Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge (Blog Hike #885)

Trails: Nature, Wetland Boardwalk, and Prairie Trails
Hike Location: Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Geographic Location: north of Monroe, LA (32.60448, -92.05136)
Length: 1.25 miles
Difficulty: 0/10 (Easy)
Date Hiked: December 2021
Overview: A double loop featuring a long boardwalk over open water.
Refuge Information: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/black-bayou-lake
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=896005
Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: 

Directions to the trailhead: Near Monroe, take I-20 to US 165 (exit 118).  Exit and go north on US 165.  Drive US 165 north 7.5 miles to Richland Place and turn right on Richland Pl.  At the next intersection, bear right to stay on Richland Pl.  Drive Richland Pl. east 0.8 miles to the second signed refuge entrance on the right.  Turn right to enter the refuge, and park in the paved parking lot in front of the Visitor Center.

The hike: Established only in 1997, Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge is centered around its namesake 1600 acre lake.  The refuge is located within the city limits of Monroe, and many local residents and college groups come here to recreate and study.  The lake is also the City of Monroe's back-up water source, and it is managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service under a 99-year lease.

            The refuge offers several options for hikers, but the highlight of the refuge's trail system is its spectacular boardwalk that takes you over the lake's open waters.  Thus, the refuge's most popular trails pass through the wetlands on the north shore of Black Bayou Lake and lead to this boardwalk.  This hike takes you through said wetlands to said boardwalk, but it also features an interesting loop through a small tallgrass prairie, thus sampling all the refuge has to offer.

Trailhead near Visitor Center

            Begin with the Nature Trail, which is a gravel trail with wooden side beams that starts to the right (west) of the Visitor Center.  An information board and garbage can also stand here.  The trail heads into the woods and quickly reaches a 3-way split.  Take the right option to begin heading counterclockwise around the Nature Trail's longest loop.

Boardwalk over seasonal wetland

            The trail approaches a railroad track that runs along the west boundary of this natural area before curving left to begin a boardwalk.  This boardwalk was rather new on my visit, and it takes you over a periodically inundated wetland that features dense lowland forest.  At the other end of the boardwalk, stay straight where a short-cut trail exits left to head back to the Visitor Center.

            Soon you start to see bald cypress knees beside the trail, and they indicate your approach to Black Bayou Lake.  At the next intersection, turn right to head out onto the spectacular boardwalk that carries you over the lake's open waters.  Two small shelters make for great places to watch waterfowl, and I saw multiple herons, egrets, coots, ibis, and cormorants while I slowly walked along this boardwalk.  This boardwalk is the highlight of the refuge, so take your time out here to see what you can see.

Black Bayou Lake

Egret near the boardwalk

            The boardwalk makes two 90-degree left turns to head back to solid land.  Just past 0.7 miles, you reach the parking area for the refuge's boat ramp on Black Bayou Lake.  To continue this hike, turn left on a gravel trail that connects back to the Nature Trail's main loop.  Two more right turns on the Nature Trail return you to your car at the Visitor Center parking area.

Prairie Trail

            If you want to do a little more hiking, walk across the parking area to find the signed start of the Prairie Trail.  Though only 0.25 miles in length, the concrete Prairie Trail forms a short loop through a fantastic tallgrass prairie.  Only light brown prairie grass could be seen when I came here, but this prairie comes alive with color in late summer when flowers such as purple coneflower, blazing star, and butterfly weed bloom.  This dry prairie forms a nice contrast to the wooded wetland you saw on the rest of this hike.

Walter B. Jacobs Memorial Nature Park in Shreveport, LA (Blog Hike #884)

Trail: Caddo Trail
Hike Location: Walter B. Jacobs Memorial Nature Park
Geographic Location: northwest of Shreveport, LA (32.56658, -93.93271)
Length: 1.8 miles
Difficulty: 2/10 (Easy)
Date Hiked: December 2021
Overview: A loop hike through lowland and upland forest.
Park Information: http://www.caddo.org/Facilities/Facility/Details/Walter-B-Jacobs-Memorial-Nature-Park-6
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=896007
Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: 

Directions to the trailhead: On the northwest side of Shreveport, take I-220 to SR 173 (exit 4).  Exit and go west on SR 173.  Drive SR 173 northwest 6.4 miles to Dougherty Avenue and turn left on Dougherty Ave.  Dougherty Ave. becomes Parish Road 4 after it leaves the town of Blanchard.  Drive a total of 2.9 miles from SR 173 to the signed entrance for Walter B. Jacobs Memorial Nature Park on the right.  Turn right to enter the park, and park in the parking lot in front of the Visitor Center.

