Saint Tammany Parish High Point Trip Report
22 areas - 10 foot contour intervals (200+ ft)
Dates: July 10 and 19, 2002
Author: Fred Dale
Day-tripping out of the Mississippi Gulf Coast on two hot days, I nailed these points, and the "county",
in about 12 hours, exclusive of the travel to and from. I did eastern stuff first, but for some reason organizing
starting with the west seems right. "Areas" are in two basic sizes: large, and manageable or, Headache (HA)
[or Highpoint Area], and Hush-Puppy (HA), numbered 1 - 22. (There are 22 candidates, #12HA is shared
between two quads, thus counted twice in Andy Martin's book.)
Group A (6 candidates) on Folsom quadrangle
#1HP - sec. 20: Lake Pontchartrain Causeway (26 mile bridge) from New Orleans, to I-12 [Slidell to Baton
Rouge I-10 accessory] at Covington, the intersection being US 190/I-12. North through Covington on 190
to LA 25, then north through Folsom, continuing to LA 450. Turn northwest onto 450, go about 1.7 miles,
watching for the named gravel road that heads west at a point where 450 slices from northwesterly to north-northwest.
Park. Target contour is just north, in woods. An access gate is posted, locked, just up around
the curve on 450. Highest ground barely discernible on old vehicle path.
#2HP - southwestern section 17: Just over half mile on up 450, couple of houses on the left (west).
Survey marker sign out front. HP out back, path between houses giving access.
#3HA - sections 17 & 18: Largish area near #2. Use your judgment. Left on Hart Road gets you to what I
thought was the highest, south into field a bit, though the road itself sight-leveled as high as anything.
North a bit more on 450 will get you to Jake's Road, which will net more of the west-of-highway #3HA, at
property near origin of Jake's, and then off & on to where it right-angles south, as shown on the topo.
You'll be using Jake's to get to #5HP later in this narrative. But for now, the East-of-highway portion of #3HA:
Back on 450 go north a tiny jog to mailbox "BAHAM", turn east. Vince, at the first house on the left,
was nice enough to escort me around. Locally, his southwest yard seemed highest. Then there is the
home to the south, along the highway, and the flat woods alongside Vince's road. Nothing seemed
discernibly outstanding. High ground in this area of the "Florida Parishes" tends to be table-like --
actually terraces, geologically speaking. Thus, little local relief of any sort when "on top". Grid and bear it.
#4HP - section 17: On to the east on Vince's road (see above) to the end at a trailer, some unfinished homes,
a small pond. No one home. Easy minor grid.
#5HP - sections 18/40: Map weirdness -- don't expect sections to be square in Louisiana -- they don't play
the white keys there. Back to Jake's Road. Go to the end, through northern #3HA -- west, then south,
then west more on a lane hardly road-like, to an overhead decorative iron gate, open when I visited. A nice
property-line lane led south into the tall woods, getting me into the tiny contour. My GPS couldn't do the
latitude because of the trees, but it paced and looked right.
#6HP - northern section 40: Leaving Vince's road, or Jake's Road, just north on 450 is the stylish entrance to
Monarch Farm, the private drive called Glenwood Springs Lane. Quite a few gates, it's the better part of a
mile into this artesian-fountained refuge. Mexican-(?)American employees didn't seem to mind as I tooled
past the stables and such, but I encountered two craftsmen or caretaker types one of whom politely
explained that the landed gentleman had not arrived yet for his weekend out of the city, but was expected soon.
As I was out of the car already, tell-tale Bahaia grass in my bootstrings, I was content to turn around,
his unstated directive. My GPS dittoed my map-derived coordinates, and the unreached home site up ahead
sight-leveled lower. I was told the property owner, when there on weekends, would probably "have no
problem" with visitors of this sort. Didn't get the name, though the estate has an office and can probably be
reached via directory assistance (Folsom?).
Group A topo chart
Group B (3 candidates) on Folsom quadrangle
#7HA - sections 13, 14, 23, 24: Sort of on the parish line in the middle of nowhere (too bad it's not
wilderness) between highways 450 and 25, to the east. I was alone, unvisited, but uncomfortable with the
plethora of hunting club paraphernalia/signs/totems. From Group A go back south on 450 to 25, turn north,
go into Washington Parish, past the large nursery to the east-turning badly-paved road (Safford?) at the
north edge of the flowery place. My map ("Roads of Louisiana", Shearer Publishing, 1997) -- much better
than any Delorme atlas -- has it as PR 1-14. Twisty, bucolic, at times narrowing down to a sandy path
between rural lawns, it encounters first one (Dusty Road), then another right-turning road.
