Poverty Point State Historic Site (Blog Hike #211)

Trail: Poverty Point Walking Tour

Hike Location: Poverty Point State Historic Site

Geographic Location: northeast of Epps, LA (32.63677, -91.40498)

Length: 2.5 miles

Difficulty: 2/10 (Easy)

Date Hiked: March 2007

Overview: A fairly flat hike through and over mounds that mark one of the earliest settlements in Louisiana.
Site Information: https://www.lastateparks.com/historic-sites/poverty-point-world-heritage-site
Hike Route Map: http://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=116140
Photo Highlight:

Directions to the trailhead: In northeast Louisiana, take I-20 to SR 17 (exit 153).  Exit and go north on SR 17.  Take SR 17 north 11 miles to the town of Epps.  Where SR 17 intersects SR 134 in the town of Epps, turn right to go east on SR 134.  Take SR 134 east 4.25 miles to SR 577 and turn left on SR 577.  Take SR 577 1 mile to the signed entrance for Poverty Point National Monument.  Turn right to enter the monument, and park in the only parking lot.

The hike: As you drive the rural northern Louisiana roads into Poverty Point, it is hard not to notice the persistent flatness of the land.  The Indian mounds at Poverty Point provide a stark contrast to the flat surrounding landscape.  Even the smallest mounds on the site, which were originally 5 or 6 feet high, stood out to early white explorers as signs of an earlier civilization.

            Unfortunately for us, the practical needs of frontier life take priority over historical preservation, and in the mid 1800’s many of the mounds that comprise the site today were disturbed by the plow in an effort to make this land productive.  In fact, the name Poverty Point comes from the name of a farmstead that was built on this site in 1843.  Names like Poverty Point and Difficulty Creek more often than not provided accurate descriptions of the lives pioneers found as they tried to work the land.

            Today the mounds are protected by the state of Louisiana as Poverty Point State Historic Site and serve as a monument to one of the earliest mound building civilizations in North America.  For those who have difficulty walking, a paved route through the site is traversed by a tram several times each day, allowing everyone access to the site.  The rest of us should consider the walking tour described here.  Since much of this trail passes through sunny fields, this is not a hike for a hot summer afternoon.  In season, the trail provides a pleasant 2.5 mile hike that passes every point of interest in the site.

Sarah's Mound and graves, as seen from trailhead

            After stopping in the Visitor Center to view the movie on the mounds and pick up a trail guide, walk out the front door and angle left, heading for the picnic tables near the parking lot.  The trail is marked by white wooden posts with blue caps, two of which can be seen from the trailhead.  Although two of these posts can be seen from the trailhead, the first post is actually out of view over a small ridge along the river.  You reach this first post by following the mown grass trail over the ridge, staying near the scrubby forest on the left.  This first post gives a nice view of Bayou Macon, the waterway that originally brought people to this site.

             The trail curves right and climbs gently to Sarah’s mound, the first stop on your tour of the mounds.  This small, round, flat-topped mound is about 5 feet high and features several tombstones on its top.  In the days of early settlement, it was common practice to bury dead people in the same location where others had once buried their dead.  If you are not too impressed by this mound, don’t fear: the bigger ones are yet to come.

            The trail heads west passing post #4, a slave cemetery.  When I hiked this trail in mid-March, grape hyacinths covered the surrounding field in this part of the site.  Cross SR 577, then proceed to walk through the six concentric semicircle mounds that, on the trail map, appear to form an amphitheater.  While these mounds were once several feet high, the plow has taken its toll here more noticeably than anywhere else, and today they are virtually indistinguishable from the surrounding field.

Indistinguishable semi-circular mounds

            Near post #7, the trail enters a young broadleaf forest with thin canopy.  Post #7 talks about the causeway, a “mound” in the sense that it was built by Indians moving basketfuls of dirt from nearby locations to this one.  At the time of the settlement, the causeway connected the main area to the outlying areas and created a small pond that could be used for drinking water or food storage.  Today, the causeway and a short wooden boardwalk take us to the same areas without getting our feet wet.

            At post #8, the trail emerges from the woods and reaches the western boundary of the site, beyond which is a fence, a dirt road, and an active farm.  The trail curves right, following this boundary for about 300 feet, then curves right again to reenter the forest.  At post #9, display boards give information about Mound A, the largest mound on the site, and some benches provide a nice place to rest provided the sun is not too hot.

            The trail curves left to follow the paved tram path for a short distance then leaves the pavement on the right side and begins climbing a series of wooden steps up the southern side of Mound A.  Viewed from above, Mound A looks like a bird with outstretched wings.  The head is the highest point and once stood about 100 feet above the surrounding landscape.  Again due to the effects of the plow, the current height is about 70 feet.  The view from the platform atop the mound is quite nice, though somewhat obstructed by trees.  Take some time to observe the mound and the surrounding landscape from this birds-eye vantage point.

Steps leading to Mound A

            More wooden steps take you down the mound toward the east, so you ascend the mound along one of the wings and descend over the tail.  At the base of the mound, the trail turns sharply left and passes a borrow pit, the source of the dirt that now comprises the nearby mounds. Upon reaching the tram path for the second time, angle left and head for Mound B, the other large mound on the site.  While not as impressive as Mound A, this flat-topped mound is 20 feet high and measures 180 feet in diameter, making it well worth a visit.

Borrow Pit

Mound B

            The trail curves right as it leaves the mound and heads into some more mature lowland forest.  Spanish moss hangs from the trees here, and Harlan Bayou can be seen through the trees on the left.  While some parts of the trail could be a little wet, boardwalks and bridges carry you over the worst part.

            2 miles into the hike, the trail crosses SR 577 for the last time and angles left to reenter the forest.  This section of trail is marked with blue blazes painted on trees.  The trail passes back through the six concentric ridges; they are a little more noticeable here because this land was not farmed for as long as most of the rest of this site was.  At 2.3 miles, the trail intersects the tram path for the last time.

            Shortly after this intersection, the trail passes an interesting point with Mound C (now a small hump) on your left and the remnants of Floyd’s Trace, an old wagon road, on your right.  Soon the picnic area is reached, and a short level walk remains to return you to the parking lot and complete the hike.