OUACHITA RIVER PADDLE TRAIL
Welcome to the Ouachita River Paddle Trail! The Ouachita River has been a paddle trail since the first native Americans built their many earthwork mounds along its banks. It was traveled by early European explorers such as De Soto, and was well known to the French and Spanish by the time Thomas Jefferson commissioned the Hunter-Dunbar Expedition to be the first Americans to explore the river and its valley.
Today, the river has the most extensive network of federal, state, and local boating facilities in the Louisiana Delta, making it a natural choice for the first to be organized into an interactive paddle trail. What we here at Louisiana Delta Adventures have done is to gather information about these facilities and features to make it easier for the modern day paddler to see what is available and to plan a trip.
The Ouachita River Paddle Trail starts at Felsenthal Lock and Dam, 5 miles above the Louisiana/Arkansas Line. It travels 227 miles south to the mouth of the Black River where it empties into the Red, making it the longest established paddle trail in Louisiana! Along that route it passes through varied terrain, between the cities of Monroe and West Monroe, by several smaller towns, and beside some truly stunning natural wonders!
This interactive map is a work in progress. We will be adding more locations and information to the map to flesh it out over time. We will also be adding other paddle trails from our rivers, bayous, and lakes in the Louisiana Delta. Check in regularly for more updates!
Posted on September 24, 2022 at 10:51 pm
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