Cypress Nature Trails

The Cypress Black Bayou Recreation and Water Conservation Area is comprised of 84 acres of Louisiana wetland and cypress forest, and is home to the Cypress Nature Trails. The ten short trails total 4.5 miles and are mostly level, some with portions of boardwalks and footbridges to carry you and your leashed fur-baby over the water and muck. While the gates close at 5:00 p.m., visitors can remain on the trails until 6:45 p.m. Seasonal hourly changes may occur, so be sure to check before setting out. 

There are two access points to the Cypress Nature Trails: one at the Cypress Nature Center and another at the beginning of Muscadine Trail. Both trail sections connect and interweave with the other short looped segments, so your hike can be broken into short walks or a longer looping trek. Fido will keep going as long as you do! The Sassafrass Trail is composed of two separate loops, and accommodates handicapped people and strollers. 

Your pooch will love all of the wildlife in this cypress forest, including many species of migrating birds like songbirds, birds of prey and others. Waterfowl inhabit the wetland areas near the Cypress Bayou Reservoir and boardwalks, and many water-loving animals like turtles can be seen swimming or sunning near the trail. You may even spy armadillos, swimming underwater or basking on a rock. Wildflowers and berry buds attract butterflies and wasps searching for nectar, and small mammals rustle in the cypress and fringetree underbrush for their next meals.

When it's time for a rest, you'll find many benches set upon the grassy areas bordering the barktiful reservoir and alongside the trails. A snack or some water would be pawrfect here! Watch birds flit in and out of birdhouses mounted high in the trees! Fido will have a veritable smorgasbord of sights, sounds and smells to feast upon as you meander along the long, arching Lakeview Trail, or criss-cross with some of the shorter paths. Be sure to bring along water and clean up bags to make this trek puptastic!

This cypress-rich forest features an experience of Louisiana's beauty that can't be puplicated and both you and your fur-pup will be thrilled!