When you want to take the scenic route to your next festival, crawfish boil, or fish fry and find yourself driving down the Myths & Legends Byway, you’re in luck. Spanning Allen, Beauregard, and Vernon parishes, the route travels terrain originally inhabited by the Atakapa and Coushatta Native Americans and forested with lush tracts of pine. Formerly known as “No Man’s Land,” this part of the state was once disputed territory between New Spain and the United States, which made it a haven for outlaws.
Today, the Louisiana byway abounds with unexpected stops and distractions sure to delight on your next road trip.
Allen Parish. Float or tube down Ouiska Chitto Creek during the hotter months, or stop in at Allen Parish Cultural Center for an introduction to Allen Parish history. There, learn about military life and Cajun migration, listen to music legends on a Louisiana musicians-only jukebox, and hit the only dance floor at a Convention and Visitors Bureau in the state of Louisiana.
1 of 4

Exhibit at the Allen Parish Cultural Center
2 of 4

Allen Parish Cultural Center
3 of 4

Allen Parish Cultural Center
4 of 4

Allen Parish Cultural Center
If you forgot the road trip snacks, you won’t go hungry. Allen Parish’s Convenience Store du Jour Trail has you covered, leading the way to some of the best eats in the area—from alligator and deer sausage, to smoked rabbit.
Vernon Parish. Here, the past is present everywhere you look. Tour the 1910 Vernon Parish Courthouse, the only Beaux-Arts building in the parish, or stop by the 1855 Smart Plantation House—the oldest building in Leesville and a prime example of Southern Planter architectural style. The entire Myths & Legends Byway features gas station eats to keep you well-fed during your byway drive.
1 of 2

Anacoco Mercantile
2 of 2

Chadeaux's Cajun Kitchen
Military history buffs will want to swing by Fort Johnson Military Museum, or Central Louisiana Veterans Cemetery in Leesville. Dedicated history aficionados won’t want to miss the Burr Ferry Civil War Breastworks, built in 1864 during the Civil War to protect Texas from invasion.
Beauregard Parish. If you can’t wait for spooky season, stop to peek into the infamous Gothic Jail of DeRidder, completed in 1914 and purportedly haunted by two men who were hanged from the top of the jail’s stairwell.

Gothic Jail of DeRidder
Craving more curiosities? The Lois Loftin Doll Museum, found in the 1934 DeRidder Post office, houses more than 3,000 dolls (known as bebelles in Cajun French), collected by Lois and Albert Loftin. Featured in the post office is also the Rural Free Delivery Fresco, a Depression-era mural inspired by the town itself.
1 of 2

Lois Loftin Doll Museum
2 of 2

Lois Loftin Doll Museum
Finally, head to the former Kansas City Southern passenger train depot (now the Beauregard Museum) to learn the history of the region’s sawmills, legends of “No Man’s Land,” and Native American artifacts. Nearby is plentiful flea and antique shopping, restaurants, and an art gallery in which to while away a long afternoon.