Calcasieu Ranger District Evangeline Unit Kisatchie ... · in their natural state. In fact, all six...
2
More Information Calcasieu Ranger District Office 9912 Highway 28 West Boyce, La 71409 (318) 793-9427 Hours: Monday-Friday, 7:30 am - 4:00 pm Kisatchie National Forest Supervisor 2500 Shreveport Hwy, Pineville, La 71360 (318) 473-7160 Hours: M-F 8:00am-4:30pm Castor Creek Scenic Area This beautiful area at the junction of Brushy Creek and Castor Creek features a variety of large loblolly pine, gum, ash, and beech, magnolia and baldcypress trees. Seg- ment 4 of the Wild Azalea Trail passes through the area. Because of its outstanding natural beauty, this 90-acre area has been set aside for protection of its scenic qualities and is available for judicious public use. Wild Azalea Seep Noted for the unique plants that it supports, this unusual 123-acre woodland is on the Louisiana Natural Area Registry. This excellent example of an acid seep is home to several species of orchids and the only known population of bog moss west of the Mississippi River. The area lies along Seg- ment 2 of the Wild Azalea Trail. Other Available Trails Located in the same general area as the Wild Azalea Trail are a number of other trails of interest to the avid hiker and bicyclist. They are the Wild Azalea Spur Trail, the Kincaid Trail, The Indian Ridge Trail, the Lakeshore Trail, and the Lamotte Creek Trail (Lamotte Creek pictured below). Trail Segment Description: Segment 1: Running from Valentine Lake to Forest Service Road (FSR) 279, this segment is about 5.6 miles long. One mile from the Valentine Lake Trailhead you cross FSR 288 and pass near the Gardner Fire Tower which was constructed during the 1930's. Segment 2: Begins at FSR 279 and runs east to the Evangeline Primitive Camp and FSR 273. This seg- ment is about 3.4 miles long. You will cross two undeveloped woods roads before you reach FSR 240 - which is also the access point from the Wild Azalea Trail for the 2-mile Wild Azalea Spur Trail. Segment 3: Here, you take off at FSR 273, across the road from the Evangeline Primitive Camp park- ing area. You continue for 2.2 miles, first eastward then southwestward, running parallel to Boggy Bayou until you reach the intersection of FSR 273 and LA Hwy 488. Segment 4: This segment of about 3.2 miles runs in a south-southeast direction; from the intersection of FSR 273 and LA Hwy 488, back to FSR 273 just southeast of the Castor Creek Scenic Area. Segment 5: This segment crosses FSR's 277, 287, and 212 on its run from FSR 273 east to FSR 208 - a total of 6.6 miles. This segment is strenuous be- cause of its creek crossings and rugged terrain, and requires frequent hill climbing. Segment 6: This stretch winds in a generally south- west direction, from a small trailhead parking area at FSR 208 to the FSR 287 near the small town of Woodworth. The trail crosses FSR 249 about 1 mile from the FSR 208 trailhead. This is a good wet weather hike because there are no major creek crossings. Segment 7: This portion of the trail runs 1.7 mi. It follows the route of a paved residential road from the FSR 287 trailhead to its eastern terminus in the parking lot at the Woodworth Town Hall. The trail- head provided at the Town Hall was developed in cooperation with the town of Woodworth itself. The Wild Azalea Trail is designated by the Chief of the Forest Service as a National Recreation Trail because of its outstanding vegetation and scenic values. Location The Wild Azalea Trail lies south and west of Alexandria, Louisiana. Its end points are at the Kisatchie National Forest's Valentine Lake Recreation Area and Woodworth Town Hall. Description Approximately 31 miles in length, the trail is designated for both foot and bicycle travel. It is bisected at about midpoint by State Highway 488 and is accessible by road at several other points. This makes it possible to hike short sections, a convenience for those who haven't the time or the inclination to hike the entire length of the trail in one outing. The trail route is conspicuously marked with bright yellow paint blazes, and is signed at road crossings. Traversing flat to rolling terrain, the trail winds through pine hills and hardwood bottoms, passing through not only managed forest areas,but clearings and untouched areas as well. For example, hikers can enjoy the Castor Creek Scenic Area, a 90-acre site where large pine and hardwood trees are left in their natural state. In fact, all six of the vegetation communities present on the Evangeline Unit of the Calcasieu Ranger District are found along the trail; bottomland hardwoods, upland hardwoods, mixed pine and hardwoods, pure pine, bogs and natural open areas. General Information Hiking Time-Approximately 16 hours w/o a pack. Finding Your Way-Follow the yellow paint blazes closely because old logging roads are numerous and can be confusing;other trails are blue or white. Drinking Water-The only drinking water available on the Wild Azalea Trail is at the Valentine Lake Recreation Complex. Streams along the trail are unsuitable for drink- ing. Bring plenty of your own. Camping-Camping is permitted adjacent to the trail but campsites should be established at least 30 feet away from the trail centerline. Trash Disposal-All trash carried in on the trail must be carried out. Parking- Parking areas are provided at the town of Woodworth (at the Town Hall), on Forest Roads 273 and 279, and at Valentine Lake. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs). Persons with disabilities who require alternate means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Calcasieu Ranger District Evangeline Unit Kisatchie National Forest
Transcript of Calcasieu Ranger District Evangeline Unit Kisatchie ... · in their natural state. In fact, all six...
