Saline Bayou Hiking Trail – Kisatchie National Forest, Louisiana
While staying with some family in Louisiana my daughter and I snuck off to do a little hiking.
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| Forest Service Road 513 on the way to the trail |
We drove down to Kisatchie National Forest to the Saline Bayou Hiking Trail. The trail follows the banks of the Saline Scenic River for three miles from Forest Service Road 513 to 507. We parked our car at the Cloud Crossing Recreation Area and started down the trail.
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| Saline Bayou Hiking Trail |
In the light fog of the early morning the Bayou brought a slight eerie feel to the air. My daughter immediately started asking about Alligators which didn’t help her already uneasy mind. I assured her everything would be fine and we continued down the trail.
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| Saline Bayou |
Within the first half mile we found evidence of some controlled burning in the area. The entire forest floor was scorched with one tree continuing to burn. We pushed on walking quietly among tall Pine and Cyprus trees. Occasionally a small foot bridge aided our path over low lying areas. In high water the Bayou can cover most of the area surrounding the trail. The many Cyprus roots gave us a glimpse of where the water usually rests.
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| A tree still aflame after some controlled burning |
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| Cyprus Roots |
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| Small foot bridge |
We walked hand and hand stopping every now and then to look at the murky water. After about a mile and half we decided to turn around. We retraced our steps back along the Bayou and across the small foot bridges. It wasn’t a long hike, but it provided the small break we needed.
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Steven
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Hendrik Morkel
Lovely photos, looks like time well spent!
Griffis Family
I like the ethereal quality of the pictures. They really capture the mood well.
Another pretty place not too far from there is the Kisatchie Hills area in the Kisatchie Ranger District. About ten years ago I did a 2 1/2 day loop following the Caroline Dorman trail, looping through the Kisatchie Hills Wilderness and back to my starting point along the Sandstone Trail. White sand beaches along Kisatchie Bayou, sandstone bluffs in the Kisatchie Hills wilderness and unbroken solitude. Definately a suprise for Louisiana.
YakDriver
As a retired photographer, I've gotta say — great pics. Since I live in Houston, this looks like a hike I'll have to add to my tally. Thanks for sharing it with us.