Louisiana's Only National Forest Has Hundreds Of Thousands Of Pristine Acres With Serene Camping And Trails

Hike miles of trail through the verdant woods with bald eagles nesting high overhead. Walk through a garden alive with the buzzing of bees, colorful butterflies and hummingbirds flitting from flower to flower. Spending a night on your own amongst the trees, far from the sound and chaos of civilization. If you're looking for an escape into nature in The Pelican State, you can't go wrong with Louisiana's only national forest: Kisatchie. This enormous place — more than one and half times the size of the entire city of London — offers adventures of all kinds, from lake swimming to challenging backpacking routes, within its 604,000 acres.

Considering how large this forest is, it should come as no surprise that it's divided up into different ranger districts. Which one of the five districts you visit depends on where you're coming from and what you're looking for. But if you're coming from far away, you're probably headed for the Evangeline Unit of the Calcasieu Ranger District. You can fly into Alexandria International Airport (AEX) from all over the world, and once you're in the heart of Louisiana, visiting the underrated, dynamic city of Alexandria you're just over half an hour away from the Evangeline Unit of Kisatchie National Forest. It is nearly 100,000 acres on its own, bigger than the entire city of Philadelphia, so exploring it will take a long time. But whenever you're ready, you can dive deeper into the forest from there.

If you're coming into the forest from the Evangeline Unit, you'll be able to visit the quiet, serene Valentine Lake. This area is perfect for taking a canoe out, standing on the piers and watching the fish come to the surface at sunrise, hiking the pretty Valentine Lake Trail, or spending a night in the Northshore Campground. It's also the best place to start what could just be the hiking adventure of a lifetime. 

If you're looking to really get to know Kisatchie National Forest, consider hiking its almost 9-hour trek: The Wild Azalea Trail. It's the longest hiking trail in the state, but you can absolutely choose just a small segment of this route to explore if you aren't ready to commit to the full route. Either way, the entire trail offers an incredible journey.

You'll definitely spend a lot of your time walking among the trees, but you should also expect to see beautiful forest lakes, plenty of wildlife, and lots of wildflowers. In fact, this is a mesmerizing place to see flowers in bloom. Consider planning your trip to Louisiana for March or April so you can catch the flowers that give this trail its name. In the springtime, you'll see all kinds of blooms along the way, including dogwoods, buckeyes, and of course, azaleas. As you trek through the forest, you'll often catch the heady scent of flowers in the air.

Kisatchie National Forest is among the best places in America for bird lovers, and there's one trail that stands above the rest for those visiting the forest to catch sight of something with feathers: The Longleaf Vista Interpretive Trail. While you'll see plenty of birds wherever you go, what makes this short trail special is that it passes through a several different landscapes, from high mesas to meadows, that are ideal for a variety of bird species. 

You might hear the calls of a red-shouldered hawk, see a great blue heron standing by the water's edge, or spot a little Carolina wren hopping along the forest floor. If you want to see this incredible region from above, consider hiking the Longleaf Vista Road to Backbone Trail. This loop takes most hikers around 3 and a half hours and leads to some stunning overlooks of the forest below. If you happen to be taking your trip to Louisiana in November, you might also catch some beautiful fall foliage.

One of the most remarkable habitats in Kisatchie National Forest is the Catahoula Hummingbird and Butterfly Garden. This unique place is only a quick drive from the city of Alexandria but feels like another world. Walk along little winding paths surrounded by flowers specifically planted to attract butterflies and hummingbirds. Along the way, you'll hear the rushing of a waterfall, the wind in the trees, and maybe even the annoyed chittering of a hummingbird as it zooms by in pursuit of the next tasty flower.