Kisatchie National Forest, the only National forest in

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is bord ...

, United States, is located in the forested piney hills and hardwood bottoms of seven central and northern

parishes A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or ...

. It is part of the Cenozoic uplands (some of Louisiana's oldest rocks) and has large areas of

longleaf pine The longleaf pine (''Pinus palustris'') is a pine species native to the Southeastern United States, found along the coastal plain from East Texas to southern Virginia, extending into northern and central Florida. In this area it is also known as ...

forests (a forest type that has declined significantly over the last century). It is one of the largest pieces of natural landscape in Louisiana, with some of public land, more than half of which is vital longleaf pine and flatwoods vegetation. These support many rare plant and animal species. There are also rare habitats, such as hillside seepage bogs and calcareous prairies. The forest also contains and provides a buffer for the Kisatchie Hills Wilderness, a nationally designated wilderness area that contributes to protecting biodiversity of the coastal plain region of the United States. The forest was designated in 1930 during the administration of U.S. President

Herbert Hoover Herbert Clark Hoover (August 10, 1874 – October 20, 1964) was an American politician who served as the 31st president of the United States from 1929 to 1933 and a member of the Republican Party, holding office during the onset of the Gre ...

. Kisatchie National Forest plays an important role in protecting representative examples of the landscape of northern Louisiana, particularly those that fall within the South Central Plains Ecoregion. The forest protects habitat for a wide array of plant species, including wild orchids and carnivorous plants. Two examples include the pale pitcher plant and rose pogonia orchid. Biologists have found 155 species of breeding or overwintering birds, 48 mammal species, 56 reptile species and 30 amphibian species. Rare animals include the Louisiana pine snake, the red-cockaded woodpecker, the

Louisiana black bear The Louisiana black bear (''Ursus americanus luteolus''), one of 16 subspecies of the American black bear, is found in parts of Louisiana, mainly along the Mississippi River Valley and the Atchafalaya River Basin. It was classified as 'threat ...

and the Louisiana pearlshell mussel.United States Department of Agriculture. 1999. ''Final Environmental Impact Statement. Revised Land and Resource Management Plan. Kisatchie National Forest.'' Forest Service, Southern Region, Pineville, LA. The forest also offers recreation activities including: bird watching, photography, backpacking, canoeing, all-terrain vehicle trails, boating, camping, cycling, fishing, hiking, horseback riding, hunting, mountain biking, picnicking and swimming. The forest has more than 40 developed recreation sites and over of trails for hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding. Kisatchie National Forest contains two significant roadless areas, established to protect native species: Cunningham Brake and Saline Bayou. Cunningham Brake is a large cypress-tupelo gum swamp that also protects flows in Kisatchie Bayou. Saline Bayou has mixed forests associated with alluvial habitats, ranging from shortleaf pine to tupelo gum.

Roads A road is a linear way for the conveyance of traffic that mostly has an improved surface for use by vehicles (motorized and non-motorized) and pedestrians. Unlike streets, the main function of roads is transportation. There are many types of ...

are known to cause significant damage to forests, prairies, streams and wetlands. Roads are particularly harmful to native populations of amphibians and reptiles that migrate to vernal pools. A third large roadless area, the Kisatchie Hills, is protected under a different designation, as a

National Wilderness Area The National Wilderness Preservation System (NWPS) of the United States protects federally managed wilderness areas designated for preservation in their natural condition. Activity on formally designated wilderness areas is coordinated by the Na ...

. More information of these important areas can be found in the ''Final Environmental Impact Statement'' for Kisatchie, prepared by the Forest Service in 1999. Although forests dominate the landscape, scattered prairies can also be found. Natural prairies have been almost extirpated from Louisiana, mostly by clearing for agriculture. Less than one thousand acres of calcareous prairie may remain in the entire state, three pieces of which are associated with Kisatchie: the Kieffer prairie (769 acres), the historic Tancock Prairie (45 acres), and the historic Bartram Prairie (1,190 acres). The latter two are referred to as "historic" because they were mentioned in 1836 survey records; they have reverted to forest. So thoroughly have the prairies of North America been cleared that remnants such as these are likely to be of national significance. The restoration of a natural fire regimen is the most important priority for maintaining and enhancing these prairies. The forest consists of several large areas; and these are fragmented by private land ownership. The headquarters are in Pineville, but the Kisatchie National Forest has five ranger districts in the north-central area of the state: Calcasieu, Caney, Catahoula, Kisatchie and Winn. The forest lies in parts of seven parishes. In descending order of land area within the forest, they are

Grant Grant or Grants may refer to: Places *Grant County (disambiguation) Australia * Grant, Queensland, a locality in the Barcaldine Region, Queensland, Australia United Kingdom * Castle Grant United States * Grant, Alabama * Grant, Inyo County, ...

