Wild Azalea Trail is a 23.9 mile moderately trafficked point-to-point trail located near Woodworth,

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...

, that features beautiful wild flowers and is rated as moderate. The trail is used for hiking and mountain biking and is accessible year-round. Dogs are allowed on the trail. The Wild Azalea Trail is part of the

Kisatchie National Forest Kisatchie National Forest, the only National forest in Louisiana, United States, is located in the forested piney hills and hardwood bottoms of seven central and northern parishes. It is part of the Cenozoic uplands (some of Louisiana's olde ...

, and it has been designated by the Chief of the Forest Service as a

National Recreation Trail The National Trails System is a series of trails in the United States designated "to promote the preservation of, public access to, travel within, and enjoyment and appreciation of the open-air, outdoor areas and historic resources of the Nati ...

. Located in the Evangeline Unit of the Calcasieu Ranger District, the trail's end points are at Valentine Lake Recreation Area, and near the town of Woodworth. The trail is bisected about midway by Louisiana Highway 488 and it is accessible from Forest Service roads at several other points. The trail is designated for foot or mountain biking traffic only. Traversing flat to rolling terrain, the trail winds through pine hills and hardwood bottoms, passing through managed forest areas, clearings and untouched areas. The trail route is marked with yellow diamond-shaped badges. March and April are the best times to spot the Wild Azaleas for which the trail is named. Camping is permitted adjacent to the trail, but campsites must be at least 30 feet from the trail center-line. All trash carried in on the trail must be carried out. A racing event known as the Wild Azalea Trail Challenge, which includes both trail running and mountain biking races of various distances, has been conducted each January on the trail beginning in 2013 and continuing through 2020.

References

External links

* {{official website, 1=https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/kisatchie/null/recarea/?recid=34655&actid=50 Hiking trails in Louisiana Alexandria metropolitan area, Louisiana National Recreation Trails in Louisiana