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.
If you like a river-view, check out the Stoner Trail in the Shreveport area. It’s got several different rides to choose from, and all are color coded for difficulty and well maintained. The 8 miles of track give something suitable for all but the most extreme levels of skills. There’s even a local bike shop in the area, that hosts events.
Another Shreveport mountain biking destination is so called “Monkey Trail”. It’s in Eddy D Jones Park and regularly has a park ranger riding over it; there’s a 10 mile loop with the first 7.5 miles of rolling hills that have some hard ascents and some hair raising descents. Rumor has it that the nickname comes from the agility needed to go up the hills; it’s a nice technical challenge on the last quarter of the trail, but isn’t so daunting that beginners need to stay home.
Ruston’s Lincoln Parrish Park is a woodland glade that’s got roots, jumps, climbs and a lot of fast riding. It’s going to be a workout, and has trails rated from beginner to high expert; don’t expect this to be a good casual ride. There’s a lot of technical challenges to be had for those who want to show off or build their skills.
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.
In the southern half of the state, there’s not as much biking terrain, largely because there aren’t a wide variety of hills. One of the minor exceptions is near Baton Rouge, with Hooper Park Trails. This setup has eight miles of well maintained trails with interlocking loops covering a pleasant variety of terrain. Most of the trails are well maintained by the local mountain biking club, and they’re mostly color coded for difficulty.
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.
While most of the trails (other than those in the Baton Rouge area) are in the northern third of the state, Louisiana has a lot of terrain types to offer. Some of the best places to ride are in places you’d never expected; check out the destinations we covered up above whenever you want to try out your spirit of adventure.
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