Unmarked, that'll be PR 1-19. Take it, and go a mile to Long Road. Turn south. Just down a short hill, where Long
turns sharply west, instead go straight. Hunting club signs obscured by the open gate, 4WD time. 1/4 mile in,
I encountered a better road going southwest along a major fence line. The topo is accurate; the parish
line comes up after a mile. Grassy path through the woods, the south-going path continues, on the other
side of a fence, into St. Tammany Parish, and #7HA. Bike time. Just as on the topo, it splits, left fork which
you'll use to access #8HP. I noted that the bushwhacking around here was variable in difficulty, and this
area of #7HA is exceedingly flat! Back to the parish line. With 4WD, it can be driven west-northwest.
Stop at the other two lobes of #7HA, enter woods south into St. Tammany, look for tell-tale relief within
the contour. Grid, get lost, stand on fire ant mounds. Continuing west-northwest on the parish line "road"
will get you to #9HP.
#8HP - section 24: As above. Barely discernible as an elevation on the pleasant grassy path in the woods,
the meat of this hp is just off to the east side in young woods.
#9HP - section 14: See #7HA. From the top of a rise near the west terminus of the parish line road-path, park.
The north-going path on the topo is seen down in the ravine. Over the fence into St. Tammany, to the
southwest is the target contour, visible in taller new-growth woods.
ATV trails in hunting club lands love to summit! Don't ya love it? This one felt highpointish.
Group B topo chart
Group C (9 candidates) on Enon and Folsom quadrangles
#10HA - section 20: Actually part of the same trans-county contour interval area as #12HA. From Group
B, once I made my way safely back to PR 1-19, it was just a couple of twisting miles east to Highway 437.
Note the view to the north at the nearby Enon F.T. when at the intersection. Go south to St. Tammany Parish.
Turn left (east) onto the parish line road. A hundred yards or so up ahead, Martinize the south side
of the road, and go off into the fields if you want. Nothing in, within, or across the field sight-levels higher
than the roadside. The "toe" of this boot-shaped area will be visited later. See #15HP below.
#11HP - section 20: Return to highway 437 at the spot elevation 204 point, go south a couple hundred yards
to the right (northwest) - turning road ("Factory Rd." to the locals - no sign). Park. Grab the high ground
on the east side of the intersection. This is the tiny #11HP.
#12HA - section 19 and 20: NOTE: This area is divided between two quads, thus is counted twice in
Andy's book. The southeast "tail" of this large area can be bushwhacked from #11HP. But, nothing rose
within the contour in that area by my observation, so I didn't go the whole distance southeast. Now for
some frustration: Go back to the parish line on 437, park (spot elevation 204 again), and walk west along
the fence/parish line. It'd be easy on the north side, but it is heavily fortified! And the fence is electric
(contact wires strung on north side)! You'll be literally hugging it as you proceed on the brambly south side
of the fence westward a 1/3 mile to the spot elevation 206 point. Tough bushwhacking into the woods
southward -- nothing looks upwardly mobile in there. I entered, but didn't completely grid, the western
"tail" of #12HA. Now extraction from the fence/sharp bushes comes, back to the car, and then south to the
aforementioned Factory Road. It loops through #12HA, giving multiple random access to the interior of #12HA,
south and north. Actually, subtle topography is found along the road, tantalizing the obsessed explorer.
You'll get another chance to do some #12HA when you get to #14HP.
#13HP - section 19: As indicated on the map, Factory Rd. traverses it.
Looks like the road sides get it from my look-see.
#14HP - section 19: Just a tad down-slope from the southwest border of #13HP, turn right into the gravel
estate drive of a wonderful couple who served Kool-Aid to my sister and me. They let us have our way with
their property, and the apex of the hp was easy in their manicured woods. Dipped back into #12HA some;
no rewards there.
#15HP - section 20/29: Back up Factory Road to 437, then turn south a mile to Pine Acres Drive, then turn
left (east). After a half mile, the road goes north. All the way to the end, park. Across the little stream
valley in front of you is the "toe" of the "boot" that is #10HA. Once there, back-sighting made it seem quite
elevated compared to the Pine Acres area, but enough forest is in the area to make this not reliable.
