The Louisiana Hiking Club

TRAIL INFORMATION
Backbone Trail


Trail Notes:

Backbone Trail 7.6 miles.

This is Louisiana's only designated Wilderness Area and current forest service management is exceptionally hiker friendly, with new signs and ongoing trail maintenance. Primitive campgrounds abound, my personal favorite being on the bluffs overlooking Kisatchie Bayou (Kisatchie Bayou Campground is a treat unto itself), but they have NO WATER.

Administered by Forest Service office in Natchitoches. Area historically considered an "outlaw" retreat.

Trail:

Very flexible trail. Nice trail that can be an easy weekend trip, a dayhike, or hiked in combination with the Caroline Dormon Trail (11.7 miles). The Backbone Trail can also be hiked as a loop with a pretty 2.5 mile road walk. Immediately, across the street from the south trail head of the Backbone Trail is a large parking area which is also the north trail head of the Caroline Dormon Trail.

Starting from the north trail head the BBT is mostly along an old road bed. The trail is clay based but parts of it are very sandy. Within 1.5 miles you come to large sandstones and overlooks, the woods are mostly pine and the trail can be very hot at times with little shade. Horses have rutted parts of this section and it is difficult to hike in the rain. Very little water the first 4 miles. At about 2 miles there is a spur trail, the High Ridge Trail, which veers off to the left. The BBT trail continues to the right. Watch for this as it is not well marked.

Around 4 miles you head up a hill to the tallest overlook on the trail. There are several established campsites here all along the ridge. Very nice and a good place to camp or have lunch. Continuing on, just below the hill is Bayou Cypre, the only source of water nearby. It is a clear, flowing stream and is on the left behind a stand of trees. There is a very faint, old road trace leading to a nice campsite in a bend of the bayou just a the bottom of the hill.

The last several miles of the trail are spent climbing up and down hills, into and out of the several drains formed by Bayou Cypre. Some have water all year, most do not. The hills may be considered moderate. The terrain is different than anything else in LA. Down a hill, across a drain or small creek, up a hill. Some of the larger drains have created swampy areas. Lots of rocks on tops of some of the hills. Very interesting. Eventually the trailhead to the Turpentine Hill Trail on the left, BBT continues right.

User Groups:

Hiking/Horses. No mechanization allowed. Very popular hunting area.

Permits:

No day use or backcountry permits required.

Directions:

I49 to exit #119 onto La HWY 119 (approx 30 mins north of Alex). West on 119 for 7 miles. turn right onto Longleaf Vista for approxiamtely 5 miles. South trail head parking is on the left. 2.5 more miles and north trail head parking in on the right just after the "Kisatchie Wilderness" sign.

Maps:

Current Weather & 10 Day Forecast:

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