Mor
e In
form
atio
n C
alca
sieu
Ran
ger D
istri
ct O
ffic
e 99
12 H
ighw
ay 2
8 W
est
Boy
ce, L
a 7
1409
(3
18) 7
93-9
427
Hou
rs: M
onda
y-Fr
iday
, 7:3
0 am
- 4:
00 p
m
Kis
atch
ie N
atio
nal F
ores
t Sup
ervi
sor
2500
Shr
evep
ort H
wy,
Pin
evill
e, L
a 71
360
(318
) 473
-716
0 H
ours
: M-F
8:0
0am
-4:3
0pm
Cas
tor C
reek
Sce
nic A
rea
This
bea
utifu
l are
a at
the
junc
tion
of
Bru
shy
Cre
ek a
nd C
asto
r Cre
ek fe
atur
es a
va
riety
of l
arge
lobl
olly
pin
e, g
um, a
sh, a
nd
beec
h, m
agno
lia a
nd b
aldc
ypre
ss tr
ees.
Seg-
men
t 4 o
f the
Wild
Aza
lea
Trai
l pas
ses
thro
ugh
the
area
. Bec
ause
of i
ts o
utst
andi
ng
natu
ral b
eaut
y, th
is 9
0-ac
re a
rea
has b
een
set
asid
e fo
r pro
tect
ion
of it
s sce
nic
qual
ities
and
is
ava
ilabl
e fo
r jud
icio
us p
ublic
use
.
Wild
Aza
lea
Seep
N
oted
for t
he u
niqu
e pl
ants
that
it
supp
orts
, thi
s unu
sual
123
-acr
e w
oodl
and
is
on th
e Lo
uisi
ana
Nat
ural
Are
a R
egis
try. T
his
exce
llent
exa
mpl
e of
an
acid
seep
is h
ome
to
seve
ral s
peci
es o
f orc
hids
and
the
only
kn
own
popu
latio
n of
bog
mos
s wes
t of t
he
Mis
siss
ippi
Riv
er. T
he a
rea
lies a
long
Seg
-m
ent 2
of t
he W
ild A
zale
a Tr
ail.
Oth
er A
vaila
ble
Trai
ls
Loca
ted
in th
e sa
me
gene
ral a
rea
as th
e W
ild
Aza
lea
Trai
l are
a n
umbe
r of o
ther
trai
ls o
f in
tere
st to
the
avid
hik
er a
nd b
icyc
list.
They
ar
e th
e W
ild A
zale
a Sp
ur T
rail,
the
Kin
caid
Tr
ail,
The
Indi
an R
idge
Tra
il, th
e La
kesh
ore
Trai
l, an
d th
e La
mot
te C
reek
Tra
il (L
amot
te
Cre
ek p
ictu
red
belo
w).
Trai
l Seg
men
t Des
crip
tion:
Se
gmen
t 1: R
unni
ng fr
om V
alen
tine
Lake
to F
ores
t Se
rvic
e R
oad
(FSR
) 279
, thi
s seg
men
t is a
bout
5.6
m
iles l
ong.
One
mile
from
the
Val
entin
e La
ke
Trai
lhea
d yo
u cr
oss F
SR 2
88 a
nd p
ass n
ear t
he
Gar
dner
Fire
Tow
er w
hich
was
con
stru
cted
dur
ing
the
1930
's.
Segm
ent 2
: Beg
ins a
t FSR
279
and
runs
eas
t to
the
Evan
gelin
e Pr
imiti
ve C
amp
and
FSR
273
. Thi
s seg
-m
ent i
s abo
ut 3
.4 m
iles l
ong.
