Earlier this year, I went on a weekend walk along the Tammany Trace, which is a “rails to trails” path on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain (just north of New Orleans). I went with my sister, husband & the couple who introduced us to walking holidays. Our initial thought was to do this as a true inn-to-inn walking trip, but lack of transportation was an issue — we couldn’t find anyone willing to shuttle us from starting point to end. Plus, dinner options are limited along the trail if you don’t have a car with you that first night. So, we adapted & used 2 vehicles. The distance between parking lots was only about 7.5 miles each time we had to move cars.
This is really an urban walk, even though it takes you through some swampland & past Fontainebleau State Park. All 31 miles of this trail are asphalt, which can be a killer on your feet & knees.
Neophyte that I was, I wore hiking boots which was the worst mistake EVER! For the first time in my hiking life, I had blisters. And these were no normal blisters — my brother the doctor commented “I’ve never actually seen a blister that big!”
My sister & husband had to pick up ointment & Epson salt to soak my feet that first night. I walked the next day with those blisters, but it slowed me down & I had to stop at Abita Springs, missing the brew tour on the way to Covington 🙁 Take my well-earned advice & wear blister band-aids & tennis shoes for walks on asphalt.
About a month later, 26 women from the No. 1 Ladies Hiking Society walked this route & had a GREAT time! To my knowledge, no one had blisters that time. Here are the route details in case you wish to plan your own trip. A great time to go would be sometime between Thanksgiving & Christmas, when the weather is cool & the Farmer’s Markets have special holiday goodies.
Something to keep in mind: I didn’t include the Covington Farmer’s Market in this route because it’s on Saturdays from 8-12, but it is one of THE BEST markets in Louisiana! If I ever walk Tammany Trace again, I may alter my route so I have a chance to stop at this market.
