs that interact with it too. You can see snappers, barracuda, grouper, amberjack, lobsters, even lionfish. And if you’re into it, you can even go diving in places to see sharks.”
Beginners can find classes and certification resources through businesses like Diver’s Destination, which is based in Lafayette, and dozens more scattered across the state. Diver’s Destination also leads chartered trips to diving destinations both local and beyond.
