Riverwalk Trail

The Riverwalk Trail (sometimes labelled as the Orange Trail in park maps) packs in the most punch of the hiking trails inside Sam Houston Jones State Park. Beginning just south of Camping Area 2, the trail is an almost-complete loop with a distance of about 2 miles that passes through Louisiana's forests, swamps and travels along the edge of the Calcasieu River. The variety of terrain is scenic and offers opportunities to see an array of birds and wildlife. This trail is a breath of fresh air that is a comfortable distance for hikers of most abilitiy levels. And the scenery is beautiful; you'll see cypress knees and Spanish moss decorating the edges of the river and swamps, trail sections that are wedged tightly between the swamp and slow-moving river, alligators, and the red-eared sliders and great blue herons that make their homes in the wetlands.

There are a couple of cautions, however. The trail often can't escape the noise of the nearby highway, and views across the river are interrupted by large river homes planted on the opposite side. Also, many portions of the trail are low-lying, flat, and have a tendency to become very muddy following wet weather. Even considering these issues, the trail is among this state park's best hiking opportunities.

The trail ends on the side of the road slightly north of the Camping Area 2 bathrom (there is poor signage marking this), so a slight walk past the campground is required to complete the loop.