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Northern Louisiana
North Louisiana, also known as the "Sportsman's Paradise" region, comprises the portion of Louisiana north of Sabine, Natchitoches, Grant, LaSalle, Catahoula, and Concordia Parishes. Bordered by Texas to west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east, this region of Louisiana has a far more rural feel to it than the Acadiana region or southeastern Louisiana.
With the exception of Shreveport, Bossier City, Ruston, and Monroe, towns are much smaller in this portion of the state and spread further apart. Towns have fewer amenities and local residents will often drive to Shreveport, Monroe, or Alexandria in central Louisiana for "big city" amenities.
This area of Louisiana has become more renowned due to the popularity of the 2012-17 television show Duck Dynasty, in addition to movies that often use towns in north Louisiana as a backdrop. Another claim to fame for this region is the Air Force base around Bossier City and its status as a backup landing location for the President's jet, Air Force One.
Cities
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Other destinations
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- 1 Poverty Point World Heritage Site (Poverty Point National Monument), 6859 LA-577, Pioneer, ☏ +1 318-926-5492. Daily 9AM-5PM. The monumental earthworks, which are some of the largest and oldest mounds in the Western Hemisphere. Operated by the Louisiana State Parks system. $4 a person ages 4-62, 3 and under free, Seniors over 62 free.
- 2 Caddo Lake — A large lake on the Louisiana-Texas state line. Boating, fishing. Access to the Louisiana portion from Oil City and Mooringsport.
Understand
[edit]Unlike the southern portion of Louisiana, northern Louisiana has more in common with the remainder of the American South. The Anglo culture of the American South is more dominant here, with the predominant religious practice being Evangelical Protestant Christianity, versus the French Roman Catholic culture and practices of southern Louisiana. Many points of interest and tourist sites are closed on Sundays, so it is necessary to plan accordingly. Landscapes vary drastically compared to the southern portion of the state. Bayous and swamps are replaced with rolling hills and pine forests in the northwestern areas around Shreveport and Mansfield, while open farmland, rivers, and lakes cover the north central and northeastern areas near Ruston, Monroe, Columbia, and Winnsboro.
Northern Louisiana is significantly less busy than the southern part of the state, with generally uncongested roads. The main exception is Interstate 20, which can experience stop-and-go traffic through the metropolitan areas of Shreveport and Monroe, especially during peak hours. This congestion is typically predictable, centered around downtown areas of Shreveport, Bossier City, and Monroe.
History
[edit]The First Peoples
[edit]Long before European settlement, Northern Louisiana, specifically the northwest area around present-day Shreveport, Bossier City, and the Red River, was part of the Caddo Nation. The Caddo people's roots are deep in the region, emerging from the Red River Valley and surrounding woodlands. Before European contact, they had established a flourishing agricultural society centered along the Red River and its tributaries. They were master farmers, cultivating corn, beans, and squash, which allowed for dense, stable settlements that thrived for centuries. The Caddo were not a single tribe but a powerful confederacy of multiple affiliated groups, renowned for their complex society and the massive earthwork mounds they constructed for ceremonial and civic purposes—remnants of which can still be seen today. According to their oral history, the Caddo first emerged from the earth at a place they called Chahkanina, also known as "the place of crying," located near the confluence of the Ouachita and Red Rivers.
The Civil War: Red River Campaign
[edit]During the American Civil War, Northern Louisiana became the stage for one of the last significant Confederate victories of the war and the last major campaign conducted in the Trans-Mississippi Theater. In the spring of 1864, United States Army Major General Nathaniel P. Banks launched the Red River Campaign, a massive offensive with the goal of capturing Shreveport, in order to gain a foothold in Texas by way of the Red River Valley. At the time, Shreveport was serving as the Confederate capital of Louisiana and the headquarters of the entire Trans-Mississippi Department. The U.S. objectives were to at last gain a significant presence in Texas, deny supplies to Confederate forces, seize valuable cotton for Northern mills, and counter potential French influence in Mexico.
The campaign was a dismal failure for the United States Army. On April 8, 1864, Confederate General Richard Taylor, commanding a much smaller force, chose to make a stand about 40 miles south of Shreveport. The resulting Battle of Mansfield and subsequent Battle of Pleasant Hill were decisive Confederate victories that shattered the U.S. advance. Banks's army was routed and began a long, brutal retreat back down the Red River Valley to United States-occupied Southeastern Louisiana.
Black Gold and the Kingfish
[edit]The 20th century transformed the region. In 1911, the first successful over-water oil drilling in America took place on Caddo Lake, ushering in an oil boom. The discovery of massive natural gas deposits, including the Monroe Gas Field in 1916, cemented the region's economic importance. Decades later, the development of new drilling technology unlocked the vast Haynesville Shale formation in 2008, launching another energy boom and reshaping the modern landscape.
