Hiking in Palmetto Island State Park, Louisiana…

Staying at Betty’s for month this time around is taking its toll on us. Having happy hour every day with the smorgasbord of snacks and goodies everyone brings means that the old waistline seems to be getting a bit larger and/or our shorts are getting tighter. In any event Sharon and I decided we had better get out and get a good walk in.

We do walk most days here at Betty’s around the neighborhood going anywhere between 2-3 miles nearly every day. However, with the amount of snacks we have been eating we knew we better do more than that. Plus with all the music and social gatherings we both needed a bit of quiet time so we decided to head over to Palmetto Island State Park.

Palmetto Island State Park is the newest park addition to the state of Louisiana’s park system. There are a lot of camping sites with water and electricity on nice long pads in a wooded setting. This park really fills up on the weekends but is pretty empty during the week making it  the perfect time and place for a quiet hike in the woods.

There are several trails around the park we like to hike and they are mostly interconnected. We had to walk along the road a bit on one trail and we had to drive a few miles to hike the Lagoon Trail but the trails are all nicely manicured. Live oaks, red maples, oaks and sweet gum dominate the overstory landscape while palmetto is the dominant understory plant (I use the Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees: Eastern Region to help identify trees).

Signs of spring are everywhere as the trees that aren’t already leafing out are filled with swollen buds ready to burst forth. Sprinkles of color are scattered in the understory with small purple violets, buttercups and bluets blooming everywhere. Small star shaped leaves on the sweetgum are peeking out… cardinals and yellow-rumped warblers are singing (I use the Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America). Yes, spring is definitely in the air… and we are happy to see her!

Not only did we notice the many signs of spring we also spotted several feral pigs and even a momma with at least 15 piglets. It was entertaining watching the piglets hopping in the hip deep water (at least to them) to escape being anywhere near us. We also spotted several armadillos drilling the ground with their snouts in search of tasty treats.

Before we knew it our fitness trackers told us we had logged over 6 miles and yes, this was exactly what we needed before heading back to Betty’s RV park. Now we have to get ready for happy hour…