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 remains 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 seven 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. Beware the problematic crossing at US Highway 190; plans call for improvements by 2008. 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.
Though Hurricane Katrina did ravage the trail-not to mention the rest of southeast Louisiana-crews have removed the fallen trees, and most of the route is again open. That said, Katrina did push back plans to improve trail access, particularly along the Mandeville-Slidell section.
Another impediment is an unfinished bridge across the Lacombe Bayou on the eastern trail section. The route currently stops at Lake Road to the west and South Oaklawn Drive to the east. While cyclists can bypass this gap via US Highway 190, the high volume of traffic makes this detour hazardous. Plans call for construction of a new bridge across the bayou by the end of 2008.
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Parking & Trail Access:
Directions: To reach the Tammany Trace trailhead, take I-12 east to LA 59 north, 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.

Contact:
Tammany Trace
21490 Koop Drive
Mandeville, LA 70471
(985) 867-9490
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Reviews: [1 trail ratings]
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Wonderful break from Louisiana roads
By Rick Collins on June 21, 2010
Just finished a 2761 mile, 27 day cross country tour from San Diego to Jacksonville, Fl. We happened upon the Trace from friendly folks in a convenience store in Covington who told us about it. What a welcome break from Rt. 71 and 190 ! The trail is perfectly paved the entire way, clearly marked once you're on it. We rode 22 miles to Slidell in about an hour, in the shade. What relief after leaving Hammond in a heat index of 117.
Easy Riding & Pleasant Viewing
By louiscarrio on April 25, 2010
We rode this trail in April 2010. We started at Abita Springs where we had a wonderful soup-salad-sandwich lunch at the Breakaway Cafe, across the highway from the Brew Pub. There is parking nearby and we rode the trail in two diections, before and after lunch. At this time of year wisteria and azeleas were in bloom adding to the beauty of this ride.
Map inconsistency
By jobtraklite on March 29, 2010
I've been planning a ride from Mobile, AL to Hammond, LA and came across the Tammany Trace.

I've noticed that the TrailLink Google Map shows the trail continuing east beyond US 190 to North Slidell. However, the new Google Map bicycling direction option shows it only going as far as Neslo Road, with a rail line continuing east to N. Slidell. Several street views confirm that it this portion is still a rail line.
Browse Trails by Activity:
Old cemetary in Mandeville along trail.
Trail Facts
Trail End Points: Covington to Lacombe to Lacombe to Slidell
Counties: St. Tammany
Trail Length: 27.5 miles
Trail Category: Rail-Trail
Trail Surfaces: Asphalt
Trail Activities: Bike, 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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