At the same time, Northern Louisiana produced one of the most influential and controversial figures in American history: Huey P. Long. Born in Winnfield in 1893, Long rose from a rural background to become governor in 1928 and a U.S. Senator in 1932. A populist demagogue nicknamed "The Kingfish," he built a powerful and ruthless political machine. He championed the poor by providing free school textbooks, building thousands of miles of roads, and expanding charity hospitals and LSU, funding it all by taxing corporations like Standard Oil. His dictatorial methods made him enemies, and his presidential ambitions were cut short when he was assassinated in the State Capitol he had built in 1935. His legacy, and that of his brother, three-time governor Earl K. Long, continues to define Louisiana politics.
Culture
[edit]The single most important thing to understand about Louisiana is that it is, culturally at least, three distinct states: North Louisiana, South Louisiana, and New Orleans as an isolated island separate from the other two. While South Louisiana and New Orleans are defined by their French and Spanish colonial history and its vibrant Cajun and Creole Catholic identity, North Louisiana is culturally part of the rest of the American South. Its heritage is overwhelmingly Anglo-Protestant, and more specifically with the Southern Baptist Church being a cornerstone of community life. This cultural DNA is shared with neighboring Mississippi, Arkansas, and East Texas and manifests in ways a traveler will directly experience.
Cuisine: The food here is distinctly Southern, but it is not Cajun or Creole. Instead of gumbo and étouffée, the quintessential Northern Louisiana meal is a fried catfish platter with french fries and cornbread. The region also boasts its own unique delicacies, such as the famous icebox pies from Strawn's Eat Shop in Shreveport, the "Muffy" sandwich from Fertitta's Delicatessen, and sweet peaches from the orchards around Ruston.
Attitudes Toward Alcohol: The region's conservative religious values have shaped a cautious attitude toward alcohol. Many rural areas and sometimes whole towns remain "dry," a legacy of both the Prohibition era and the Protestant Christian values of the region, prohibiting the sale and purchase of alcohol. While drinking is not illegal, consuming alcohol in public in smaller towns may be frowned upon. In the larger cities of Shreveport, Bossier City, Ruston, and Monroe, attitudes are far more relaxed and will not draw any attention.
Music and the Louisiana Hayride: From 1948 to 1960, Shreveport was home to the Louisiana Hayride, a live country music radio show that was second only to Nashville's Grand Ole Opry in importance. Broadcast weekly from the Municipal Auditorium, the show became known as the "Cradle of the Stars" for launching the careers of countless music legends. It gave Hank Williams his first major exposure and, most famously, welcomed a young Elvis Presley after he had been rejected by the Opry. A visit to the historic auditorium is a pilgrimage for any music fan.
Festivals
[edit]Northern Louisiana's communities celebrate their unique culture with several major annual festivals that are well worth planning a trip around.
- Red River Revel (Shreveport): Held every October, the Revel is one of the region's largest and oldest arts festivals, running since 1976. For over a week, Festival Plaza on the downtown riverfront is filled with over 100 visual artists, dozens of live music acts across multiple stages, and food vendors serving everything from Natchitoches meat pies to funnel cakes.
- Louisiana Peach Festival (Ruston): A tradition since 1951, this festival celebrates the region's most famous crop every June. Downtown Ruston comes alive with live music, an arts market, a parade, a classic car show, and peach-flavored treats, from cobbler to ice cream.
- South Franklin Catfish Festival (Wisner): Formerly held in Winnsboro as the "Franklin Parish Catfish Festival", the Catfish Festival is now held 14 miles south in the village of Wisner. It is a large one-day festival that celebrates one of the most popular activities and its catch in Northeast Louisiana. The event is usually held on a Saturday in May. The small village of Wisner fills up with food vendors serving large plates of fried catfish, arts and crafts, and live country music.
Talk
[edit]English is almost universally spoken, much like the rest of Louisiana and the United States. Outside of Shreveport, Bossier City, Ruston, or Monroe, travelers will be very hard pressed to find anyone that speaks anything but English. French, either Cajun or Standard, while not uncommon in parts of southern Louisiana, is almost entirely absent in northern Louisiana. The Cajun drawl and speech is completely absent in this region of Louisiana, replaced by the American Southern accent, and is one way to tell that one has left the southern parishes and entered the northern part of the state.
In addition, it is advised to make an honest attempt to speak English when in the rural areas of North Louisiana and the American South as a whole. In recent years, local residents have been known to become visibly upset at non-English speakers attempting to speak in their native language, often prompting rude and inflammatory comments to "speak English in America or go back home." Cajun French is often the exception, as it is assumed that the person speaking it is of Cajun/Acadian descent and from South Louisiana, and therefore more socially acceptable.
Get in
[edit]By plane
[edit]The two main commercial airports in northern Louisiana are Shreveport Regional Airport (SHV IATA) and Monroe Regional Airport MLU IATA.
By car
[edit]Interstate 20 and Interstate 49 are the main highways into northern Louisiana. US Highway 84 enters Louisiana from the west in the city of Logansport, and from the east in the city of Vidalia.
