4.5Tammany Trace(70 reviews) - A nice option, if you are an active person. Tuesday: 6:00 AM - 5:00 PM Biking Trails
Tammany Trace was a nice find to have while staying in Abita Springs. My understanding is that it is about 30 miles long and it connects to another cute town called Covington. It is surrounded by lots of different kinds of plants and trees to admire. In between certain areas, you may find some new and older homes, and some remains of past history that took you back and made you wonder how it really appeared in its days. You will find some folks walking, running or biking down the path. If you are by yourself, you felt safe especially knowing that they had someone driving back and forth every so often in this little car watching and making sure everything was being taken care of from security to garbage pickups. It was a good bonus to find in my travels.See more..
The Tammany Trace is an incredible repurposing of unused railroad tracks. The smooth paths that travel throughout various areas of the Northshore provide safe movement and smooth travel through the areas of Mandeville, Covington, Abita Springs & more. Apologies for any areas omitted, but these are the areas I have been so far. Walkers, bicyclists, runners, parents pushing strollers or pulling wagons, wheelchair riders (not sure motorized scooters are allowed) all have a great time traveling between trailheads where Farmers' markets, refreshment stands,restaurants, microbreweries,bicycle rentals and more can be found. Ample parking at each trailhead, along with other weekend events. Such a fun way to get exercise, sunshine & great fun.See more..
This is a flat, paved bicycle path that offers shade, (at least during March!), scenery, and offers nearby side excursions as a State Park.See more..
4.5Betty Virginia Park(11 reviews) - A great place for a picnic! Spent < 1 hour Biking Trails • Parks • Playgrounds Betty Virginia Park is a 23 acre park located in the middle of Shreveport's South Highland neighborhood. This city owned/maintained park offers a short trail for biking/walking, picnic tables and a playground. At one time the western edge of the park had a full baseball/softball field but this area is now just green space. If you're looking for a beautiful green space to spend 30 minutes during your lunch or a place to hang out with friends/family for several hours over a picnic, this is the spot to go. I have very fund memories of playing in this park as a child. My first winter snow as a child was spent in the park and my mom took pictures so I know it happened. This local gem is situated on land that was donated to the city by A.C. Steere (a local elementary school is named after him) and his business partner Elias Goldstein in honor of their daughters Betty Goldstein and Virginia Steere.See more..
The City of Ruston took an old abandoned railroad right-of-way and turned it into a scenic, walking trail through the woods on the northwestern edge of town. From the I-20 service road, the Rock Island Greenway goes north to the intersection of Chatauqua Road and W. Kentucky (it's about a mile in length--or two miles if you walk down and back) . The Greenway is a quiet, peaceful place to jog or walk and talk and it's open during daylight hours. Parking is available at the power substation on W. Kentucky.See more..
5.0Kincaid Recreation Area(4 reviews) - So much prettier than I expected! Spent 2-3 hours State Parks • Biking Trails • Hiking Trails
I grew up in Alexandria, fishing and boating at Kincaid Lake. Not until recently did I become interested in camping in this area. My husband and I went to check out the campgrounds at Kincaid and Valentine lakes for future camping. Talk about a surprise! This campground was very well maintained. The sites were not quite as close to each other as many other campgrounds we’ve seen. Each site had water and electricity (we tent camp, so this is a bonus for us). The sites weren’t right on the water, but close and there was at least one, probably more, trails leading down to the water. It was thanksgiving week and the fall colors were beautiful. This will certainly be a future destination for us. Oh, and we met the camp host, Sonny Dyer. He was funny and friendly and obviously loves what he does. See more..
5.0Abita Springs Park Playground(1 review) - This park is special! Spent 1-2 hours Biking Trails • Parks • Playgrounds
Beautiful park right on the Abita River. Lots to see and do here. Trailhead for Tammany Trace brings in the bikers. Trailhead Museum in the old Abita Springs Station is definitely a site to see. Love the old 1884 Pavilion with the original Abita Spring inside. Green space with park benches and picnic tables. Playground and splash pad for the children. Walking distance to Abita Brew Pub. What’s not to love? Highly recommended!See more..
5.0The Beast Trail(1 review) - A Hidden Gem in West Feliciana Spent 2-3 hours Biking Trails • Hiking Trails The Beast is a mountain bike and hiking trail that winds and slinks its way like a ribbon dropped into a small box for about 5 miles around an area of land about a mile in distance. It is in the Tunica hills, but in the very southern part of these hills, so the climbs and descents are much milder. It is beautiful and leafy green in all seasons, with swamps, small hills, be-ferned ravines and views of a sandy bottom creek. In spring, I am surprised only if I don't see any fawns in amongst the dappled light. In summer, no trip is complete without at least one close to close encounter with something slithery. (I tell myself the snake is more scared of me than I of him, but I have been known to lie to myself on occasion.) The trail is behind the baseball fields at the sports complex in Saint Francisville and is not overly used, but has enough use to guarantee that it is well-kept. It's strenuous, but not to the point that even a slow, old heavy runner (like myself) can't trail run at least parts of it. As it twists and winds itself along, you are convinced you are in the deepest woods - and you are - but eventually, you will spot the ball fields and realize you are also only steps away from civilization and despite the distance you have traveled, you are just a short walk to your car. Sign in on the log when you enter and sign in when you leave. It's all free and well-maintained.See more..
