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Best Forest Hikes in Louisiana

The directory currently contains 8 quality-checked routes matching this guide in Louisiana. Their average mapped distance is 3.0 km and average recorded ascent is 33 m (108 ft); the longest route in the set is 11.8 km.

This subset represents 23% of the 35 quality-checked routes in Louisiana. Its average distance is 3.0 km, compared with 6.1 km across the full local set.

These routes carry the forest tag. The data does not quantify canopy cover or guarantee shade along every section. Within this set, 6 routes (75%) are rated easy, 0 (0%) are rated hard or expert, and 3 (38%) are recorded as loops. Ratings are computed from available distance and elevation data and do not establish current terrain or access.

Data refreshed September 2026

Choose by the details

How do these routes differ?

A closer look at the first 6 routes in this page’s default ordering. These comparisons describe this sample, not the entire destination or a field-tested recommendation.

Shortest mapped distance in this sample

0.7 km

Forest Edge Trail

Compare the climbing too; shortest does not necessarily mean easiest.

Lowest recorded ascent in this sample

0 m

Forest Edge Trail

6 of 6 have ascent data. Missing measurements are excluded.

Return logistics

2 recorded loops

Check start and finish for every option. An unknown shape does not mean a loop, and a loop does not establish access to its start.

Plan the return journey →

Distances follow stored route lines; ascent and time are estimates. Current access, surface and technical difficulty need separate checks. How to turn a comparison into a shortlist.

Trails

Moderate

Louisiana · United States

Distance
11.8 km
/ 7.3 mi
Elevation gain
149 m
Typical duration
2 hr 41 min
  • Forest
Easy

Louisiana · United States

Distance
0.7 km
/ 0.4 mi
Typical duration
8 min
  • Forest
Easy

Louisiana · United States

Distance
2.9 km
/ 1.8 mi
Elevation gain
6 m
Typical duration
37 min
  • Forest
Easy

Louisiana · United States

Distance
2.5 km
/ 1.6 mi
Elevation gain
51 m
Typical duration
36 min
  • Forest
Easy

Louisiana · United States

Distance
1.1 km
/ 0.7 mi
Typical duration
13 min
  • Forest
Easy

Louisiana · United States

Distance
1.2 km
/ 0.7 mi
Typical duration
14 min
  • Forest

The shortlist, side by side

The ten highest scoring routes on this page, so you can compare effort before opening any of them.

Distance, ascent, walking time and difficulty for the top routes
RouteDistanceAscentTimeDifficultyBest season
Backbone TrailLouisiana11.8 km149 m2 hr 41 minModerateApril to October
Longleaf Vista Interpretive TrailLouisiana2.2 km61 m32 minModerateApril to October
Forest Edge TrailLouisiana0.7 km0 m8 minEasyApril to October
Hardwood Forest LoopLouisiana2.9 km6 m37 minEasyApril to October
Turpentine Hill TrailLouisiana2.5 km51 m36 minEasyApril to October
Forest TrailLouisiana1.1 km0 m13 minEasyApril to October
Oak-Hickory Forest LoopLouisiana1.4 km0 m17 minEasyApril to October
Old Oak Forest TrailLouisiana1.2 km0 m14 minEasyApril to October

Backbone Trail, Longleaf Vista Interpretive Trail, Hardwood Forest Loop currently rank highest in this filtered set according to the directory score. Open an individual route to inspect its mapped line, elevation profile, data source and planning caveats. Check live access, conditions and local rules with an official source before travelling.

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