Poverty Point Reservoir State Park (Blog Hike #934)

Trails: Walking and Nature Trails
Hike Location: Poverty Point Reservoir State Park (32.48652, -91.49261)
Geographic Location: north of Delhi, LA
Length: 0.8 miles
Difficulty: 1/10 (Easy)
Date Hiked: April 2023
Overview: A short semiloop to an oxbow lake near Bayou Macon.
Park Information: https://www.lastateparks.com/parks-preserves/poverty-point-reservoir-state-park
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=934163
Photo Highlight:

Short Video: (coming date TBD)

Directions to the trailhead: In northeast Louisiana, take I-20 to SR 17 (exit 153).  Exit and go north on SR 17.  Drive SR 17 north 2.7 miles, passing through the town of Delhi in the process, to the park entrance on the right.  Turn right to enter the park, pay the entrance fee, and park in the parking lot in front of the Visitor Center, which is on the left after 0.3 miles.

The hike: For my general comments on Poverty Point, the nearby historical site for which this reservoir and park are named, see my hike at nearby Poverty Point National Monument.  Established only in 2005, Poverty Point Reservoir State Park protects 2700 acres on and along its namesake impoundment.  The lake is this park's main attraction, and the park features a 48-slip marina, a 54-site developed campground, and 12 cabins.  For hikers, the park offers only a gravel walking trail and a short dirt nature trail, but these trails offer views across both the reservoir and an oxbow lake near Bayou Macon below the reservoir's dam.  I came here during the last hour of a mid-April day and had a nice short leg-stretcher hike while driving I-20 across Louisiana.

Wooden bridge across inlet of reservoir

            From the parking lot in front of the Visitor Center, head south down the concrete path that leads to a wooden bridge over an arm of the reservoir.  Some frogs in the shallow part of the inlet to the left greeted me with croaks when I walked across this bridge, and the sun setting across the main body of the lake to the right made a watercolor-painted sky.  Only traffic on SR 17 just across the lake detracts from the bucolic setting.

Sunset across Poverty Point Reservoir

            After crossing the bridge, angle left and climb slightly to reach the intersection of the main park road and the campground access road.  The walking trail starts at the northeast corner of this intersection, so you need to cross the main park road and angle left.  A sign warns of black bears, which are known to inhabit the woods along Bayou Macon.  Some picnic tables make inviting places to read a book or have a snack.

Start of walking trail

            The gravel trail with wooden side rails winds around the edge of a mowed-grass area.  At 0.35 miles, look to the right for signs at the edge of the woods that say "Hard Bottom Trail" and "Nature Trail."  The short dirt trail that enters the woods here connects the gravel trail you have been walking with the campground.  Even if you do not plan to go to the campground, this trail is worth following for a short distance: it leads downhill to an oxbow lake near Bayou Macon.  Tall cypress trees make a pleasant swamp-like setting, but large numbers of bugs also appear during the warmer months.

Oxbow lake near Bayou Macon

            Follow the dirt nature trail as far as you care, then retrace your steps to the gravel walking trail and continue around the walking trail.  Soon you reach the other end of the walking trail across the main park road from the Visitor Center.  Cross the park road to reach the Visitor Center parking lot and complete the hike.  While you are in the area, consider hiking at nearby Poverty Point National Monument, which is one of the most historic sites in the southeast.