Louisiana Has A Mountain!?
Did you know that Louisiana has a mountain? Well it’s true. In North Louisiana, just outside of Ruston Louisiana, lies a place called Mt. Driskill. You heard that right. Louisiana is mainly known for sugar cane and swamplands. Heck, the city of New Orleans is officially below sea level. But rolling hills await you as you head north through Sportsman's Paradise. Out in Bienville Parish, hiding behind a small church, is the summit of Mount Driskill.
Behind this church hides Louisiana’s highest mountain!!!
Trailhead marking the start of the trail for Mt. Driskill (Above)
HOW IS THE TRAIL?
Driskill’s peak stands 535 ft above sea level, making it the highest natural summit in Louisiana. The trail is a bit different than a normal trail because the parking lot is shared with a church and both the mountain and the 1.8 mile trail are on private property. The owners are nice enough to allow visitors access, so remember to respect the land so that future travelers will be allowed to come here and experience the hike.
A short walk past the gate and down the road will bring you to the fallen tree. This large trunk looms several feet above you allowing you to easily walk below it, no ducking required. Follow the trail and soon you will start the climb upward, but mountain gear isn’t necessary. All you need is water, a good pair of shoes and maybe some bug spray depending on the time of year you visit. Be careful though, parts of the trail are covered in slate rock that can slide out from under you.
The fallen tree marks the start of the climb up the mountain.
At the second hill there is a trail marker. It has a nice sweet post that tells you a bit about the Driskill family. The trail then splits into two different trails labeled easy (gravel path) or hard (blue trail markers). The easy trail is a well traveled path that is for the most part a steady gain the whole hike up. The “hard” trail is mostly the same except you will have more ups and downs on the journey.
Straight climb up to the summit!
THE SUMMIT
After a short 0.75 mile hike you reach the summit. You will be greeted with a sign showing the total height above sea level. (NOTE: I would like to point out that on the left of the wooden sign is a metal box that contains a notebook filled with the dates of and messages from former travelers. Feel free to add your own personal message!) Nearby is a pile of rocks. This marks the very top of Mount Driskill.
At the summit there is a sign marking the elevation of 535ft above sea level
Just a few steps from the sign there is a lookout point. The summit also has a few benches provided by the USAF 50 Summit Challenge. Both my wife and I took the moment to relax for a bit and enjoy the views. Hey we just hiked up a mountain… in Louisiana, let that sink in!
The view reminds me of being up high in a tree house!
It is important to remember that Louisiana probably has a lot of buildings that sit higher than Driskill mountain so do not expect any grand views like the mountains in Colorado might offer. In fact it feels more like a view from a tree house than a summit, but I enjoyed this trail and it is indeed worth the day trip especially in the fall when the leaves change color.
I recommend taking the easy path back down because you can get some beautiful views alongside the trail.
**** Fun Fact ****
Mt. Driskill is not the lowest summit in the USAF 50 summit challenge. Mt. Driskill is higher than Ebright Azimuth in Delaware at 442 feet and Britton Hill in Florida at 345 feet.
TRAIL REVIEW
Difficulty: 4 of 10
Mostly gravel, but easy to travers, If you are not use to steep inclines this can be a bit rough for first time hikers
Ability to find: 5 of 10
The parking lot is shared with a church but still feels like it's in the middle of nowhere, make sure you have plenty of gas just incase
Enjoyment: 10 of 10
I mean it may not be the grandest of mountains but it is still a quick and AMAZING hike Definitely worth the trip to find it.
Facilities
Not sure?? We never checked to see there are bathrooms at the church.
