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Kisatchie National Forest, Natchitoches, LA

Photo: Billy Hathorn at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

Sport & OutdoorOutdoor AdventureLocal GemFree

Kisatchie National Forest

Kisatchie Ranger District, off LA-117 south of Natchitoches · Natchitoches, LA

Why you should go…

Kisatchie is Louisiana's only national forest, over 604,000 acres of longleaf pine hills and hardwood bottoms spread across seven parishes and five ranger districts. Near Natchitoches you can look out over the Kisatchie Hills Wilderness from the sandstone bluffs of Longleaf Vista, or swim and paddle the sandy, rocky Kisatchie Bayou. Elsewhere you will find a 17-mile scenic byway, off-highway vehicle trails, pitcher plant bogs, and the ruins of the Fullerton sawmill at Fullerton Lake.

  • #national forest
  • #hiking
  • #camping
  • #canoeing
  • #scenic byway

Good to know

General sport & outdoor guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • Weather calls the shots

    Check the forecast the morning of and keep an indoor backup in your pocket for the day it turns.

  • Shoes, water, sun cover

    The three things that decide whether you last the whole outing or cut it short after an hour.

  • Parking and launches fill early

    On a nice weekend, lots and trailheads are often full by mid-morning.

  • Daylight shrinks in shoulder season

    Spring and fall visits need an earlier start than the same trip in July.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Kisatchie National Forest, ordered by straight-line distance.

  • Sightseeing
    History Buff

    Natchitoches Historic District

    Free

    Stroll brick Front Street past shops and boutiques overlooking the Cane River Lake riverwalk in Louisiana's oldest town.

    19 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing