Fort Parker State Park: Springfield and Bur Oak Trails (Blog Hike #1049)

Trails: Springfield and Bur Oak Trails
Hike Location: Fort Parker State Park
Geographic Location: south of Mexia, TX (31.59675, -96.53630)
Length: 2.7 miles
Difficulty: 2/10 (Easy)
Date Hiked: February 2025
Overview: A double loop through the historic Springfield town site and along Fort Parker Lake.
Park Information: https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/fort-parker
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=980132
Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: (coming November 28)

Directions to the trailhead: From Mexia, which is east of Waco, take SR 14 south 7 miles to the signed state park entrance on the right.  Turn right to enter the park, pay the entrance fee, and drive the main park road to the park's nature center.  Park in the perpendicular parking lot on the left just before reaching the nature center.

The hike: Built between 1935 and 1942 by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), Fort Parker State Park protects 1459 acres along the Navasota River about 90 miles south of Dallas.  The park is named for old Fort Parker, which was built by Mexican/Texan settlers a couple of miles to the south in 1834.  The fort was destroyed on May 19, 1836 when a group of Comanche, Kiowa, Wichita, and Caddo people raided the settlement.  The CCC reconstructed Fort Parker near its original site, but their reconstruction is operated by a private not-for-profit organization; it is not located within the park's boundaries.

            Fort Parker State Park offers a cozy 35-site developed campground, the usual aquatic recreation on Fort Parker Lake, and 5 hiking trails totaling over 7 miles.  Many excellent hikes are possible at this park.  The hike described here passes several CCC sites that date to the 1930's in addition to the historic Springfield town site, which dates to the 1840's.  Thus, this hike allows you to explore the area's history while taking in some nice lakeside scenery.

Main trailhead at picnic area

            From the parking lot, walk downhill through the picnic area to the east to find the wooden sign that marks the trailhead.  The Navasota River Trail goes left, and it leads 1.9 miles northwest along the lakeshore.  Continue east to cross a floating bridge over an arm of Fort Parker Lake, following signs for the Bur Oak and Springfield Trails.

Bur Oak and Springfield Trails split

            In only a few hundred feet, the Bur Oak and Springfield Trails part ways.  We will hike both trails eventually, but for now angle left to begin following the yellow blazes of the Springfield Trail.  The wide single-track dirt trail climbs gradually through shrubby forest dominated by cedar and oak trees.

Climbing gradually on the Springfield Trail

            Just shy of 0.5 miles, you reach the historic Springfield Cemetery.  Dedicated in 1838, this cemetery is all that remains of Springfield, which was once the county seat of Limestone County.  Headstones in this cemetery date to the 1840's, and interpretive signs describe the history of the town.  Springfield flourished until it was bypassed by the railroad in 1870, and a devastating fire in 1873 sealed its fate.  A bench here lets you rest and contemplate this area's history.

Springfield Cemetery

            A trail intersection at the cemetery forms the loop portion of the Springfield Trail.  I continued straight and used the trail going left across the main park road as my return route, thus hiking the loop counterclockwise.  At 0.6 miles, you come out at a park road near some athletic fields.  Turn right and then left to keep heading southeast on the Springfield Trail.

Fort Parker Dam

            0.9 miles into the hike, you reach an overlook of Fort Parker Dam.  The large concrete dam creates an attractive if man-made waterfall, and broad views emerge west up the length of the lake.  Just left of this overlook is a much smaller lake: Lake Springfield.  Lake Springfield is spring-fed, and today it is used as the park's fishing lake.  Many black walnut trees grow here, and Lake Springfield is a very scenic body of water.

Lake Springfield

            The trail curves left to head up the east side of Lake Springfield through forest dominated by pine trees.  Interpretive signs help you identify common plants in the forest.  Soon you join a two-track gravel road, and at 1.3 miles you cross the park entrance road near the park headquarters.  The small wooden building that today serves as the park headquarters was originally the infirmary for the CCC camp.  Thus, Springfield Cemetery is not the only site of historical interest on this hike.

Park headquarters

            The next segment is a fairly flat and uneventful course through more cedar/oak forest.  I saw a lot of wildlife in this part of the park including 4 deer.  At 1.6 miles, you return to Springfield Cemetery and close the loop.  Turn right to head back toward the parking area, but before crossing the floating bridge turn left to add-on the short Bur Oak Trail.