, Natchitoches,

Winn Winn may refer to: Places In the United States: * Winn, Maine, a town in Penobscot County * Winn, Michigan, an unincorporated community * Winn Parish, Louisiana Other uses * Winn (surname) (including a list of people with the name) * WINN, an Ame ...

, Rapides, Vernon, Claiborne, and

Webster Webster may refer to: People *Webster (surname), including a list of people with the surname *Webster (given name), including a list of people with the given name Places Canada *Webster, Alberta * Webster's Falls, Hamilton, Ontario United Stat ...

parishes.

Calcasieu Ranger District

The Calcasieu Ranger district is the southernmost district, located between

Alexandria Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandri ...

, Leesville and DeRidder. The District Office is located on LA 28 West, two miles (3 km) east of Gardner and ten miles (16 km) west of Alexandria, Louisiana. Wolf Rock Cave, the only known cave in Louisiana, is located just off Parish road 455 (locally known as Johnsonville road) in Vernon Parish. The 70 foot above ground cave is situated beside Bundick Creek and is a protected by two rock overhangs. The Palustris Experimental Forest is located within the Calcasieu Ranger District. The district comprises the Evangeline and Vernon units:

Evangeline Unit

This district features Kincaid Lake, Valentine Lake, and The Wild Azalea National Recreation Trail Other areas include the Kincaid Lake Day-Use Area, the Kincaid Lake Group-Use Area, the Valentine Lake Day-Use Areas, Valentine Lake Group-Use Area, the Bayou Boeuf Research Natural Area, and the Castor Creek Scenic Area. The Wild Azalea Seep area is part of the Wild Azalea National Recreation Trail. Campgrounds include three at Kincaid Lake, two at Valentine Lake, the Loran/Claiborne Trailhead Camp, the Evangeline Camp, the Amus Melder Camp and the

Boy Scout A Scout (in some countries a Boy Scout, Girl Scout, or Pathfinder) is a child, usually 10–18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement. Because of the large age and development span, many Scouting associations have split ...

Camp. The Amus Melder Camp is for equestrian riders utilizing the Claiborne Trails. Trails in this district include the Wild Azalea National Recreation Trail, the Claiborne Trails, the Kincaid Lake Trails, the Valentine Lake Trail, the Lamotte Creek Trail, the Ouiski Chitto Creek (sometimes spelled Whiskey Chitto) Recreation Trail and, the Indian Ridge Trail. The Evangeline Unit of the Calcasieu Ranger District also encompasses the remains of

Camp Claiborne Camp Claiborne was a U.S. Army military camp in the 1930s continuing through World War II located in Rapides Parish in central Louisiana. The camp was under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Eighth Service Command, and included 23,000 acres (93 k ...

, a U.S. Army post during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

. Camp Claiborne was the largest military installation in the United States and the third largest city in Louisiana. Today, part of the old camp is used as a

U.S. Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Sign ...

bombing range A bombing range usually refers to a remote military aerial bombing and gunnery training range used by combat aircraft to attack ground targets (air-to-ground bombing), or a remote area reserved for researching, developing, testing and evaluati ...

Vernon Unit

This district features Fullerton Lake, Enduro Trailhead Camp, and Hunter's Camp. Day and group-use opportunities include The Fullerton Lake Day-Use Area, Fullerton Lake Group-Use Area, Little Cypress Day-Use Area, Little Cypress Group-Use Area, Blue Hole Day-Use Area, Blue Hole Group-Use Area, and Government Pond Recreation Area. Some activities have required fees. Boating opportunities include in this district include kayaking and canoeing on Fullerton Lake, Little Cypress, Blue Hole, and Blue Hole Wildlife Viewing Structure. Hiking trails in this area include Big Branch Trail, Ouiska Chitto Trail, Enduro Trail, Fullerton Mill Trail,' Ol Sarge Trail and, Turkey Pen Trail. Other notable activities in the area include Cooter's Bog Special Interest Area, Drake's Creek Special Interest Area, Quiska Chitto Special Interest Area, and the Longleaf Scenic Area. Animals in the area include the

red-cockaded woodpecker The red-cockaded woodpecker (''Leuconotopicus borealis'') is a woodpecker endemic to the southeastern United States. Description The red-cockaded woodpecker is small to mid-sized species, being intermediate in size between North America's two ...

