Tammany Trace Bike Trail, LaPlace

One cool way to discover the beauty of nature is cycling and the best place to cycle near LaPlace is Tammany Trace Trail. The asphalted trail lies on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain and offers a fascinating scenic ride through five communities of St. Tammany Parish. The causeway was completed in 1960 and before then it was quite cut off from the sway of New Orleans.

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Nowadays the parish is growing rapidly. Despite that growth, it is full of wetlands and amazing views. The first trailhead is located in Abita Springs. The route continues south to Mandeville, where it threads a suburban setting with many street crossings. When you pass Mandeville, the trail will lead you southeast through a damp with heavy wetlands climate.

The area there is called the Louisiana of Deep South lore. On your way to Slidell, you will come across several blocks of Lake Pontchartrain, where you should watch out for alligators and the nefarious nutria, a semi-aquatic rodent that’s been gnawing its way through Louisiana since 1930.

The trail ends at the trailhead of Slidell – Carollo. There are future plans to continue the trail to downtown Slidell at the Heritage Park. If you love scenic rides on your two wheels, Tammany Trace Trail is the trail to ride.