Fort Parker Lake

            The Bur Oak Trail forms a short lollipop loop near the lake, the highlight of which is a lakeside bird blind.  This bird blind peers across the lake to a great blue heron rookery, and I saw several egrets while I sat here.  I did this entire hike in a light steady rain, so I also appreciated the dryness this roofed bird blind offered.  Past the bird blind, finish the Bur Oak Trail's loop, then retrace your steps across the floating bridge to return to your car and complete the hike.

Lake Whitney State Park: Towash Forest Trail (Blog Hike #1048)

Trail: Towash Forest Trail
Hike Location: Lake Whitney State Park
Geographic Location: west of Hillsboro, TX (31.91680, -97.35494)
Length: 1.2 miles
Difficulty: 1/10 (Easy)
Date Hiked: February 2025
Overview: A flat lollipop loop partly along Lake Whitney.
Park Information: https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/lake-whitney
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=980088
Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: (coming March 10, 2026)

Directions to the trailhead: South of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, take I-35 to SR 22 (exit 368B).  Exit and go west on SR 22.  Drive SR 22 west 15 miles to FM 933 in the town of Whitney and turn right on FM 933.  Drive FM 933 north 0.7 miles to FM 1244 and turn left on FM 1244.  FM 1244 dead-ends at the park entrance in another 2.3 miles.  Pay the park entrance fee, then turn left at the next 2 intersections, heading for the Sunset Ridge Camping Loop.  Drive through the Lake View Camping Loop.  The small parking lot for the Towash Forest Trail is on the left just before you reach the Sunset Ridge Camping Loop.

The hike: Built in 1951 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Whitney Dam is a 166-foot tall concrete and earthen dam on the Brazos River in north-central Texas.  The dam was built to control river flooding, especially in the City of Waco located a few miles downstream.  The dam also produces hydroelectric power by releasing water from Lake Whitney through a system of turbines.  Lake Whitney is large but shallow: it covers 23 square miles but has a maximum depth of only 108 feet.  

            In 1954, the State of Texas leased 775 acres along the lake to create the park, and Lake Whitney State Park opened in 1965.  The park offers several campgrounds totaling 137 sites, some picnic areas, boating and swimming on Lake Whitney, and 2 short hiking trails.  The 2 trails are located at opposite ends of the park, and therefore there is no easy way to combine them to form a longer hike.  This hike describes the Towash Forest Trail, which is the longer of the 2 trails.

Vehicle gate at trailhead

            Start by walking around the vehicle gate and heading northeast on the wide arrow-straight dirt trail.  If you observe this treadway carefully, you will notice a couple of old culverts, which suggest that this trail used to be a vehicle road.  The trail is named for the former town of Towash, the foundations of which now lie submerged under Lake Whitney a few miles southeast of here.  There is little noticeable elevation change anywhere on this hike.

Old culvert

            At 0.3 miles, you reach the trail intersection that forms this hike's loop.  I turned right to hike the loop counterclockwise.  There is surprisingly little forest on this trail, and most of this trail passes through grassy prairie.  The forest that does exist is of the dense shrubby variety that obscures most birds.  I came here on a chilly and gloomy late afternoon in mid-February, and I saw only a cardinal and a few ducks.

Lake Whitney

Hiking through the prairie

            0.6 miles into the hike, you reach the edge of the Whitney Creek inlet of Lake Whitney, where this hike's best lake views emerge.  The trail goes right to the edge of the lake bank, but don't get too close to the edge: erosion from the lake has undercut this bank.  The trail curves left and begins heading north with the inlet to your right.  At 0.9 miles, you return to the old road you hiked in on, and just shy of 1 mile you close the loop.  Hike the arrow-straight old road back to the trailhead to complete the hike.

