Red River National Wildlife Refuge: Headquarters Unit (Blog Hike #880)

Trails: Lake Bluff, River, and Levee Trails
Hike Location: Red River National Wildlife Refuge, Headquarters Unit
Geographic Location: south of Bossier City, LA (32.44746, -93.67226)
Length: 1.7 miles
Difficulty: 1/10 (Easy)
Date Hiked: December 2021
Overview: A flat figure-eight route through lakeside and riverside lowland shrub habitats.
Refuge Information: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/red_river/
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=895677
Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: 

Directions to the trailhead: In Bossier City, take I-20 to Traffic Street (exit 19B).  Exit and go south on Traffic St., which becomes Riverside Drive and eventually Arthur Ray Teague Parkway.  Drive a total of 6.4 miles from I-20 to the signed refuge entrance on the right.  Turn right to enter the refuge, and park in the parking lot in front of the Visitor Center.

The hike: Created by the Red River National Wildlife Refuge Act that was passed by Congress in 2000, Red River National Wildlife Refuge is one of the newest national wildlife refuges.  Land acquisition for the refuge is ongoing, but currently the refuge consists of 4 units along its namesake river in northwest Louisiana.  At present the Headquarters Unit offers the refuge's best amenities and hiking options, and that is the unit featured on this hike.

            Located on the south side of the Shreveport/Bossier City metro area, the Headquarters Unit is centered around Lake Caroline, which is one of the Red River's many large and shallow oxbow lakes.  The fantastic Lake Trail circumnavigates Lake Caroline, but the area closest to the lake was flooded on my visit.  Thus, I made maximum use of the blufftop and levee areas by hiking the figure eight route described here.  This route still gives nice views of Lake Caroline and its wildlife viewing opportunities, but its slightly higher elevation keeps your feet drier.

Lake Caroline view at Visitor Center

            Start by walking through the Visitor Center breezeway, and then walk down the boardwalk that ends at a fantastic Lake Caroline view.  Lake Caroline's open water normally makes for good waterfowl viewing, but I detected very little activity here on my mid-afternoon visit in early December.  Turn right at the end of the boardwalk to find the signed start of the Lake Bluff Trail, the first leg of this hike.

Start of Lake Bluff Trail

            As its name suggests, the wide dirt Lake Bluff Trail runs atop the bluff that stands above the northwest side of Lake Caroline.  This bluff is one reason the waters of oxbow Lake Caroline stay separate from the Red River.  I could hear a large number of squirrels, chipmunks, and birds along this trail, but the thick brush prevented me from seeing many.

Dense brush along Lake Bluff Trail

            Just shy of 0.4 miles, you reach an odd trail intersection that is the pinch of this hike's figure eight route.  The levee ahead and to the right will be our return route, but you want to turn left to begin walking on a gravel refuge road.  Ignore the first intersection with the River Trail on the right, but turn right at the second River Trail intersection to leave the gravel road and begin the single track dirt River Trail.  An information sign and bench mark this junction.

Start of River Trail

            The River Trail passes through a sunny brushy area before entering the young riverside forest.  I saw a large number of woodland birds here including mourning doves and starlings.  Interpretive signs identify common flora and fauna in the riverside forest.

Red River through the trees

            Ignore the Cottonmouth Trail that exits left (it leads to the trail that goes around Lake Caroline) and stay with the River Trail as it curves right and begins heading north.  Glimpses of the Red River can be had through the trees to the left, but no clear views emerge.  At 1.1 miles, you return to the levee.

Hiking atop the levee

            Several options for completing this hike present themselves here.  The River Trail turns right to head back to the gravel road, while across the levee the Orchard Trail begins and winds its way to the park entrance road.  For the driest and most direct route back to the Visitor Center, I chose to walk atop the levee itself, which offers nice views down into the woods on either side.  0.6 miles of walking atop the levee returns you to the parking lot to complete the hike.