Near the road's end are homes back in the woods on the west side. We found Mr. Galloway's yard to contain
highest ground, as best as we could tell.
#16HP - section 20, southernmost: On the east side of Pine Acres, roughly across from the Galloway's,
Mr McLean's (spp?) horse-yard outback contained the high ground. He was nice, saying that his daughter the
geologist would understand the hobby. We parked here with his permission as we set off to do a real hike
for the next two places.
#17HP - section 20/29 (barely enters section 20): Across Mr. McLean's back fence is indeed a north-south path,
which shortly turn due east. A dash into the woods nets this target there.
#18HA - sections 20, 21, 28, 29: I'd guess this one contains the cohp. The east-going path mentioned in
#17HP goes to the "ridge", with extensions N, and most importantly, NE, into the meat of this large area.
It is up in the northeast large lobe of #17HA that I thought the cohp probably was. Good views to the north,
toward a power transmission line. Back on the main east-west trail, central #17HA, south-going trails
descend the elevated land. Nothing seems as high. I spoke with Mr. James Richards, Barcelona Lane
(which hits 437 another mile south), who told me the "hill" -- the only one -- is to the north, up close to the
parish line -- which I agree with. His father owns all the land #17HA is on apparently, and the son knows it
well it seems. He could not escort us from his home due to liability concerns.
So I feel confident about this one.
Group C topo chart
Group D (2 candidates) on Enon quadrangle
#19HP - a liner - section 26: From Group C, a hundred feet or so from where Barcelona shoehorns into 437,
Louisiana Tung Road heads east. Take it, to LA 1129. Turn north, go to the parish line, then turn
east-southeast onto the dirt parish line road. Caution: heavy fast trucks on this lane. Apparently a land-fill
pit is being excavated. See #20HP below. Anyway, if the gate at 1129 is open for this road this candidate
hp is simple, along the roadside.
#20HP - section 26: There really is, at present, a little muddy (4WD) lane south & sotheast to this one as
shown on topo. However, most of this hp has been done hauled away (remembering John Prine). I felt a
remnant survives, based on observation, local rise, and GPS. Note: the hp lies behind tall artificial mounds,
so the cliff-edge of the pit, where the highest ground is, is not immediately seen. Approach pit differently,
and it is the west wall of the pit.
Group D topo chart
Group E (2 candidates) on Enon quadrangle
#21HP - section 45: From Group D, go south on 1129 about 4 miles to Fair Haven Road, and turn east.
Follow it to LA 40, and turn northeast. A little over a mile, turn left (north) onto House Creek Road.
Bear right at the N. Taylor Road intersection. Another half mile and you'll encounter a sharp right turn in the road.
The horse pen adjacent to the road, between the mobile home and the road, contains the height of this
small contour.
#22HP - section 43: From #21HP, go back to highway 40, and continue east-northeast slightly less than a mile
and turn north onto a small lane with a bend to the northwest after a mile or so. Just past that is an
abandoned house directly ahead (at a defunct intersection). The hp is in the side yard of this derelict property.
Nice homes are nearby. Sight-leveling nearby pastures convinced me they were lower.
Group E topo chart
Selected GPS on-site recordings (NAD 27 datum)
#1 - (30° 41.35' N, 90° 13.15' W)
#2 - (30° 41.67' N, 90° 13.39' W)
#4 - (30° 41.96' N, 90° 13.16' W)
#5 - (30° 41.__' N, 90° 03.91' W)
#8 - (30° 41.35' N, 90° 09.16' W)
#9 - (30° 41.71' N, 90° 10.13' W)
#10 - (30° 41.11' N, 90° 07.02' W) ("toe")
#11 - (30° 41.15' N, 90° 07.34' W)
#14 - (30° 41.12' N, 90° 07.98' W)
#15 - (30° 40.80' N, 90° 07.09' W)
#16 - (30° 40.77' N, 90° 06.91' W)
#17 - (30° 40.76' N, 90° 06.84' W)
#18 - (30° 40.95' N, 90° 06.32' W) (high ground, north lobe)
#19 - (30° 40.73' N, 90° 04.25' W)
#20 - (30° 40.58' N, 90° 04.07' W)
#21 - (30° 40.23' N, 90° 02.91' W)
#22 - (30° 39.25' N, 90° 01.66' W)