Meridian State Park: Bosque Hiking Trail (Blog Hike #1047)

Trail: Bosque Hiking Trail
Hike Location: Meridian State Park
Geographic Location: southwest of Meridian, TX (31.89288, -97.70200)
Length: 2.3 miles
Difficulty: 5/10 (Moderate)
Date Hiked: February 2025
Overview: A loop hike, mostly easy but with some short steep and rocky sections, around Meridian Lake.
Park Information: https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/meridian
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=980087
Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: (coming November 7)

Directions to the trailhead: From Meridian, take SR 22 southwest 3.2 miles to the state park entrance on the right.  Turn right to enter the park, and pay the entrance fee.  Drive past the campground, then angle right on Park Road 7 as it becomes one way.  Drive 0.75 miles total from the entrance station to the small parking lot on the right that serves Bee Ledge.  Park here.

The hike: Built between 1933 and 1935 by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), Meridian State Park protects 505 acres on the northern fringe of Texas Hill Country.  The park is centered around Meridian Lake, which was formed when the CCC dammed Bee Creek.  The park and lake are named for the nearby City of Meridian, which in turn was named for its proximity to the 98th Meridian.

            The park evokes a rural and rustic ambiance that is enhanced by its 3 small campgrounds totaling 22 sites and several rustic picnic areas.  For hikers, the park offers 4 short trails, the longest and most popular of which is the Bosque Hiking Trail described here.  The Bosque Hiking Trail circumnavigates Meridian Lake, and it offers an unusual and interesting mix of scenery and history, ease and difficulty.

Trailhead at Bee Ledge

            Start by walking across the road and following signs for Bee Ledge, thus beginning a counterclockwise journey around the Bosque Hiking Trail.  In only a couple hundred feet, you reach Bee Ledge.  Bee Ledge is a lumpy slab of rock that stands about 50 feet above Meridian Lake, and it provides an excellent view to the south down the length of the lake.

View from Bee Ledge

            Exit Bee Ledge to the right, but then angle left to begin following the blue blazes of the Bosque Hiking Trail; the orange blazes going right are for the shorter Little Forest Junior Trail.  Next comes a steep rocky descent that brings you down to lake level.  Take your time and watch your footing while you descend.  Upon reaching lake level, the trail heads northwest to embark on a level streamside course that heads upstream past the headwaters of Meridian Lake.  Lots of cedar/juniper trees live here, and traffic noise from nearby FM 1473 filters in from ahead and the right.

Crossing Bee Creek

            At 0.4 miles, the trail curves left to cross Bee Creek on a wooden footbridge.  A few muddy areas need to be negotiated, but overall the going is flat and easy.  Just past 0.5 miles, you begin a steep rocky climb up some steps carved out of the rock.  After passing a viewpoint that is narrower than Bee Ledge, you descend back to lake level where this hike will more or less stay for the next 1.3 miles.

Rocky climb

            1 mile into the hike, you reach a lakeside picnic area and primitive campground.  Some benches make nice places to sit, and I saw many birds here including meadowlarks, vultures, several types of ducks, and a red-headed woodpecker.  Next the trail heads up an inlet of Meridian Lake and intersects the park road at 1.2 miles.  Though no signs or blazes appear here, you need to turn left and walk about 500 feet along the park road to find where the trail reenters the forest on the left.

Hiking across the dam

            Just past 1.5 miles, you reach the earthen dam that forms Meridian Lake.  Turn left to walk across the dam, and then turn left again to cross the spillway on some awkward concrete stepping blocks.  Angle right and rise slightly to reach the old CCC dining hall at 1.8 miles.  Made of locally quarried limestone, the architecture and workmanship of this building are quite impressive even by the CCC's high standards.

CCC dining hall

            The trail leaves the developed area to the northwest and heads through a narrow strip of woods between the lake on the left and the park road on the right.  Near 2 miles into the hike, you cross the park road, but before crossing the park road angle left to see some more history: a CCC-built stone bridge with timbers dating to 1934.  Though the bridge has been updated in several ways, it still carries the park road over this small creek.  How many bridges being built today will still be in use 100 years from now?

CCC-built stone bridge

            After crossing the park road, the trail crosses the same creek as the CCC-built stone bridge crossed but on stepping stones.  Next comes a steep rocky climb that mirrors the descent from Bee Ledge near the start of this hike.  At the top of the climb, you reach an intersection with the Little Forest Junior Trail, a somewhat rocky but fairly flat 0.8 mile ridgetop loop.  If you wanted to extend this hike, you could turn right to add-on the orange-blazed Little Forest Junior Trail, but this hike turns left to keep following the blue blazes of the Bosque Hiking Trail.

