Kisatchie National Forest · Louisiana · Trail 5003

Big Branch

Big Branch Trail is a 9.6 miles trail in Kisatchie National Forest, Louisiana. The Forest Service rates it trail class 4, highly developed. It is open to hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking.

Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Kisatchie National Forest official page carries current alerts and closure orders.

Map

One end Other endLine simplified to about 100 metres. Basemap from the USGS National Map.

One end31.0056, -93.1359 · Directions ↗
Other end30.9804, -93.1221 · Directions ↗

The ends are the two ends of the longest connected chain of segments. The record does not say which is the usual start.

The trail

Length9.6 miles
Trail class4, highly developed
Typeland trail
Surfacenative material
Typical grade0-5 percent
Typical tread width18-24 inches
Motor vehiclesClosed to all motorized use year-round
AccessibilityNot evaluated
Trail numbers5003
ForestKisatchie National Forest (unit 0806)
StatesLouisiana
Detail publishedmanagement level, with uses

Values are the set across all segments. Class 1 is minimally developed and class 5 is fully developed. Grade and width are the forest's typical values, not measured extremes.

Allowed uses

HikingAllowed year-round
Horse and pack stockAllowed year-round
Mountain bikingAllowed year-round

A use is listed when the Forest Service records it as managed, accepted or discouraged on any segment. Discouraged still means legal. Uses marked restricted are left out. Where the forest publishes a Motor Vehicle Use Map, that map governs motorized use.

Trailheads

The Forest Service recreation layer records no trailhead within a third of a mile of this trail's line. Many trails start from a road pullout or another trail with no trailhead record. The forest's recreation pages list the trailheads it does publish.

Distance is from the point to the nearest part of the trail line. Season text is what the forest wrote and is often a season name rather than a date. The recreation page link goes to the Forest Service site, which may redirect to the forest's recreation index.

Camping nearby

Campsite Atlas cards carry site counts and booking links from Recreation.gov. Forest Service cards come from the recreation layer and link the agency page.

Fire nearby

  • Prescribed
    Rx Calv Bu 104-108

    5 mi from the trail midpoint · 878 acres

  • Wildfire
    Gordie Branch

    19 mi from the trail midpoint · 150 acres · 65% contained

  • Prescribed
    Rx Kis Bu 32-33

    32 mi from the trail midpoint · 2,799 acres

  • Prescribed
    Rx Kis Bu 30-31

    33 mi from the trail midpoint · 2,986 acres

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Closure orders are on the forest's official page.

Explore

Reference

Questions people ask

How long is the Big Branch Trail?

9.6 miles, the sum of the 1 segment the Forest Service records under this name in Kisatchie National Forest.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

What is allowed on the Big Branch Trail?

hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking. The trail is closed to motor vehicles year-round.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Where does the Big Branch Trail start?

The line begins at 31.0056, -93.1359 and ends at 30.9804, -93.1221. No Forest Service trailhead is recorded within a third of a mile of it. The record does not say which end is the usual start.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Is the Big Branch Trail in a wilderness area?

No. The trail line does not cross any polygon in the National Wilderness Preservation System layer.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Where can I camp near the Big Branch Trail?

Enduro Camp (4.6 mi) is within five miles of the trail.

Source: Kisatchie National Forest official page

How developed is the Big Branch Trail?

Trail class 4, which the Forest Service describes as highly developed. Class 1 is a minimal, unimproved route and class 5 is fully developed, often paved.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

How steep and how wide is the Big Branch Trail?

The typical grade is 0-5 percent. The typical tread is 18-24 inches wide.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Who manages the Big Branch Trail?

Kisatchie National Forest, Forest Service unit 0806. The trail is in Louisiana.

Source: Kisatchie National Forest official page

Is there a fire near the Big Branch Trail?

4 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-09-18, the nearest Rx Calv Bu 104-108 at 5 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.

Source: Fire nearby

Source

This page is built from 1 segment named BIG BRANCH in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0806. Wilderness overlap is tested against the National Wilderness Preservation System layer from Wilderness Connect. Trailheads and Forest Service campgrounds come from the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer. Data refreshed September 17, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.