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Chicot State Park
10 reviews
3.3 of 5
A 20 mile loop around Chicot Lake consisting of singletrack and a few fireroads marked by orange blazes. Mainly single track thru pine & hardwood forest.
There are multiple areas of access to the loop: the North, South, East, and Walker Branch Trailheads.
The most difficult part of the trail is the first 4 miles north from the South Landing Trailhead, which is a series of steep root-encrusted ups and downs. Sprinkled throughout the loop are a few 4' wide wooden bridges crossing wide ditches/low-lying/marshy areas. None have railings, and 2 are 4-5' off the ground and run for approximately 100 meters.
3469 Chicot Park Road, Ville Platte, LA 70586 *888-677-2442* *Park hours: 6am - 9pm Sun. thru Thurs. 6am - 10pm Fri. & Sat. & days preceding holidays.* *To Main Entrance: from I-49 take EXIT 46/St. Landry/LA106. Head west on LA106 for 7.1mi. Take a left onto LA3042, and after 4mi the park entrance will appear on the left.*
Summary: This is a good trek around the lake. Are Banana Spiders poisoness? I counted 30 or so. Just when you think they are clearing out, think again. If you don't have Arachniphobia(fear of Spiders)then crank on. I had one 5 inches big block my vision on one eye. I still have a vivid image imprinted in my brain. I rode with a joust in my handgrip. When I came out 19 miles later I had a hairnet like a cafeteria lady. Anyway besides that excitement the trails were fast downslopes to an abrupt ditch then maybe a minute mellow climb. Duplicate that six times or so. It took me a few hours. You better bring backup supplies or you'll be hiking for a while!
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Summary: This trail is nice, but they should rename it The Bannana Spider. Damn! We turned back after 7-ish miles because of huge spider webs across the trail every 10-20 feet. In the swampy areas at the northern tip, this proved unridable. Must have ducked, cleared or plowed through 75+ webs.
The first 1-2 miles north from the South (Main)Entrance Trail Head are a blast and the most technical...then it levels out alot. Bring your low gears and start early when it's August. First section is pretty steep for LA. Very beautiful land and more than a nice roll. Hope to go back in the Fall and combine with some camping.
Recommended Route: Head north from South/Main trailhead and go as far as you can, then turn back to hit it faster! Watch for hikers
Other recommended trails in the same area: Hooper/Comite
Summary: It's been a while since someone wrote about this trail, so I figured it's time for an update. I recently rode the trail for the Labor day holiday, and after 3 bikes and 4 years of mountain biking, this trail is still one of my favorites. Anyway, I decided to do an early morning ride on the north side. I was completly ambushed by "banana spiders". What normally takes me 45 minutes to ride, took me over a hour and a half. Be warned, these creatures are at every corner! I had to swing a long stick in front of me and ride with one hand just to help clear a path. Besides the web abuse, I'm glad that this park has improved the trails. Back in '02 it was hard to ride the north trail due to low upkeep, but now there's bridges that cross the swampy areas and the park is very rideable. Try riding in the fall, the summer months are killer hot. A whole trip around the park should take about 6 hours at your leasure, just bring lots of water and snacks.
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Review Date April 22, 2002
Overall Rating 3 of 5
Ridden Trail: Please Select
Reviewed by: stumonky
, from Houma, LA
Summary: I chose 3 stars - not 1.
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Review Date April 21, 2002
Overall Rating 1 of 5
Ridden Trail: Please Select
Reviewed by: stumonky
, from Houma, LA
Summary: The park itself is very nice. I enjoyed our night stay there better than when we stayed at Lake Kincaid. Although the trails here are very mild. The use of the word 'technical' by others reviewers did not jump out to me. On some parts there were some light climbs nice switchbacks. The trails are clearly marked and even upcoming turns (what happened to surprise?). The few technical parts were mostly short followed by very long scenic spots of flat singletrack with well made bridges through swamp and marshy areas. I would reccomend this trail as a 'PRE' Lake Kincaid or Clear Springs trail. It defintely not one of Louisina's best BUT the layout and park is very nice. Work is needed in this trail in ditches which are impossible to cross (walked through quite a few) and the high transitions on the bridges could be made smoother. I'm not saying this is a terrible trail but it's defintley not my favorite. Spend the night in the park and ride the whole loop makes for a nice little workout. It would be best described as a step down from Wild Azalea. (Beginner to Intermediate)
Recommended Route: We camped in the North camping area and started at the North trailhead and did the whole loop clockwise.
Other recommended trails in the same area: Lake Kincaid, Clear Springs, Hooper & Comite Park, De Soto.
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