You
will
cro
ss tw
o un
deve
lope
d w
oods
road
s bef
ore
you
reac
h FS
R
240
- whi
ch is
als
o th
e ac
cess
poi
nt fr
om th
e W
ild
Aza
lea
Trai
l for
the
2-m
ile W
ild A
zale
a Sp
ur T
rail.
Segm
ent 3
: Her
e, y
ou ta
ke o
ff a
t FSR
273
, acr
oss
the
road
from
the
Evan
gelin
e Pr
imiti
ve C
amp
park
-in
g ar
ea. Y
ou c
ontin
ue fo
r 2.2
mile
s, fir
st e
astw
ard
then
sout
hwes
twar
d, ru
nnin
g pa
ralle
l to
Bog
gy
Bay
ou u
ntil
you
reac
h th
e in
ters
ectio
n of
FSR
273
an
d LA
Hw
y 48
8.
Se
gmen
t 4: T
his s
egm
ent o
f abo
ut 3
.2 m
iles r
uns i
n a
sout
h-so
uthe
ast d
irect
ion;
from
the
inte
rsec
tion
of
FSR
273
and
LA
Hw
y 48
8, b
ack
to F
SR 2
73 ju
st
sout
heas
t of t
he C
asto
r Cre
ek S
ceni
c A
rea.
Segm
ent 5
: Thi
s seg
men
t cro
sses
FSR
's 27
7, 2
87,
and
212
on it
s run
from
FSR
273
eas
t to
FSR
208
- a
tota
l of 6
.6 m
iles.
This
segm
ent i
s stre
nuou
s be-
caus
e of
its c
reek
cro
ssin
gs a
nd ru
gged
terr
ain,
and
re
quire
s fre
quen
t hill
clim
bing
.
Se
gmen
t 6: T
his s
tretc
h w
inds
in a
gen
eral
ly so
uth-
wes
t dire
ctio
n, fr
om a
smal
l tra
ilhea
d pa
rkin
g ar
ea
at F
SR 2
08 to
the
FSR
287
nea
r the
smal
l tow
n of
W
oodw
orth
. The
trai
l cro
sses
FSR
249
abo
ut 1
mile
fr
om th
e FS
R 2
08 tr
ailh
ead.
Thi
s is a
goo
d w
et
wea
ther
hik
e be
caus
e th
ere
are
no m
ajor
cre
ek
cros
sing
s.
Segm
ent 7
: Thi
s por
tion
of th
e tra
il ru
ns 1
.7 m
i. It
follo
ws t
he ro
ute
of a
pav
ed re
side
ntia
l roa
d fr
om
the
FSR
287
trai
lhea
d to
its e
aste
rn te
rmin
us in
the
park
ing
lot a
t the
Woo
dwor
th T
own
Hal
l. Th
e tra
il-he
ad p
rovi
ded
at th
e To
wn
Hal
l was
dev
elop
ed in
co
oper
atio
n w
ith th
e to
wn
of W
oodw
orth
itse
lf.
The
Wild
Aza
lea
Tra
il is
des
igna
ted
by th
e C
hief
of
the
Fore
st S
ervi
ce a
s a N
atio
nal R
ecre
atio
n Tr
ail
beca
use
of it
s out
stan
ding
veg
etat
ion
and
scen
ic v
alue
s.
Loc
atio
n
T
he W
ild A
zale
a Tr
ail l
ies s
outh
and
wes
t of
Ale
xand
ria, L
ouis
iana
. Its
end
poi
nts a
re a
t the
Kis
atch
ie
Nat
iona
l For
est's
Val
entin
e La
ke R
ecre
atio
n A
rea
and
Woo
dwor
th T
own
Hal
l.
D
escr
iptio
n
App
roxi
mat
ely
31 m
iles i
n le
ngth
, the
trai
l is
desi
gnat
ed fo
r bot
h fo
ot a
nd b
icyc
le tr
avel
. It i
s bis
ecte
d at
abo
ut m
idpo
int b
y St
ate
Hig
hway
488
and
is a
cces
sible
by
road
at s
ever
al o
ther
poi
nts.
This
mak
es it
pos
sibl
e to
hi
ke sh
ort s
ectio
ns, a
con
veni
ence
for t
hose
who
hav
en't
the
time
or th
e in
clin
atio
n to
hik
e th
e en
tire
leng
th o
f the
tra
il in
one
out
ing.
