The beautiful state of Louisiana is home to unique swamps, fascinating wildlife, and incredible natural views. However, the Bayou State isn’t just all water. Louisiana is truly a hiker’s paradise, complete with incredible trails that offer a wide variety of difficulty, terrain, and stunning sights.
If you’re planning on camping in a Louisiana State Park, you have plenty of options when it comes to trails to trek. In this quick guide, we’ll break down four of our favorite park trails, so you can plan ahead accordingly.
Want to hit all of the best hikes in Louisiana on your upcoming trip? The trails profiled below are the best of the best! We split up our top picks down to the best individual trails in each of Louisiana’s state parks, including Fontainebleau State Park, Chicot State Park, Bogue Chitto State Park, and South Toledo Bend State Park.
Also, if you're interested in staying overnight at one of these parks, Tentrr has partnered with Louisana State Parks to offer fully-outfitted platform tent campsites. Each private site includes a spacious, safari-style, canvas-walled tent, a queen-sized bed with a memory foam mattress, Adirondack chairs, a fire pit with grill top, and a picnic table. These campsites allow park guests to spend less time setting up camp and more time enjoying the outdoors. Most sites are pet-friendly too.
Fontainebleau State Park - Cane Bayou Track
This super easy trail in Fontainebleau State Park is about 3.7 miles long and is an out and back trail. Located near Mandeville, this popular hiking trail is often very busy year-round, so keep that in mind before making the trip. Not only is this trail a very beautiful one, but there are also a number of different activities that are accessible from the trail during all seasons, from fishing to mountain biking to nature tours.
Just make sure that you’re okay with getting a bit muddy. Cane Bayou Track takes hikers straight into the brackish marsh, which can be quite damp during all seasons. Boots are a must-have. Feel free to bring your dog along on this trail, as the terrain isn’t too intense-- but make sure they are on a leash.
Learn more about Tentrr's read-to-camp sites at Fontainbleu State Park.
Chicot State Park - Lake Chicot Loop Trail
Looking for a trail that is a bit more challenging than Cane Bayou Track, but not incredibly intense? Lake Chicot Loop Trail is the perfect trail to explore. This moderate-difficulty loop trail is approximately 17.3 miles. Despite its length, the trail itself isn’t too difficult to hike in one go. On this trail, visitors can enjoy some seriously gorgeous views, including Lake Chicot and huge swaths of wildflowers during the spring and summer. We recommend hiking this trail between October and June for the best temperate experience.
You can bring leashed dogs on this trail. However, at a somewhat intense 744-foot elevation, this trail may not be ideal for families with children. This trail can also be a bit muddy throughout the year as well. However, the plus side is that this trail isn’t heavily trafficked.
Learn more about Tentrr's read-to-camp sites at Chicot State Park.
Bogue Chitto State Park - Gorge Run Trail
Bogue Chitto State Park Gorge Run Trail is a must-hike when visiting this state park. A 5.7-mile loop trail that can be accessed near Franklinton, this trail is a somewhat moderate hike that is ideal for inexperienced hikers. There are also activities available throughout the year on this trail, such as bird watching and horseback riding.
This is a great hiking trail to take on if you want to get some serious natural views and take photos. Just as well, there are a number of very old parts of the trail that are relatively unmaintained. This can be a downside for hikers that don’t want to deal with intense brush or rocky terrain, but it can be a plus side for hikers who want to enjoy natural beauty.
Learn more about Tentrr's read-to-camp sites at Bogue Chitto State Park.
South Toledo Bend State Park - Toledo Bend Reservoir Loop
Probably the easiest hiking trail on our list, Toledo Bend Reservoir Loop is a 1.6-mile loop trail that can be accessed near Anacoco. This trail is unique in that it is rarely trafficked and offers excellent views of a river. We recommend taking on this trail between April and October, as it can get extremely muddy and can sometimes flood during the off-season. This trail is also partially paved, making it the perfect trail for families with children and dogs.
Learn more about Tentrr's read-to-camp sites at South Toledo Bend State Park.
Book your Louisiana camping trip and make sure you visit one of these trails - you won't be disappointed!