Tammany Trace:
Louisiana
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Description:
On the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain, Tammany Trace offers a fascinating scenic trek through five St. Tammany Parish communities. Before the 24-mile causeway was completed in the 1960s, this area was quite cut off from the sway of New Orleans. Today the parish is one of the fastest growing in the state. Despite the rapid growth, however, this 27.5-mile corridor is blessed with beautiful views of woods and wetlands.

Passing through the historic towns of Covington, Abita Springs and Mandeville, you'll experience the piney woods and moss-draped oaks that earned the area its Ozone Belt nickname. In the late 1800s New Orleanians seeking respite from the oppressive heat of the coastal plain chose this as a vacation spot. Today the trail passes many of their stately retreats.

While the western endpoint is in trendy Covington, the first trailhead (with parking, restrooms, and water fountains) lies 7 miles east in Abita Springs. The latter is also home to the famed Abita Brewpub, which serves a pleasant lunch at trailside seating (park at adjacent Abita Springs Park). The famous local beer and root beer are brewed nearby.

The route south to Mandeville threads a mostly suburban setting with several street crossings. To connect with local culture, stop by the Saturday morning market at the Mandeville trailhead to browse handmade items and sample a variety of local foods. Beyond Mandeville, the trail leads southeast through the damp, heavy wetlands climate. This is the Louisiana of Deep South lore. You'll come within several blocks of Lake Pontchartrain before angling inland toward the bayou. Keep watch for alligators, as well as the nefarious nutria, a semiaquatic rodent that's been gnawing its way through the Louisiana wetlands since the 1930s.

Currently the trail ends at the Slidell-Carollo trailhead. There are plans to continue the Tammany Trace to downtown Slidell at Heritage Park.

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Parking & Trail Access:
Parking is available at five places along the trail. To reach the Tammany Trace trailhead from the west end point, take I-12 east to LA 59 north in Abita Springs, cross Little Creek and turn left on Koop Drive. Rangers staff a visitor center in a green caboose past the St. Tammany Parish government building. Park beside the caboose.

Additional parking is available at other access points along the way. Visit http://www.tammanytrace.org/tour.shtml#visit to find more information.

Contact:
Tammany Trace
21490 Koop Drive
Mandeville, LA 70471
(985) 867-9490

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Reviews: [4 trail ratings]
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Trikke at the Trace
By mytrikke.com in November, 2011
For anybody looking for a nice, flat trail to ride their trikke, the Trace is the best place around!

I ride my trikke once a week at the Trace.

If any trikkers want to meet up with me and ride, go to my trikke club at MYTRIKKE.COM and join me for some fun, awesome rides.
Great Day, Great Ride.
By ddmmag in September, 2011
My husband and I rode from Covington to Mandeville and back and it was a wonderful ride. We started out early and had very little company. As the day progressed we saw more people and a few groups training. This is a nice easy ride. Four stars because of lots of road crossings. Trailheads have great facilities and the trail is well maintained. We saw two rangers checking on the trail on our trek. Of course we had to stop at the Abita Brew Pub for a cold one. Great day, Great ride.
What a great ride
By cycling shari in April, 2011
We rode the trail in April. The trail was very well maintainec. It was ride was beautiful and the weather was perfect. They were building a new trailhead at the drawbridge. The wetlands beside the trail provided a variety of plants. Covington is a very nice town in which to stay.
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Ruins of a Sugar Mill at the State Park.
Trail Facts
Trail End Points: Covington to Slidell
Counties: St. Tammany
Trail Length: 27.5 miles
Trail Category: Rail-Trail
Trail Surfaces: Asphalt
Trail Activities: Bike, Inline Skating, Wheelchair Accessible, Horseback Riding, Mountain Biking, Walking
TrailLink ID: 6015938

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Guidebook: Learn more about other Southeast rail-trails in RTC's Southeast Guidebook.
Trail of the Month: September 2003
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