Louisiana is an endless labyrinth of waterways and paddling through them is the best way to check them out. There's nothing more serene than paddling down the bayou with incredible views of cypress trees, towering pines along the shoreline, and the occasional wildlife spotting. One of the best paddle trails in Louisiana is tucked away in the northern part of the state and it's the perfect day trip for the weekend warrior.
Bayou Bartholomew has one of the best paddle trails in Louisiana and it’s easily accessed through Chemin-A-Haut State Park.
The 503-acre park is nestled on a high bluff that overlooks the bayou. In fact, Chemin-à-Haut means "high road" in French.
Bayou Bartholomew is the longest bayou in the world, stretching for 364 miles from Louisiana to Arkansas.
Don’t worry, you won’t need to paddle all 364 miles to see this incredible tree.
You can either bring your own kayak/canoe or rent a canoe from the park.
You can rent them for the entire day, which is great because then you won't be restricted by time and you can go at your own pace.
Bayou Bartholomew is also the longest un-dammed waterway on the Lower Mississippi River.
This makes it an ideal place to paddle around. While it is a fairly slow-moving waterway, for the most part, you should check water levels before beginning your journey as a recent rain could make for a much swifter current.
Along your journey, you'll have picture-perfect views of the cypress and hardwood forest that hug the shoreline.
The trail is beautiful year-round, but especially in the fall when the leaves begin to change.
The northern part of Louisiana gets treated to beautiful fall foliage and paddling through it should be on everyone's bucket list.
One of the most impressive sights along the trail is a cypress tree, but not just any cypress tree. This massive cypress tree is nicknamed the Castle Tree and for good reason.
Measuring about 20 feet in diameter, you can’t miss it. it's one of the biggest cypress trees in the state, and by far, one of the oldest.
The tree is estimated to be anywhere from 800 to 1,000 years old.
It’s older than the state of Louisiana! For some context, the tree was already a few hundred years old when Europeans discovered America.
The hollow cavern is so large that you could fit your kayak inside.
Maybe even two! It makes for a great photo opportunity. It's not every day that you can say you paddled into a cypress tree.
For more information about Chemin-A-Haut State Park, visit its website where you'll find hours of operation, canoe rental rates, and cabin availability in case you want to extend your stay and make a weekend out of it. If you've ever seen the Castle Tree, let us know in the comments!
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