Outdoor Activities & Entertainment

Outdoor Activities: Embrace the Outdoors: Activities in Our Area

Central Louisiana is at the center of Louisiana’s “Sportsman’s Paradise” reputation. The combination of Kisatchie National Forest, the Red River, multiple recreational lakes, and abundant public hunting land puts year-round outdoor activity within a short drive of Alexandria.

Kisatchie National Forest

Kisatchie is the only national forest in Louisiana and the largest single outdoor recreation asset in the state. The Calcasieu Ranger District’s Evangeline Unit, just southwest of Alexandria, covers 97,000 acres and is the closest unit to the city.

• 604,000+ total acres across seven parishes
• 100+ miles of hiking, biking, and equestrian trails
• 40+ developed recreation sites
• Wild Azalea Trail, the longest continuous hiking trail in Louisiana at 26.2 miles
• Backbone Trail and Caroline Dormon Trail for hiking and horseback riding
• Longleaf Vista Recreation Area and the 17-mile Longleaf Scenic Byway
• Kisatchie Hills Wilderness, an 8,700-acre federally designated wilderness area

Lakes and Water Recreation

• Kincaid Lake, 2,600 acres, 8 miles west of Alexandria, popular for crappie, bass, and boating, with sandy beaches and swimming areas
• Cotile Lake, 1,775 acres, 15 miles northwest, known for largemouth bass and family camping
• Lake Buhlow in Pineville, hosts high-speed motorboat racing and is a regional weekend destination
• Red River, the central waterway for fishing, boating, and bass tournaments
• Indian Creek Reservoir, 2,250 acres, with a state recreation area
• Kisatchie Bayou, a clear, sandy-bottomed bayou with kayaking and primitive camping

Hunting and Fishing

Louisiana’s reputation as a sportsman’s state is built in part on central Louisiana’s public lands.

• Public hunting on Kisatchie National Forest land for deer, turkey, waterfowl, and small game
• Red Dirt National Wildlife Management Preserve in the Kisatchie Ranger District
• Bass, crappie, catfish, bream, and bluegill fisheries on every lake in the area
• Annual fishing derbies and bass tournaments on Kincaid, Cotile, and the Red River

Hiking and Biking

• Wild Azalea Trail, 26.2 miles, hiking and mountain biking
• Caroline Dormon Trail, 10.5 miles, hiking, biking, and equestrian use
• Backbone Trail, 8 miles in the Kisatchie Hills Wilderness
• Sandstone Multi-Use Trail, 36 miles, mixed use
• Numerous shorter day-hike loops at Kincaid, Stuart Lake, and Indian Creek

Off-Highway and Adventure

• Claiborne Multi-Use Trail, 70-mile system for ATV, motorcycle, and equestrian use
• Camp Livingston multi-use OHV trails
• Louisiana Mudfest in nearby Colfax for off-road events

Wildlife and Birding

• White-tailed deer, wild turkey, raccoons, armadillos, and occasional Louisiana black bear
• Endangered red-cockaded woodpeckers in the long-leaf pine forests
• Bald eagles nesting at Kincaid Lake, with a Forest Service eagle cam available year-round
• Migratory waterfowl through the Mississippi Flyway

Day-Trip Range

Within a day’s drive, central Louisiana also gives access to:

• The Atchafalaya Basin, North America’s largest river swamp, 90 minutes south
• Toledo Bend Reservoir, one of the top bass lakes in the country, 1 hour 45 minutes west
• Gulf of Mexico beaches at Grand Isle, 4 hours south