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BASTROP, La. —
For many outdoor recreationists who want to explore the natural beauty of Morehouse Parish waterways, the adventure will begin on-line.
The first detailed trail guide for Bayou Bartholomew has recently been posted to the Explore Louisiana North Web site. According to ELN coordinator Johnny Wessler, the guide is just the beginning.
“We’re in the middle of a huge update to the Web site,” he said. “We’re hoping to have a map [of Bayou Bartholomew] with GPS coordinates marked, and a print option so paddlers can take the map with them.”
Wessler said Explore Louisiana North was founded about three years ago as a marketing coalition of 29 northern Louisiana parishes, whose mission is to promote economic development in the entire region. The Web site provides resources such as music, culinary and ecotourism “trails” for visitors to the region.
In September, nationally known river guide John Ruskey of Clarksdale, Miss. paddled Bayou Bartholomew on behalf of an LSU AgCenter Agritourism project to develop paddle trails in northeast Louisiana. Wessler said Explore Louisiana North is hosting an on-line version of Ruskey’s paddle guide while the LSU AgCenter develops its own water trails Web site.
Ruskey describes the journey from the Old Berlin Highway bridge downstream to the U.S. 425 bridge, with a detour down the otherwise inaccessible Chemin-A-Haut Creek. He writes the two waterways are “the crown jewels of the rivers of northeast Louisiana.”
The guide contains information about canoe put-in sites, water levels, safety considerations, and GPS coordinates in addition to information about the native wildlife and history of Bartholomew. Of special interest are the monolithic, centuries-old cypress trees in Chemin-A-Haut Creek. Some, like “The Castle” and “The Jester,” have been named by locals for their distinctive shapes.
In addition to the paddle trail guide, Explore Louisiana North’s Morehouse Parish page invites visitors to Chemin-A-Haut State Park, the Rose Theatre, Simmons Sporting Goods and Country Cream in Mer Rouge. Visit the Web site at http://www.explorelouisiananorth.org
For many outdoor recreationists who want to explore the natural beauty of Morehouse Parish waterways, the adventure will begin on-line.
The first detailed trail guide for Bayou Bartholomew has recently been posted to the Explore Louisiana North Web site. According to ELN coordinator Johnny Wessler, the guide is just the beginning.
“We’re in the middle of a huge update to the Web site,” he said. “We’re hoping to have a map [of Bayou Bartholomew] with GPS coordinates marked, and a print option so paddlers can take the map with them.”
Wessler said Explore Louisiana North was founded about three years ago as a marketing coalition of 29 northern Louisiana parishes, whose mission is to promote economic development in the entire region. The Web site provides resources such as music, culinary and ecotourism “trails” for visitors to the region.
In September, nationally known river guide John Ruskey of Clarksdale, Miss. paddled Bayou Bartholomew on behalf of an LSU AgCenter Agritourism project to develop paddle trails in northeast Louisiana. Wessler said Explore Louisiana North is hosting an on-line version of Ruskey’s paddle guide while the LSU AgCenter develops its own water trails Web site.
Ruskey describes the journey from the Old Berlin Highway bridge downstream to the U.S. 425 bridge, with a detour down the otherwise inaccessible Chemin-A-Haut Creek. He writes the two waterways are “the crown jewels of the rivers of northeast Louisiana.”
The guide contains information about canoe put-in sites, water levels, safety considerations, and GPS coordinates in addition to information about the native wildlife and history of Bartholomew. Of special interest are the monolithic, centuries-old cypress trees in Chemin-A-Haut Creek. Some, like “The Castle” and “The Jester,” have been named by locals for their distinctive shapes.
In addition to the paddle trail guide, Explore Louisiana North’s Morehouse Parish page invites visitors to Chemin-A-Haut State Park, the Rose Theatre, Simmons Sporting Goods and Country Cream in Mer Rouge. Visit the Web site at http://www.explorelouisiananorth.org