Final segment of trail

            The final flat and easy 0.2 miles stay very close to the park road that accesses the picnic shelters.  Soon you pass a rustic log bird blind.  Just past the blind, you return to the Bee Ledge parking lot to complete the hike.

Millwood State Park: Wildlife Lane Trail (Blog Hike #1046)

Trail: Wildlife Lane Trail
Hike Location: Millwood State Park
Geographic Location: east of Ashdown, AR (33.68450, -93.98141)
Length: 4.2 miles
Difficulty: 3/10 (Easy/Moderate)
Date Hiked: February 2025
Overview: A flat, winding loop through wet forest on the west shore of Millwood Lake.
Park Information: https://www.arkansasstateparks.com/parks/millwood-state-park
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=979782
Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: (coming February 13, 2026)

Directions to the trailhead: From Ashdown, take SR 32 east 8.8 miles to the signed entrance for Millwood State Park on the left; you reach the park entrance just before crossing Millwood Dam.  Turn left to enter the park, and drive the main park road 0.3 miles to the signed trailhead parking on the left.  There is room for 4-6 cars in this small parking lot.  Additional parking is available near the park entrance if the trailhead parking lot is full.

The hike: Located in southwest Arkansas north of Texarkana, Millwood Lake was created when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built an earthen dam near the confluence of the Saline and Little Rivers.  The dam was authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1946 and completed in 1966, and it is the main structure responsible for flood control along the Red River below Lake Texoma.  The lake's name speaks to this area's logging and sawmill industry, and much of the lake is unnavigable by boat due to submerged timber.  In fact, the name Millwood was used for a river landing in this area as early as 1845.

            Perched on the west shore of its namesake lake, Millwood State Park consists of 824 acres leased by the State of Arkansas from the Corps of Engineers.  The park is best known for its fishing; the submerged timber makes for great bass, crappie, and catfish habitat.  The park also offers a 45-site developed campground, a marina on Millwood Lake, some picnic areas, and 2 hiking trails: the 4 mile Wildlife Lane Trail and the 1.5 mile Waterfowl Way Trail.  The 2 trails start from a common trailhead, so you could hike either or both of them.  This blog entry features the longer Wildlife Lane Trail, and I would like to return to this park some time to hike the shorter Waterfowl Way Trail.

Main trailhead

            From the small parking lot, walk around the metal vehicle gate and past the colorful trail information board to begin walking northwest on a dirt road.  This road provides access to an old picnic area that has seen its better days, hence the reason for the locked vehicle gate.  After walking through the picnic area, follow the wooden sign that says "trailhead" and walk across a metal bridge to begin the common entrance trail, which is marked by white paint blazes.

Common entrance trail

            At 0.3 miles, you reach the signed trail intersection where the Waterfowl Way and Wildlife Lane Trails part ways.  As directed by the sign, turn left to begin the Wildlife Lane Trail, which is marked with yellow paint blazes.  The Wildlife Lane Trail starts in a fairly dry area with lots of pine trees, but this entire area is a seasonal wetland.  The wetness will find you eventually in all but the driest of times, but going counterclockwise around the loop will save the wettest areas for last, thus delaying getting your feet wet for as long as possible.

Starting the Wildlife Lane Trail

            You may be surprised when you pass the wooden "1 Mile Point" sign without having seen the lake.  This trail winds as much as a mountain bike trail, but the wet areas and some downed trees make biking on this trail a difficult proposition.  True to the trail's name, I did see quite a bit of wildlife that included some deer and common woodland birds.

1 Mile Point

            1.6 miles into the hike, you reach Alligator Lookout, which provides your first clear view of Millwood Lake.  Some bald cypress trees grow near the damp lakeshore.  Alligators are a common sight in this area, but I did not see much wildlife here on the cold, damp, February morning when I came here.  A bench provides a good opportunity to rest, rehydrate, and observe the lake.

