Tammany Trace

Awesome playground! This playground has everything from fully covered swings and play structures, to huge sand play areas and a water play area. Music play all well landscaped fully fenced and huge.
Today they also had food truck Friday where they had the «big fun» brass band playing, and the lakehouse food truck with some classic cajun dishes? We had already eaten so my daughter just got a strawberry lemonade which was great. We both loved the band and stayed for almost their whole set. They played a lot of great dixieland. Made for a great fun day at the park!

The Kid Konnection at Tammany Trace is excellent for children of all ages. It is free! There are plenty of parking spaces. The play areas are divided by age groups. These areas are labeled (but not enforced), they are just recommendations about which are more suitable based on your child’s age. The playground is gated so parent’s do not have to worry about the little ones running out into the parking lot/​road. It includes multiple slides, bridges, monkey bars, modern swings, and a large sand pit and much more! There is also a space for some water play, and a shaded pavilion which is ideal for picnics.
The majority of this play area is shaded, which is a huge bonus during the summer in Louisiana. There are also benches placed throughout which makes it convenient to sit back and still be able to keep an eye on your child. I’d suggest bringing snacks and cold drinks if you plan to stay a while because I didn’t see any concessions.
The trail itself is quite beautiful and is quite lengthy at 31 miles. There are covered pavilions with bathrooms & trash cans along the trail. It is perfect for taking a leisure stroll, jogging, and cycling. There are also plenty of delicious restaurants as well. The downside is you may have to stop for cars at intersections. Sometimes the cars will not always stop for you, so use caution and have a great time!

Great place to spend the day riding your bike and checking out the northshore towns. When in Mandeville stop by the lakeshore drive and check out the beautiful homes around, then go up to Abita and tour the brewery and ride around downtown, on the way back stop and take in beautiful Bayou Lacombe just do it before the bridge goes up. Overall a very pleasant experience every time. Just beware of the very dangerous yellow lane splitters that can kill if you take your eye of the road.

I have lived next to the Trace/​RR for 30 years. It is really beautiful. Like all good things, there are a few cautions needed.
There are some stretches to the east of Mandeville for several miles that are rather isolated & might possibly be unsafe for lone female joggers/​walkers, particularly during weekdays. Security precautions might be advised.
Intersections should be taken with caution. While there are 4-​way stops at intersections of streets & the Trace, cars do not always stop. I had seen bike riders, especially young children, narrowly missed by cars, & have actually seen adult bikers fall down to avoid being hit by cars (within inches).

Ive logged so many enjoyable moments on the Tammany Trace, from bike rides to brunch or breweries to the occasional run. This trace is great for cycling and a brewery crawl is easily managed along it, starting at the covington trailhead. Will keep coming back for more!

Love coming to Koop! Great for the kids. They get to run, climb and of course play in the sand!

The Tammany Trace is a great nature trail that used to be an old railroad track. It’s great for jogging, cycling or just taking a leisurely stroll out in nature. It’s peaceful and relaxing and there are covered pavilions dotted along the way with restrooms and vending machines.
Many people aren’t aware that there is one of these pavilions where the trace intersects with Thompson Road in Slidell. If you drive here, there is an ample parking lot and a really small but great little playground for kids. Bathrooms and vending machines with snacks and drinks are here for your convenience, too.
Take some time to visit the Trace whether you’re a walker, jogger, cyclist or just want to take the kids out for a little something different to do one weekend.

31 miles of pure trail? Yes. Please, and thank you.
There was one water fountain and bathroom from when I was running from Slidell. I went 7 miles and turned around. It’s pretty much a straight shot. You’re surrounded by trees, and the trail is pretty flat. I wish I had my bike because this would have been an amazing ride!
1 negative — no dogs allowed. :(

I love the Trace. I admit the Trace from 59/​Coop Drive to Mandeville is nicer than that from Covington to Abita. The trees are taller, the benches and trash cans are regular, and the terrain is more interesting but its all good.

This is cycling at it’s finest here in the SE Louisiana. 28 miles of mainly shaded paved roads for cycling, roller blading, jogging, running, walking, horse bike riding but no skateboarding. Skateboarding a crime! Ok I made the skateboarding part up, you could probably do that here too but there is nowhere to thrash so not recommended for that.
Anywho, as others have said this is an old railroad track converted for us who like to don spandex. There are quite a few trail heads which include covered shelters with bathrooms along the way. Of coarse there are a lot of trees for that as well but again that’s not recommeneded. Some of the trail heads include playgrounds for the kiddos to play and there are «rangers» along the track as well. These guys keep that trail clean for the most part. It seems like on Sunday evenings there are quite a few sticks and pine combs on the trail but never during the week. I recommend dodging the sticks on your road bike or you’ll end up with your wrist in a brace like me. The horses are usually off on the grass next to the paved area but occasionally the paths intersect. I’ve only seen horseback riding a few times and never any horse shit on the track. Horse shit would automatically knock them down to 2 stars.
There are tons of stopping points along the way like the draw bridge at Bayou Lacombe, Fountainblau State Park, restaurants and shops in Abita, etc. So bike all 56 miles round trip, find your favorite spot and bike 5 miles. Whatever you choose to do it’s a good place for it.
Why no 5^th star? Well there are a bunch of intersections with roads that require the cyclist to stop (pressumably so he doesn’t die) but doesn’t require the motorist. The interesection at hwy 59 is a death trap. I feel like I’m playing human Frogger when I cross it. Luckily people are generally nice and eventually stop to let you cross but not always. Oh and 20 mph speed limits for you Lance Armstrong types who are all doped up and look like a Nascar with all your sponsorship covered jerseys.

