3 Best Hiking Trails in Baton Rouge, LA

“Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center is a 103-acre preservation that has a recreation and tourism facility. The center contains a 9500-square-foot, award-winning building packed with live animal exhibits. Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center has over a mile of gravel pathways and boardwalks linking diverse ecosystems such as the cypress-tupelo swamp, beech-magnolia, and hardwood forest. The park offers fun outdoor experiences and hands-on learning opportunities, while BSNC fosters understanding and natural resource knowledge. Visitors can enjoy the live animal exhibits and the contact tables filled with items such as snakeskins. The staff is friendly and remarkable in understanding the native animals and foliage. There is also a safe place for kids to play with toys and such, as well as meeting rooms. Visitors can see seasonal species as well as year-round residents during peak migrations.”

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“Comite River Park covers 100.4 acres and features steep terrain and hilly landscapes. The Comite Park Trail is a heavily trafficked 4.9-mile loop trail near Baton Rouge. It offers an 11-mile journey through complex terrain, including access to beaches and swamps. The trail provides many options for exercise. This park includes a picnic shelter, a station for bicycle washing, and restrooms. Additionally, the trail offers a more accessible option across the highway to the nearby Blackwater trail. Visitors can also explore the 5.5-mile mountain bike trail. The path's surface is hardpacked, with a few sandy parts closer to the water. Comite River Park has picnic shelters, bicycle cleaning stations, and restroom facilities.”

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“Hooper Road Park is an area of nature set aside to protect ecosystems, plants, and wildlife. The 232,85 acres weave through the forests, with more than five miles of bike trails. Visitors can enjoy more than 5 miles of mountain bike trails. The elevation gain of the trail is 49 feet. The time taken to complete the entire trail is approximately 2 hours and 44 minutes. The trail is generally considered an easy to moderately challenging trail route. This is a beautiful spot to picnic with the kids or play in the gym or outside. The park has a great children's play area and trails. Their staff is taking responsibility for ensuring trails are safe and enjoyable. Wildlife like snakes, ticks, coyotes, and alligators can be found in this area. Dogs are allowed on leash at all times.”

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