(''Picoides borealis''), often referred to as the RCW, is one of the few birds endemic to the United States and many colonies are in the Vernon Unit. The RCW only nest in cavities of specific trees. Having extremely specific habitat requirements lost by mass deforestation caused large population declines and the extinction of numerous colonies in the 20th century. It was listed as a Federal Endangered Species. All areas in this unit where RCW reside have been identified and are distinctly marked. The markings include a boundary of Department of Forestry Service signs and white paint markings on the boundary trees. Many of these habitats can be observed from the roadside of La-Forestry Rd. 410, known as Bailey Road, that runs from Rosepine to LA 10. The Louisiana Statewide Red-cockaded Woodpecker Safe Harbor Program is a partnership between the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and the

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS or FWS) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats. The mission of the agency is "working with othe ...

to enlist the aid of non-federal property owners to help build and maintain adequate foraging habitat. The

wild turkey The wild turkey (''Meleagris gallopavo'') is an upland ground bird native to North America, one of two extant species of turkey and the heaviest member of the order Galliformes. It is the ancestor to the domestic turkey, which was originally d ...

was a very important food animal to Native Americans, but it was eliminated from much of its range by the early 20th century. Large groups of these birds can be observed on or near LA-Forestry rds 430 (Marlow Road) and 431 (Drakes Fork Road) that is off LA 10 just west of Cravens. The Calcasieu's Vernon Unit is frequently used by neighboring

Fort Polk Fort Polk is a United States Army installation located in Vernon Parish, Louisiana, about 10 miles (15 km) east of Leesville and 30 miles (50 km) north of DeRidder in Beauregard Parish. It was named to honor Leonidas Polk, the firs ...

for training and the military leases training access to many areas. Areas affected by military operations will be posted by Fort Polk and Kisatchie.

Caney Ranger District

The Caney Ranger district is located northeast of

Shreveport Shreveport ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is the third most populous city in Louisiana after New Orleans and Baton Rouge, respectively. The Shreveport–Bossier City metropolitan area, with a population of 393,406 in 2020, is ...

south of the

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the O ...

state line near

Homer Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the ...

, the seat of Claiborne Parish. It boasts the Sugar Cane National Recreation Trail along with Caney Lakes Recreation Area and Corney Lakes. The Caney Ranger District, unlike the rest of the Kisatchie National Forest, began its life in the hands of the Depression-era

Resettlement Administration The Resettlement Administration (RA) was a New Deal U.S. federal agency created May 1, 1935. It relocated struggling urban and rural families to communities planned by the federal government. On September 1, 1937, it was succeeded by the Farm S ...

, which bought up marginal upland farmland. The Caney was not turned over to the Forest Service until 1959. The district comprises the Caney Lake Unit, the Middle Fork Unit, and the Corney Lake Unit

Caney Lakes Unit

Camping opportunities in this unit include The Beaver Dam Campground on Upper Caney Lake and the Turtle Slide Campground on Lower Caney Lake in the Caney Lakes Recreation Complex. Trail opportunities include The Sugar Cane National Recreation Trail inside the Caney Lakes Recreation Complex. Day and group-use opportunities include The Caney Lakes Day-Use Area, the Caney Lakes Ski Beach Area, and the Caney Lakes Group-Use Area which are all located on Lower Caney Lake. People desiring boating opportunities can enjoy The Upper Caney Lake Boat Launch Area, the Lower Caney Lake Boat Launch Area, and the South Shore Caney Lake Boat Launch Area. Fees are collected for certain activities in this unit.

Middle Fork Unit

The Middle Fork Unit of the Caney Ranger District has only two designated recreation facilities, both of which are designated hunter's camps and are opened year-around but only maintained for the hunting season. These primitive camps are Bucktail Camp and Turkey Trot Camp. These areas are ideal for wildlife and bird watchers, plant enthusiasts, and nature lovers.