By bus or train
[edit]There are bus stations in the cities of Shreveport, Ruston, and Monroe. There are no train stations in northern Louisiana, except for a bus stop in Shreveport that provides transportation to and from the Amtrak station in Longview, Texas.
Get around
[edit]Traveling by car is the best way to see northern Louisiana. Interstate 20 runs east-west across northern Louisiana, linking Shreveport-Bossier, Ruston and Monroe. There is bus service between the major cities in northern Louisiana.
See
[edit]Do
[edit]Outdoors
[edit]Northern Louisiana has several state parks that offer boating, camping, fishing, hiking, picnicking, and swimming.
- 1 Chemin-a-Haut State Park, 14656 State Park Road, Bastrop, ☏ +1 318-283-0812.
- 2 Jimmie Davis State Park, 1209 State Park Road, Chatham, ☏ +1 318-249-2595.
- 3 Lake Bistineau State Park, 103 State Park Road, Doyline, ☏ +1 318-745-3503.
- 4 Lake Bruin State Park, 201 State Park Road, St. Joseph, ☏ +1 318-766-3530.
- 5 Lake Claiborne State Park, 225 State Park Road, Homer, ☏ +1 318-927-2976.
- 6 Lake D'Arbonne State Park, 3628 Evergreen Road, Farmerville, ☏ +1 318-368-2086.
- 7 Poverty Point Reservoir State Park, 1500 Poverty Point Parkway, Delhi, ☏ +1 318-878-7536.
The National Forest Service also maintains a district of the Kisatchie National Forest near Homer that offers hiking and camping opportunities.
- 8 Kisatchie National Forest - Caney District, 3288 U.S. 79, Homer, ☏ +1 318-927-2061.
Eat
[edit]The cuisine in the northern part of Louisiana differs from the south in that Cajun and Creole cooking does not have a major presence. Instead of gumbo, crawfish etoufee, or red beans and rice, a more likely meal here would be a fried catfish and fries plate. However, this area has several unique dishes and foods that gives it a unique identity. Some examples would be Shreveport's icebox pies from Strawn's and "Muffy" sandwiches from Fertitta's Deli, fresh peaches from the farms around Ruston, and fried catfish and cornbread from Monroe and the northeastern part of the state.
Drink
[edit]Have a glass of iced cold Coca-Cola or a sweet tea (which is often as sweet as a soda, so be prepared)!
Alcohol
[edit]There is a developing microbrew scene in Northern Louisiana, as well as a couple of vineyards. But by and large, this region of Louisiana does NOT have the same laid-back attitude towards alcohol that you find in the southern half of the state. Abstinence from alcoholic consumption is encouraged by locals and one may often find religious literature distributed that preaches on the issue.
Religious views in Northern Louisiana often shape the public perception on alcohol, and as Baptist Christianity is the largest religious group in this area, there is an extremely conservative attitude towards the consumption of alcohol (refer to the "Drink" section in the article on Christianity for further info).
It is most common in the rural communities of Northern Louisiana. This is also noted by the fact that there are still many parishes (Louisiana equivalent of counties) that are still dry, a vestige of the Prohibition Era of the 1920s and 1930s. While drinking is not downright illegal, understand that depending on where you are, the consumption of alcohol in public may be frowned upon and get you more than a few negative looks. If spending time in Shreveport, Bossier City, Ruston, or Monroe, drinking is far more acceptable and likely will not draw any attention from onlookers.
Stay safe
[edit]Crime
[edit]Don't be fooled by the relatively small size of the major cities in northern Louisiana; Monroe and Shreveport-Bossier have crime rates on par with much larger metro areas.
Weather
[edit]The weather can be hot and humid in the summer, and severe thunderstorms are common in the summer and fall. Tornadoes, while not as common as in "Tornado Alley", do occur. Snow falls occasionally in the winter, and causes more havoc than might be expected by people from colder climates. Hurricanes rarely make it this far inland, and are generally no stronger than a severe thunderstorm when they do.
Go next
[edit]- Central Louisiana - The central portion of the state sandwiched between the state's rural north and Acadiana to the south. Home to the twin cities of Alexandria and Pineville, historic Natchitoches, and a wide range of outdoor activities at the Kisatchie National Forest.
- Mississippi Capital-River (Mississippi) - Southwestern Mississippi contains some of the oldest towns in the state and is the site of the Civil War city of Vicksburg; as well as Natchez, which claims to have the most antebellum structures of any city in America. This area is also home to the Mississippi State Capital, Jackson.
- Piney Woods (Texas) - The eastern portion of Texas contains vast pine forests and charming rural towns with historic Main Street districts, such as Jefferson, Nacogdoches, and San Augustine.
- Timberlands (Arkansas) - Deep southern Arkansas is home to open farmland, small towns, and Civil War battlefields. Birthplace of former US President Bill Clinton.
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