Louisiana Colonial Trails
Louisiana Colonial Trails is a State Scenic Byway in Louisiana. Within Louisiana it covers roughly 520 miles. The map below shows its route. Use “Plan a drive” to open it in the Road Sorties route planner — already routing along Louisiana Colonial Trails with scenic roads turned on, ready to add your own stops.
Louisiana Colonial Trails runs 484 miles along the historic settler route between Natchez and the Sabine River crossing into Texas. It's a two- to three-day self-guided drive that largely follows US 84 to the Red River crossing at Grand Ecore Bluff, then continues as El Camino Real, Louisiana Highway 6, through Natchitoches and on toward Texas. Natchitoches, Louisiana's oldest city, anchors the route, alongside Marksville, home to the Tunica-Biloxi tribe, and Vidalia, where Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto is believed to have died in 1542. Spanning the colonial period from 1698 to 1850, the corridor takes in more than 100 historic sites, plus the pine forests of Kisatchie National Forest and stretches of Cajun prairie farther south.
- 484 miles, Natchez to the Sabine River
- follows US 84 & El Camino Real
- Natchitoches, Louisiana's oldest city
- 100+ historic sites along the route
- Kisatchie National Forest
Plan a drive on Louisiana Colonial Trails →
What is a State Scenic Byway?
State Scenic Byways are roads a state has formally recognized for their scenic, natural, historic or cultural value — each state's own curated collection of drives worth taking slowly.
Where to Stay along Louisiana Colonial Trails
4 campgrounds and RV parks sit within about 5 miles of Louisiana Colonial Trails.
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