Story and Photos
By Suzanne LeBreton
St. Tammany News

Reporter’s Note: Our journey to find the Honey Island Swamp Nature Trail inside the Pearl River Wildlife Management Area proved to more of an adventure than the actual hike. The location of the trail was not marked well, and we drove around for a while before finally going to the shooting range and asking someone for directions. Once at the trail, we were disappointed to find that it has not been well taken care of following Hurricane Katrina and it was heavily overgrown and appeared to be unused. Still we did see two wild hogs while driving around and a rabbit once on the trail, so despite not being able to go very far on the trail because it was overgrown, the boys enjoyed our adventure. This hike was very primitive, and like I said, we were not able to go very far into the woods before reaching weeds and grass that I felt were too high for the boys to walk through, so I do not recommend it for very small children. Also, if you go here, long pants and boots as well as insect repellent are a must.

The Honey Island Swamp Nature Trail is located inside the Pearl River Wildlife Management Area and is accessible off the Honey Island Exit of Interstate 59. The trail is located by entering the Wildlife Management Area and driving down the road past the self-clearing station to where there are two gravel roads running left and right.

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To reach the Honey Island Swamp Shooting Range, turn left. To reach the hiking trail, turn right. The trailhead is located on the left. There is a cleared area for parking.

One must possess a permit to enter the refuge. A valid hunting or fishing permit will work, but if you do not have one of those you must obtain a Louisiana Wildlife Stamp for $5.50 a year. These are sold everywhere the hunting licenses are sold.

The year runs from July 1 to June 30, and the permits are required for everyone between the ages of 16 and 59. You must also check in at the self-clearing station and then check out when you leave.

The total length of the trail measures approximately a mile and a half, however, this area was heavily damaged during Hurricane Katrina with a lot 75 percent of the trees being damaged and knocked down. The damage has not been repaired and the trail has not been properly cleared. Agent Mark Bible said budget cuts has also prevent the state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, who maintains the trail, from having the money necessary to pay for fuel for the tractors to cut the trail so it is heavily overgrown. It has been suggested that anyone interested in hiking on this trail wait until later in the year when the grass will not be so high.

This trail also floods during and after heavy rains and hike should be planned accordingly. Bible suggested visiting the trail in October or November when it is cooler, the weeds are not as tall and the mosquitoes are not as bad. He also suggested wear long pants and long-sleeve shirts and boots of some kind to protect from snakes and mosquitoes, as this is a very primitive hike.