Kisatchie National Forest, United States National Forest in central Louisiana, United States.
Kisatchie National Forest is a large woodland area in central Louisiana with pine forests, swamps, and cypress groves spread across seven parishes. The landscape offers trails for hiking, riding, and biking along with camping areas managed by five ranger districts throughout the property.
The forest was established in 1930 under President Herbert Hoover as part of a national program to restore forests across America. Its name honors the Kichai Indians, who were part of the Caddo Confederacy and lived in this region.
The forest serves as a place where people hike, camp, and ride horses, connecting local communities to the land for generations. The name comes from the Kichai Indians, and this Native heritage remains woven into how people experience the space today.
Visitors will find trails of different difficulty levels for hiking, horseback riding, and mountain biking throughout the forest. Arriving at any of the five ranger district offices provides maps and advice on the best times to visit depending on what you want to do.
The forest holds rare natural prairies and protects endangered animals including the Louisiana pine snake and the red-cockaded woodpecker. These creatures are hard to spot, but their presence shows the forest serves as a refuge for species that have vanished elsewhere.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