Corney Lake Unit

Camping opportunities include The south shore campground, the north shore camp, and sugar creek hunter's camp. Day and group-use facilities include The south shore day/group-use area and the north shore day-use area. Corney Lake has 3 separate boat launches. The first is the modern south shore day-use/boat launch, the second is the more primitive north shore boat launch, and the third is the all new Corney Bayou Launch. Unlike other units, there are no designated trails within the Corney Lake Unit. Also, there are no fee areas within the Corney Lake Unit at any of the facilities provided.

Catahoula Ranger District

The Catahoula Ranger district is located north of Pineville. The district features Stuart Lake Recreation Complex; hiking and biking along the Glenn Emery Trail; the original

Louisiana State University Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 n ...

site in Pineville; hunting in the

Catahoula National Wildlife Refuge Catahoula National Wildlife Refuge, located in east central Louisiana, United States, east of Jena, was established in 1958 as a wintering area for migratory waterfowl. The refuge contains divided into two units. The Headquarters Unit borders ni ...

; and two ATV trails located in old

Camp Livingston Camp may refer to: Outdoor accommodation and recreation * Campsite or campground, a recreational outdoor sleeping and eating site * a temporary settlement for nomads * Camp, a term used in New England, Northern Ontario and New Brunswick to descri ...

. The remains of Camp Livingston, a World War II-era

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...

installation, lie almost completely in the Catahoula Ranger District. Livingston was one of the Army's large training facilities and was at the epicenter of the famed

Louisiana Maneuvers The Louisiana Maneuvers were a series of major U.S. Army exercises held in 1941 in northern and west-central Louisiana, an area bounded by the Sabine River to the west, the Calcasieu River to the east, and by the city of Shreveport to the nort ...

. The "Maneuvers," two large war games which took place over the summers of 1940 and 1941, played a key role in the preparation of the U.S. military for World War II combat. Camping opportunities in this district include The Stuart Lake Campground, Bankston Camp, Highway 472 Camp, Pearson Camp, and Saddle Bayou Camp. Opportunities for trails include The Camp Livingston Trails, The Glenn Emery Trail, and the Stuart Nature Trail. The Stuart Lake Day-Use and Group-Use Areas and The Iatt Lake Observation Pier Day-Use Area are intended for day use. The district also houses The Catahoula National Wildlife Management Preserve, consisting of of land set aside for the preservation of land for wildlife habitat. Hunters come from all around during hunting season to the Catahoula Preserve. Catahoula Hummingbird and Butterfly Garden also resides in the area. Viewable year-around, the Catahoula Hummingbird and Butterfly Garden is best viewed in late spring through early fall. The seasonal butterflies and the migratory hummingbirds frequent the garden quite often through the summer months. The Stuart Seed Orchard was built by the

Civilian Conservation Corps The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a voluntary government unemployment, work relief program that ran from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men ages 18–25 and eventually expanded to ages 17–28. The CCC was a ...

in the 1930s for the purpose of replanting clear-cut areas from the previous 30 years of unsupervised forest harvesting. A by-product of the seed orchard is the Stuart Lake Recreation Complex, built to water the seed orchards before the more modern irrigation systems was built.

Kisatchie Ranger District

The Kisatchie Ranger district is located between Leesville and Natchitoches. Within the district are the

protected areas Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the ena ...

of a national forest, national Preserve, and national

wilderness area Wilderness or wildlands (usually in the plural), are natural environments on Earth that have not been significantly modified by human activity or any nonurbanized land not under extensive agricultural cultivation. The term has traditionally re ...

, that contains scenic trails as well as a scenic river. In 2007, the Kisatchie Ranger District was acknowledged with a Secretary of Agriculture award for heroism for actions relating to a 100-year flood that swept the district. The Kisatchie Ranger District contains , that includes the Kisatchie Hills Wilderness Area and the National Red Dirt Wildlife Management Preserve * The Longleaf Scenic Byway is in length. The byway is Forest Highway 59 / Parish Road 830. * The Longleaf Vista Recreation Area which includes the sandstone bluffs. * Kisatchie Bayou Recreation Area with white sandy beaches and rocky rapids. This is a camping and day use area. * Kisatchie Hills Wilderness that is a nationally designated wilderness area. The area consist of 8,700 acres bordered on the northwest side by Parish Road 339 (Montrose rd.) and the southwest and southern side by the Longleaf Trail Scenic Byway. The eastern border is mostly the National Forest boundary and on the southwest corner by LA 119 that is the terminus of the scenic byway. Kisatchie Wilderness is one of three wilderness areas in Louisiana. The other two are the 5,000 acre Breton Wilderness, within the

