THE AMAZING TRACE Biking the North Shore Connects Communities & Nature By Robert Witkowski
Thunder jars me awake as I absorb my surroundings along the Tammany By Robert in Witkowski Trace. I look at the paved trail slicing through the woods one direction and crossing the bridge over Bayou Lacomb in the other. It had been a long day already, but there was still another 10 miles to go.
Before the Storm After filling up bottles at the Covington Trailhead Museum and Visitors Center’s water fountain to stay hydrated, I begin the ride toward Slidell’s Heritage Park, 31.74 miles away. The well-marked path starts by sharing quiet Gibson Street through the center of town. Minutes on the Trace, I quickly realize more provisions are needed. Beyond renting and repairing bicycles, Brooks’ Bike Shop has an abundance of cycle-related supplies for any last-minute necessities. I felt better prepared for the trip with their advice and expertise. Bridges present panoramas of Bogue Falaya with kayakers and daring bridge jumpers. Signs warn of detours many miles ahead—a reminder of the constant care needed along Tammany Trace. When the St. Tammany Parish government purchased the defunct Illinois Central Railroad rail bed in December 1992, they did so with the commitment to maintaining the trail for recreation between the towns it traverses. For over three decades, the parish relies on the financial assistance from grants and federal dollars to maintain the 30-plus-miles of paved path, as well as original railroad trestles converted into pedestrian bridges. For three-and-a-half miles, the tree-lined Trace maintains a flat terrain. Shelters from the
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Spirits Guide | Where Y'at Magazine
COURTESY LOUISIANANORTHSHORE
Four-and-a-half hours earlier, I started at Covington Trailhead—a brick-scaped pedestrian plaza and former train depot. As someone who enjoys cycling—not an avid rider—the sun quells my motivation, but the excitement of conquering the Tammany Trace Bike Trail, and a tease of a cooling rain ahead, wins the day.
