Wild Camp #17 Cypress Slough
Cypress Slough Camp is the longest hiking wild camp of all the Kisatchie Wild Camps. It is a unique wild camp, offering two different "Alternative" wild camps to the main wild camp location. This is partly due to folks determining how long of a hike they wish to make their adventure. Parking is at FS RD 273/Messina Road intersection and logging road E015C. The access point is also where you park and is mainly hiking logging road E015C to the off-trail access point. The two "Alternative" wild camps are great little open areas for those who wish to hike for a shorter duration and have ease of use and setup of camp.
The main wild camp is just down a ridge leading to a beautiful cypress slough area with many clear-flowing branches and drainages. Terrain navigation is generally flat at higher elevations through a mature pine habitat leading to a cypress bottom at wild camp. Cypress Slough Camp has a difficulty rating of "Moderate" due to off-trail navigation through bottomland hardwoods habitat.
The campsite can accommodate only 3-5 Hammock Shelters (*there are too many cypress knees on the forest floor for tent and tarp shelters). The hike-in from the access point to Alternative Wild Camp-1 is 0.6 miles, Alternate Wild Camp-2 is 0.8 miles, and to the Main Wild Campsite center is 1.5 miles. The water source is Boggy Bayou, which was very small, narrow, flowing, and clean last I visited. Waypoint coordinates and location bearings are included in the Wild Camp Report.
Interactive 360° Virtual Tour
PARKING
STARTING POINT
CAMP
WATER SOURCE