Breton National Wildlife Refuge Breton National Wildlife Refuge is located in southeastern Louisiana in the offshore Breton Islands and Chandeleur Islands. It is located in the Gulf of Mexico and is accessible only by boat. The refuge was established in 1904 through executive o ...

, and the 3345 acre Lacassine Wilderness within the

Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge is located in Cameron and Evangeline Parishes in southwestern Louisiana, was established in 1937 by Executive Order No. 7780 as "a refuge and breeding ground for migratory birds and other wildlife." The refuge is ...

. * The Red Dirt National Wildlife Management Preserve borders and is part of Kisatchie Hills Wilderness area. * Sandstone Multi-Use Trail. * Caroline Dormon Trail for horseback, hiking, biking. Named for

Caroline Dormon Caroline Coroneos "Carrie" Dormon (19 July 1888 – 21 November 1971) was a naturalist, ethnographer, and writer in Louisiana. She was a pioneer conservationist and was involved in the establishment of the Kisatchie National Forest and was also th ...

Winn Ranger District

The Winn Ranger District encompasses of Winn Parish,

Natchitoches Parish Natchitoches Parish (french: Paroisse des Natchitoches or ) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2010 census, the population was 39,566. The parish seat is Natchitoches. The parish was formed in 1805. The Natchito ...

, and Grant Parish in

North Louisiana North Louisiana (french: Louisiane du Nord), also known locally as Sportsman's Paradise, (a name sometimes attributed to the state as a whole) is a region in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The region has two metropolitan areas: Shreveport-Bossier Ci ...

. It is in close proximity to the Winnfield area. Because of this close proximity, the Winn Ranger District and the Catahoula National Wildlife Management refuge has become a very popular destination for hunters during hunting season. Gum Springs Recreation Area, located in an area of hilly terrain and natural springs, exhibits recreation design and construction from the

era of the 1930s while offering basic recreation opportunities of picnicking and camping. Currently being expanded, The Gum Springs Horse Camp and Trail offers activities for peoples interested in horse riding. Cloud Crossing Recreation Complex lies directly on the banks of Saline Bayou and is a put-in/take-out point for boating or canoeing. Approximately of Saline Bayou was designated a

National Wild and Scenic River The National Wild and Scenic Rivers System was created by the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (Public Law 90-542), enacted by the U.S. Congress to preserve certain rivers with outstanding natural, cultural, and recreational values in a free- ...

because of its unique qualities.

Bald cypress ''Taxodium distichum'' (bald cypress, swamp cypress; french: cyprès chauve; ''cipre'' in Louisiana) is a deciduous conifer in the family Cupressaceae. It is native to the southeastern United States. Hardy and tough, this tree adapts to a wide ...

and other

hardwood Hardwood is wood from dicot trees. These are usually found in broad-leaved temperate and tropical forests. In temperate and boreal latitudes they are mostly deciduous, but in tropics and subtropics mostly evergreen. Hardwood (which comes from ...

grow along the banks, often reflected in the bayou's quiet water. Hikers can use The Dogwood Interpretive Trail, sponsored by the ARRP.

The Kisatchie National Forest Heritage program

The Kisatchie National Forest Heritage program is a program responsible for protecting

archaeological Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...

sites and historic structures on the forest, including several Civilian Conservation Corps structures dating to the 1930s and 1940s such as Gum Springs Recreation Area. The Heritage program is staffed by two district archaeologists and a forest heritage program manager.

References

External links

*

* {{Authority control National Forests of Louisiana Civilian Conservation Corps in Louisiana Historic American Landscapes Survey in Louisiana Protected areas of Grant Parish, Louisiana Protected areas of Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana Protected areas of Winn Parish, Louisiana Protected areas of Rapides Parish, Louisiana Protected areas of Vernon Parish, Louisiana Protected areas of Claiborne Parish, Louisiana Protected areas of Webster Parish, Louisiana