The hike: Owned and maintained by Caddo Parish, the northwest-most parish in Louisiana, Walter B. Jacobs Memorial Nature Park protects 160 forested acres along Fordney and Shettleworth Bayous.  True to its name as a nature park, the park features limited amenities that include only a Visitor Center, an amphitheater, some live animal exhibits, and a rentable pavilion.  The Visitor Center is very nice and worth a visit before or after your hike: it features interesting examples and exhibits of various amphibians and reptiles that live in northwest Louisiana.

            For hikers, the park features 4 miles of hiking trails, but most of the trails are short and under 1 mile in length.  The exception is the 1.8 mile Caddo Trail described here, which forms a loop around the perimeter of the park.  Note that this park is only open Wednesday through Sunday, and it closes promptly at 5pm.  Make sure you give yourself enough time to make it to the park's exit before the gates close.

Caddo Trail trailhead

            Grab a trail map before you leave the Visitor Center: many trails start here, so finding the start of the Caddo Trail can be a challenge.  At the right (north) side of the Visitor Center, look for the green board, bench, and yellow carsonite post that mark the start of the Caddo Trail, which begins as a narrow dirt trail.  Do not take the trail further right that begins by crossing a wide wooden bridge: that is the start of the Ozark Trail.  In general, trails are unmarked with signs only at intersections, and the number of trails in this area combined with the lack of markings can make it hard to find the right route.

One of many wooden bridges

            After crossing a wooden bridge, the Ozark and Ouachita Trails enter from the right.  After crossing another wooden bridge, this one over Fordney Bayou, you reach another trail intersection.  Turn left here to stay on the Caddo Trail, which runs conjointly with the Adai Trail for a few hundred feet.  Signs with GPS coordinates help a little, but the trail map really comes in handy at these intersections.

Crossing Shettleworth Bayou

            When the Adai Trail exits right, leaving only the Caddo Trail to cross Shettleworth Bayou on a wooden footbridge, your route finding problems are mostly over.  The Caddo Trail loops by itself through the western part of the park, which features flat dense lowland forest consisting of pines and oaks.  Some traffic noise can be heard from the left, but for the most part the hiking is rather pleasant.

Hiking the Caddo Trail

            At 0.8 miles, the trail dips to cross Shettleworth Bayou for a second time on another wide wooden bridge.  More winding brings you to an intersection with the Miracle Trail.  The combined Caddo and Miracle Trails turn left here to enter a power line corridor that parallels the park's north boundary.  You cross Fordney Bayou for a second time while in this corridor.

Entering the power line corridor

            1.1 miles into the hike, the Caddo and Miracle Trails split.  The Miracle Trail continues to follow the power line corridor, while the Caddo Trail angles right to head back into the forest.  These two trails come back together in about 1500 feet, so the choice is yours.  I chose the forested Caddo Trail to get away from the power line, but the power line corridor has an impressive wildflower display in late summer.  Choose whichever route looks more interesting to you.

Climbing slightly on the Caddo Trail

            After a connector trail to the Ouachita Trail exits right, the Caddo Trail climbs slightly to intersect the other end of the Miracle Trail, which at this point is following an old road.  Turn right to follow the old road for about 500 feet, and then stay on the trail as it curves right to leave the road.  An interpretive sign tells you that the Miracle Trail was dedicated by the Twin Eagles American Indian Inter-Tribe Association in 1994, and it was named in honor of a white buffalo born earlier that year.  Soon the trail comes out at the parking area, thus completing the hike.  Be sure you browse the Visitor Center's exhibits and/or the live animal exhibits (deer pen and aviary) before you leave if you have not already done so.