Millwood Lake at Alligator Lookout

            The trail stays close to the lake for 0.2 miles before curving left and heading back inland.  Near the 2 Mile Point sign, a signed but faint short-cut trail exits left.  The short-cut shortens the hike by nearly a mile, but this hike continues straight to tour the full Wildlife Lane Trail.  Next you head around the northern portion of the loop.  Another short segment takes you back to the lake's edge for a second and final time.  Another bench with another lakeside view sits in this area.

Hiking south along the west boundary

            At 2.6 miles, the trail curves left to leave the lake for good.  The balance of the hike heads (very) roughly south along the park's west boundary.  The trail remains winding, and some parts are harder to discern on the ground.  Be sure to watch for the numerous yellow paint blazes to stay on the right track.

A moderately wet area

            Near 3.7 miles, you pass through the wettest area of the hike, where you will almost surely get your feet wet.  At 3.9 miles, you close the loop.  Turn right and hike the common entrance trail back through the run-down picnic area to the small parking lot to complete the hike, or add the Waterfowl Way Trail if you want more wetland hiking with more lake views.

Louisiana State Arboretum: Walker Branch/Backbone Ridge/Bald Cypress Loop (Blog Hike #1045)

Trails: Walker Branch, Wetland, Walker Terrace, Backbone Ridge, and Bald Cypress Trails
Hike Location: Louisiana State Arboretum
Geographic Location: north of Ville Platte, LA (30.80302, -92.28552)
Length: 3.7 miles
Difficulty: 4/10 (Moderate)
Date Hiked: February 2025
Overview: A double loop through the wetlands and ridgetops above Chicot Lake.
Arboretum Information: https://www.lastateparks.com/parks-preserves/louisiana-state-arboretum
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=979730
Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: (coming December 19)

Directions to the trailhead: From Ville Platte, take SR 3042 north 7.1 miles to the signed entrance for Chicot State Park on the right.  Turn right to enter the park, pay the small entrance fee, then turn left at the next 2 intersections to reach the parking lot for Louisiana State Arboretum's Nature Center.  Park in the lot in front of the Nature Center.

The hike: Weighing in at a sprawling 6400 acres, Chicot State Park is the largest state park in Louisiana.  The park is centered around 2000 acre Chicot Lake, a long and skinny lake created in 1943 by damming Chicot Bayou.  Both the dam and the park were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC).  The park officially dates to 1939, making it the one of the oldest state parks in Louisiana.

            As you would expect, the lake takes centerstage, and the park is a major destination for fishing, boating, and canoeing.  The park also features a large 198-site developed campground, 15 cabins, 2 group lodges, and some picnic pavilions.  For hikers, the park's most famous trail is its 20 mile backpacking trail.  The backpacking trail circumnavigates Chicot Lake, and many people consider it to be the best backpacking trail in Louisiana.

            If you are not up for the backpacking trail, the area's best destination for short hikes is the Louisiana State Arboretum, which is contained within Chicot State Park.  The 600-acre Arboretum dates to 1961, and it is the oldest state-supported arboretum in the country.  The arboretum's land features more relief than you might expect for south-central Louisiana, and many trails take you over the arboretum's hills and through the arboretum's ravines.  The route described here uses all but one of those trails, and it explores all of the major habitats the arboretum has to offer.

Trailhead at back door of Nature Center

            Walk out the back door of the Nature Center and angle left to start the Walker Branch Trail, which embarks on a general westward course.  Trails in the Arboretum are mostly unmarked, but they are well-worn, well-maintained, and easy to follow.  The single-track dirt Walker Branch Trail descends slightly to reach a trail intersection at 0.15 miles, where a sign tells you that you need to turn left to stay on the Walker Branch Trail.

Hiking the Walker Branch Trail

            The trail rises slightly to cross a small ridge; ignore the Pawpaw Loop Trail that exits left.  Next you descend slightly to reach the longest boardwalk at the arboretum.  This boardwalk takes you over a seasonally wet area dominated by water tupelo and bald cypress trees.  This boardwalk is my favorite boardwalk on this hike, and numerous signs help you identify common plants in the wetland.

Boardwalk on Walker Branch Trail

            After crossing another low ridge, you reach another trail intersection at 0.7 miles where the Walker Branch and Wetland Trails part ways.  These 2 trails come back together later in this hike, so you could go either way here.  The Wetland Trail sounded more interesting to me, so I turned right to temporarily leave the Walker Branch Trail and begin the Wetland Trail.

