Hike Through Louisiana's Longest Forest Trail, The Wild Azalea Trail, For An Adventure Like No Other
By Jackie Ann|Published February 08, 2023
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Jackie Ann
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Louisiana native and LSU Alum (Geaux Tigers!), Jackie has lived in Louisiana for over three decades and currently lives in New Orleans. She's been writing for OnlyInYourState since 2016 and can often be found with a coffee at her side, dreaming of her next adventure.
If you’re up for an epic hiking adventure, then you need to make your way over to the Kisatchie National Forest, where you’ll find the Wild Azalea Trail in Louisiana. This trail clocks in at right about 24 miles, making it the longest primitive hiking trail in the state. This is easily one of the most beautiful trails in Louisiana, and although you don’t need to tackle the entire 24 miles in one go, we encourage you to step outside your comfort zone and give it a try–you might just find out you were built for long trails like this!
The trail is located in the Evangeline Unit of the Calcasieu Ranger District, just southwest of Alexandria.
The start and end points of the trail are the Woodworth Town Hall and the Valentine Lake Recreation Area. As you can see from the photo above, the Valentine Lake trailhead is well-marked and has parking.
The trailheads have signage with trail maps to help you along, plus there are blazes and mile markers along the trail to keep you going in the right direction.
There are so many trails within the Kisatchie, and many of them crisscross over each other, so it can be easy to get mixed up if you're not paying attention.
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Valentine Lake is one of the most scenic parts of the trail.
Speaking of water, be sure you pack plenty to drink with you or bring a good filtration system. There are some streams and brooks you'll pass by, but there isn't anywhere along the trail to fill up your water bottle without using a proper filter system.
Just keep in mind that this is a primitive hiking trail in the middle of a forest, so you may come across a downed tree or an overgrown path, depending on the time of year that you visit.
The trail is named for the abundance of wild azaleas that grow along the trail.
These beautiful flowers bloom from the end of March until around May, so if you want your hike to be illuminated with these beautiful pops of color, try to time your hike around then!
Yep, that’s right. There are anywhere from 400-700 wild horses within the Kisatchie National Forest, mostly in the Fort Polk area. There are two general herds, one herd is undomesticated and has had very little contact with humans and the other herd is mostly abandoned domesticated horses. Both herds spook pretty easily and won't bother you. As with all wild animals, keep a safe distance away from them - you're hiking through their home!
Check out the Forest Service website for more detailed information about the trail and a full map.
If you enjoy long hikes, then you’ll love the Tammany Trace, a 31-mile paved rail trail over in St. Tammany Parish.
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