Riding Hard in Louisiana
Bike riding in Louisiana is a challenge – there’s a wide variety of terrain from hills to mangrove forests and swamps. Plus, there’s also the climate; while nobody can exactly forget that Louisiana gets hot and sticky and humid, there are people who underprepare. Just remember to fill your canteen before you start, and refresh the sunscreen and insect repellent regularly. Don’t forget to keep an eye out for local wildlife, though most prepared trails won’t have much to speak of.
The Stoner Trail near Shreveport is a lovely river-view ride. There are several different trails to choose from and each is well marked and color coded. Of the 8 miles of trails, there is something here for every level of skill. The trail was built and is maintained by several local bikers who even have a shop in the area. They host several events there throughout the year, so check ahead before you come for more information.
Eddy D Jones Park near Shreveport is also known as the Monkey Trail. A park ranger rides the trails regularly so they are always well-maintained. It is a 10-mile loop with the first 7.5 miles made up of rolling hills–fast and fun! The last 2.5 miles will test your technical skills. This is a great place for novice bikers to work on their techniques.
Ruston is one of Louisiana’s best kept secrets, with Lincoln Parrish Park. It’s a 10 mile loop with jumps, drops and a lot of pretty woodland territory. It’ll be a bit rough for beginners, but intermediate and advanced riders will have a lot of fun with it and get a lot of use out of their technical skills. It’s not going to be an easy ride no matter what. In spite of its obscurity, Lincoln Parrish Park has decent trail maintenance – it’s not as good as the maintenance as the two Shreveport destinations, but that’s the trade off you make for wilderness.
Another go-to destination for biking in Louisiana is the Lake Claiborne State Park. This hilly park has a lot of steep climbing, and as every mountain biker knows, where there’s a steep climb, there’s also a hair raising descent. This area is near Homer, Louisiana, and it’s quite a workout. Because of local terrain and soil types, you may want to give this one a pass after a hard rain, since it’s not that far removed from swampland. As an added perk, if you want to make an overnight trip of it, there are some cabins here to rent.
Heading south, we’ve got to Baton Rouge, where the Hooper Park Trails give eight miles of well maintained trails, sorted by interlocking loops so you can test your skills on the technical challenges. Like a lot of high use trails, they’re well flagged and color coded by difficulty; if you’re still getting started, stick with the blue trails. There are a few unmarked trails, but try those at your own risk – they can be quite challenging!
Bossier City has the Bodcau trail set, and this is one of the hidden gems of Louisiana mountain biking, with 10 miles of trails in multiple loops and long climbs. It’s an expert ride, and it’s tiring, but well worth the effort. And you won’t notice the tired after doing the descents and the adrenaline rush.
Most of Louisiana’s hilly terrain is on the northern half of the state; this means most of the areas where you’d be heading are going to be away from the Big Easy. Southern areas are a bit more swampy, and are somewhat less challenging rides in terms of elevation, but make up for it in mud and mosquitoes. All the trails here are good places to start exploring Louisiana from the saddle of your mountain bike.
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