Hiking the Wetland Trail

            Surprisingly considering its name, the Wetland Trail climbs slightly to enter a drier ridgetop environment.  Oak and hornbeam trees dominate the ridgetops in this arboretum.  Some scratch marks on the ground indicate where feral hogs had done some rooting, but I saw surprisingly little wildlife on this hike.  0.9 miles into the hike, you reach the trail intersection that forms this hike's main loop.  The Backbone Ridge Trail goes right, and that will be our return route.  Angle left to stay on the Wetland Trail.

Start of loop portion

            The trail descends slightly to pass a small pavilion/trail shelter and cross an older boardwalk.  The trail map calls this area a vernal pool.  The pool contained a couple inches of water when I came here in early February, and bald cypress knees make for a scenic area.

Vernal pool

            Past the vernal pool, the trail begins the hardest climb of this hike.  The difference between maximum and minimum elevations on this hike is only 75 feet, so the steep part of this climb is over pretty quickly.  At 1.3 miles, you reach the west end of the Wetland Trail where the Walker Branch Trail goes left and right.  This hike turns right to continue hiking west on the Walker Branch Trail; turning left would provide a shorter route back to the Nature Center.

Overlook platform on Walker Terrace

            A little more climbing brings you to the asphalt Walker Terrace, an ADA accessible trail, less than 500 feet later.  A wooden overlook platform overlooks nothing in particular, and you want to keep heading west on Walker Terrace.  1.5 miles into the hike, as the arboretum's Caroline Dormon Lodge comes into view, you reach another trail intersection and the western-most point on this hike.  Turn right to leave the asphalt and begin the dirt Backbone Ridge Trail.

Hiking the Backbone Ridge Trail

            The Backbone Ridge Trail is the arboretum's most strenuous trail, and you soon learn why: it drops steeply into a ravine only to cross a stream on a wooden footbridge and climb slightly less steeply out of the ravine.  The trail then curves right to begin a ridgetop course with more downs than ups.  You pass a couple more overlooks that overlook nothing in particular, but their benches make nice places to rest and rehydrate near the midpoint of this hike.

Overlook on Backbone Ridge Trail

            After some winding and some undulations, you reach the Backbone Ridge Trail's east end at 2.6 miles; this intersection closes this hike's main loop.  Turn left twice, once on the Wetland Trail and again on the Walker Branch Trail, to start heading back to the Nature Center.  At the last intersection before you get back to the trailhead, angle left to leave the Walker Branch Trail and begin the short Bald Cypress Trail.

Chicot Lake on Bald Cypress Trail

            Though only 0.2 miles long, the Bald Cypress Trail may be the arboretum's most scenic trail: it takes you past an inlet of Chicot Lake filled with bald cypress and water tupelo trees.  The dirt trail takes you down to the edge of the water for fantastic views.  Some stairs lift you up to a large overlook platform, and an ADA-accessible concrete trail returns you to the Nature Center to complete the hike.

Lake Fausse Pointe State Park: Trail C (Blog Hike #1044)

Trail: Trail C
Hike Location: Lake Fausse Pointe State Park
Geographic Location: east of St. Martinville, LA (30.06008, -91.60961)
Length: 3.4 miles
Difficulty: 3/10 (Easy/Moderate)
Date Hiked: February 2025
Overview: A flat loop hike with good wildlife viewing along several bayous and lakes.
Park Information: https://www.lastateparks.com/parks-preserves/lake-fausse-pointe-state-park
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=979662
Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: (coming January 16, 2026)

Directions to the trailhead: From St. Martinville, take SR 96 east 12 miles to SR 352 and turn right on SR 352.  Drive SR 352 south 13 miles to the signed state park entrance on the right.  Turn right to enter the park, pay the entrance fee, and park at the main trailhead parking area on the left 0.2 miles from the entrance.  A sign and restroom building on the right mark the trailhead.

The hike: The drive into Lake Fausse Pointe State Park is pure Louisiana.  Most visitors start by driving through Lafayette with its oil/natural gas industry, large regional public university, and heavy French influence.  Next you drive through St. Martinville, a small town with a large Black population and heavy Roman Catholic influence.  The final 13 miles run along a levee, and few places outside of southern Louisiana have levees as long or tall as this one.