The
trai
l rou
te is
con
spic
uous
ly
mar
ked
with
brig
ht y
ello
w p
aint
bla
zes,
and
is si
gned
at
road
cro
ssin
gs.
Tra
vers
ing
flat t
o ro
lling
terra
in, t
he tr
ail w
inds
th
roug
h pi
ne h
ills a
nd h
ardw
ood
botto
ms,
pass
ing
thro
ugh
not o
nly
man
aged
fore
st a
reas
,but
cle
arin
gs a
nd
unto
uche
d ar
eas a
s wel
l. Fo
r exa
mpl
e, h
iker
s can
enj
oy
the
Cas
tor C
reek
Sce
nic
Are
a, a
90-
acre
site
whe
re la
rge
pine
and
har
dwoo
d tre
es a
re le
ft in
thei
r nat
ural
stat
e. In
fa
ct, a
ll si
x of
the
vege
tatio
n co
mm
uniti
es p
rese
nt o
n th
e Ev
ange
line
Uni
t of t
he C
alca
sieu
Ran
ger D
istri
ct a
re
foun
d al
ong
the
trail;
bot
tom
land
har
dwoo
ds, u
plan
d ha
rdw
oods
, mix
ed p
ine
and
hard
woo
ds, p
ure
pine
, bog
s an
d na
tura
l ope
n ar
eas.
Gen
eral
Info
rmat
ion
Hik
ing
Tim
e-A
ppro
xim
atel
y 16
hou
rs w
/o a
pac
k.
Find
ing
You
r W
ay-F
ollo
w th
e ye
llow
pai
nt b
laze
s cl
osel
y be
caus
e ol
d lo
ggin
g ro
ads a
re n
umer
ous a
nd c
an
be c
onfu
sing
;oth
er tr
ails
are
blu
e or
whi
te.
Dri
nkin
g W
ater
-The
onl
y dr
inki
ng w
ater
ava
ilabl
e on
th
e W
ild A
zale
a Tr
ail i
s at t
he V
alen
tine
Lake
Rec
reat
ion
Com
plex
. Stre
ams a
long
the
trail
are
unsu
itabl
e fo
r drin
k-in
g. B
ring
plen
ty o
f you
r ow
n.
Cam
ping
-Cam
ping
is p
erm
itted
adj
acen
t to
the
trail
but
cam
psite
s sho
uld
be e
stab
lishe
d at
leas
t 30
feet
aw
ay
from
the
trail
cent
erlin
e.
T
rash
Dis
posa
l-All
trash
car
ried
in o
n th
e tra
il m
ust b
e ca
rrie
d ou
t.
Park
ing-
Par
king
are
as a
re p
rovi
ded
at th
e to
wn
of
Woo
dwor
th (a
t the
Tow
n H
all),
on
Fore
st R
oads
273
and
27
9, a
nd a
t Val
entin
e La
ke.
The
U.S
. Dep
artm
ent o
f Agr
icul
ture
(USD
A) p
rohi
bits
disc
rimin
atio
n in
all
its p
rogr
ams a
nd a
ctiv
ities
on
the
basi
s of r
ace,
col
or, n
atio
nal o
rigin
, sex
, rel
igio
n, a
ge,
disa
bilit
y, p
oliti
cal b
elie
fs, s
exua
l orie
ntat
ion,
or m
arita
l or
fam
ily st
atus
. (N
ot a
ll pr
ohib
ited
base
s app
ly to
all
prog
ram
s).
Pe
rson
s with
dis
abili
ties w
ho re
quire
alte
rnat
e m
eans
for
com
mun
icat
ion
of p
rogr
am in
form
atio
n (B
raill
e, la
rge
prin
t, au
diot
ape,
etc
.) sh
ould
con
tact
USD
A's
TAR
GET
C
ente
r at (
202)
720
-260
0 (v
oice
and
TD
D).
To fi
le a
co
mpl
aint
of d
iscr
imin
atio
n, w
rite
USD
A, D
irect
or, O
ffic
e of
Civ
il R
ight
s, R
oom
326
-W, W
hitte
n B
uild
ing,
140
0 In
depe
nden
ce A
venu
e, S
W, W
ashi
ngto
n, D
C 2
0250
-941
0 or
cal
l (20
2) 7
20-5
964
(voi
ce a
nd T
DD
). U
SDA
is a
n eq
ual o
ppor
tuni
ty p
rovi
der a
ndem
ploy
er.
Cal
casi
eu R
ange
r D
istr
ict
Eva
ngel
ine
Uni
t K
isat
chie
Nat
iona
l For
est
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