This is a very nice walking and bike trail that goes from Slidell to Covington. It is shady and peaceful. Great place to walk and be near nature.

I’m new to biking and this is the second and third place I’ve taken my new bike. It’s peaceful with lots of shade. I don’t like stopping for cars at times but that’s minor. I really enjoy biking and especially going here to do it.

One of the best things this area has done in the past 20yrs is develop an old rail line into this running/​biking trail. The scenery is beautiful on this 28-​mile long trail.
The Trace has so much to offer for trail users of all ages. From the brewery and brew pub in Abita to the numerous playgrounds and parks that line the trail, you won’t lack for things to see and do as you make your way from Covington to Slidell.
And the trail is almost entirely flat and can even be ridden on a single speed bicycle with no problem. Of course it is also nice for walking, inline skating and jogging. Portions of the trail are also available for horseback riding but horses are not allowed to cross the Bayou Lacombe drawbridge.
Many visitors to the Trace will access it from New Orleans. If you get hungry you can find great places to eat in Covington, Abita Springs, Mandeville, Lacombe, and Slidell. In between, you will see some beautiful Louisiana countryside and wildlife, especially in the Fontainebleau State Park and two different wildlife refuges.
Some other helpful tips: Check out the Kid’s Konnection playground. It is a very nice handicap-​accessible playground for all the kids. Also no dogs are allowed anywhere on the Trace.
Tammany Trace is the premier running/​biking trail in the metro area!

The kid konnection at the Tammany Trace is excellent.
This playground was built to be accessible for all children regardless of any disability. There are ramps to accommodate wheel chairs, special swings and the entire play area has a cushioned floor.
The play area has a large rolling slide, monkey bars, water area, sand area, swings and a see saw.
There is also a large pavilion where parents can rest in between chasing their kids around.
I highly recommend this park for kids.

I try to ride my bike every week day on the Tammany Trace. It starts at my place of employment which is located in downtown Covington and goes all the way to Slidell twisting its way through Mandeville. I think it is excellent! When I was a kid I lived next to the abandoned railroad tracks and always wondered what they we’re going to do with them. When I heard it was going to be paved and turned into a biking/​hiking/​horseback riding trail I was excited. The only downfall is some parts of it go through some shady areas. I’m not sure young mothers walking or riding with young children may be safe at times. Maybe bring a taser. Pretty much the whole trail is wooded and secluded. One thing I do notice is a lot of people that don’t have vehicles use it to walk or ride their bike to work or grocery so they don’t have to walk down a busy highway which is good. I work at the Heiner Brau Brewery at the trail head in Covington and what many people do on Saturdays is take our brewery tour then ride down the trace to the Abita Brewery and take their tour then ride to the USM museum in Abita Springs or the park where the lion fountain is that pours spring water out of its mouth 24 hours a day. Its a good way to spend a Saturday not that I endorse riding your bike drunk. There’s lots of things to do and see along the Trace. If I listed them all this thing would be pages long. Anyway… rock on!

What’s not good about the Tammany trace?
The Tammany Trace was a rail line at one time. Sometime back in the 90’s it was transformed into the multipurpose trail it is today. Part of the Rail to Trail program, the paved trail had something for everyone. It runs from Covington east to Abita Springs. From there, it turns south to Mandeville. From Mandeville, it heads east again and ends in Slidell. Along the way, you’ll pass through LaCombe, Fontainbleau State Park and the Big Branch National Wildlife Refuge. Total length of the path is 31 miles.
I have cycled the path mainly between Abita and Fontainbleau State Park. I haven’t made it any further east than the park or gone through Covington.
Be careful when crossing the several streets that intersect with the Trace. Remember that most of the time you will be encountering vehicles traveling at highway speeds. One nice addition added several years ago was the tunnel under Hwy.190 (Florida St.) in Mandeville. This makes crossing the highway a breeze.
If you have a horse, there are several stretches of the Trace that offer some offroad paths for horseback riding. The horse paths don’t run the full length of the Trace.
There’s a ton of opportunities to check out the local wildlife as well. Several bridges cross marshes and bayous. Trailheads are located along the Trace that offer restrooms and water as well as some playground equipment for the kids. So whether you want to bike, run, walk, or ride a horse, the Trace is the place on the northshore.