            Once you finally get there, you find a real gem of a park.  Consisting of 6000 acres deep in the heart of southern Louisiana's Cajun Country, remote and rustic Lake Fausse Pointe State Park is a sportsman's and nature lover's paradise.  For such a remote park, it has surprisingly good amenities.  The park offers a 50-site developed campground, 18 cabins, several primitive campsites accessible only by trail or canoe, a boat launch, a playground, and several picnic areas.

            For hikers, the trail system at Lake Fausse Pointe State Park consists of 3 loops all of which start from a common trailhead.  The loops are simply labeled A, B, and C in order of increasing length.  This hike takes you around the C loop, which traces the perimeter of the park.  While I would not want to come here in the summer due to heat and bugs, I saw a lot of wildlife and had a great hike when I came here on a Friday morning in early February.

Trail entrance at trailhead

            The common entrance trail heads west across the park road from the parking lot.  Almost immediately you cross a wide wooden bridge over Old Bird Island Chute to reach an information kiosk where Trail A exits right.  As directed by a wooden sign, continue straight to begin Trail C.

Lake Fausse Pointe

            Less than 5 minutes into the hike, you reach a west-facing wooden overlook platform that provides a nice view across Lake Fausse Pointe.  The large, calm lake is dotted with islands near the shore, and I saw several limpkins enjoying the lake on the warm and humid morning that I came here.  Past the overlook, the trail heads south through a seasonally wet forest with some tupelo trees.  Some wet areas will need to be negotiated, but wooden boardwalks get you over the worst of the wetness.

Trails B and C split

            At 0.3 miles and at the end of one of the boardwalks, Trails B and C part ways at another signed trail intersection.  This hike turns left to stay on Trail C, which is marked with orange plastic diamonds.  Soon you pass the first of 7 signed primitive backpack campsites.  Each of these sites are reached via a short signed spur trail, and each site has a picnic table, a fire pit, and room for a couple of tents.  These primitive campsites allow you to turn this hike into a super short and super easy backpacking trail provided the heat and bugs are not too bad.

Backpack campsite

            For the next 1.1 miles the trail heads southeast on a level course through classic lowland scenery.  In some ways this hike is very boring: there is no noticeable elevation change, and the scenery never seems to change.  Yet the park's remote location and abundant wetlands ensure good bird and wildlife viewing.  I saw 2 roseate spoonbills, an egret, some herons, some cardinals, a chickadee, some robins, and some deer on this hike.

Spur trail to canoe campsite #5

            At 1.3 miles, you reach signed canoe campsite #5, which is my favorite of the primitive campsites at this park.  Not to be confused with backpack campsite #5, this site is accessible by canoe trail and by hiking trail.  The site occupies a small knoll on the edge of the channel, and I saw much wildlife including several alligators while sitting and resting at this site.

View from canoe campsite #5

            For the next 0.7 miles the trail parallels the water channel as you round the south end of the loop.  The deep muddy channel stays in sight through the trees to the right.  The hiking is easy but the scenery repetitive except for the wildlife.  Just past 2 miles, the trail curves left to leave the channel.

Crossing a boardwalk

            After crossing the longest boardwalk on this hike, you reach a trail intersection at 2.3 miles where both options are marked with orange diamonds.  The option going left is a short-cut that leads to the park's conference center, and it is the wettest trail in this park.  This hike continues straight to hike the longer and dryer version of Trail C.

Hiking along Borrow Pit Canal

            Very quickly the trail comes out at the park's cabin area.  Turn left to hike 0.3 miles on the park's cabin road, but look for the orange diamonds on the right at 2.6 miles where Trail C leaves the road and returns to single track dirt trail.  The rest of the hike stays in a narrow swath of woods between the park road on the left and the Borrow Pit Canal waterway on the right.  This area is slightly higher than most of the ground you have trodden so far, and large numbers of palmettos live in the understory.  Just shy of 3.4 miles, you reach the trail's end at the main park road.  The trailhead parking area with your car is only a couple hundred feet to the right.