Walk where the trains once rolled

Thirty-one miles of smooth pavement follow an old railroad line across the Northshore, making the Tammany Trace one of the best outings within an easy drive of Baton Rouge.

You’ll share the trail with walkers, joggers and cyclists. On part of a side path, you may even see a few horses.

The Trace, Louisiana’s first rail trail, links Covington, Abita Springs, Mandeville, Lacombe and Slidell. The railroad once carried New Orleans families to the pine-scented springs of the Northshore, known as the “Ozone Belt." It hauled lumber from the Northshore back to the city.

St. Tammany Parish bought the abandoned corridor in 1992 and turned it into a paved trail that runs through pine forests.

The trail passes through plenty of backyards, but forget the usual NIMBY complaints. For the neighbors, it’s a ready-made place to jump on a bike or head out for a run.

From Baton Rouge, you can reach the Trace in about 90 minutes or less. Bring your bike, choose a section and don’t feel as though you have to ride all 31 miles.

Pedal into Mandeville for lunch along Lake Pontchartrain. Or make a weekend of it: Start in Mandeville, have lunch, walk the trail for a while, then spend the night at the Southern Hotel in Covington and walk across the street for dinner at Dakota.

On the way home, stop in Hammond for a beer at Gnarly Barley. Leave with a growler of something you won’t find sitting on a grocery-store shelf.

Open year-round from daylight to dusk for walking, jogging, cycling, rollerblading, and wheelchairs. A separate parallel equestrian path is available in a designated section