2023-05-13: Driskill Mountain

Louisiana: State High Point 21/50. Elevation 535'. Solo ascent via Driskill Mountain Trial. 2.21 mi, 230' elevation gain, 44m RT.

"I wish we could just stay here forever."

It was still dark out in Pensacola, but the birds were beginning to sing the song of sunrise. My car was packed and parked by the sidewalk, and the small college campus was beginning to buzz with activity of the early risers leaving for the summer. I stood on that sidewalk for over half an hour and for once I didn't want to leave, because for once I wasn't standing there alone.

I bade Audrey goodbye, stepped into my car, and drove off, leaving her there in front of the dorms, knowing that we wouldn't see each other again for another two months. My only consolation was the knowledge that I'd spend the next three days road tripping. I had planned out an ambitious schedule with twelve stops in eleven states, and I knew from experience that there was little chance I'd make them all. My top priority, however, was the five state highpoints that formed the backbone of the trip.

The planned route. The actual route - and destinations - deviated significantly from this.

By noon I was in the flat open farmlands of northern Louisiana and pulled into my first stop of the ambitious trip: Poverty Point. One of only a few UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the US, Poverty Point is home to the oldest and second-largest complex of Native American mounds in the world. Dating back to 1600 BC, the impressive formations here are some of the oldest manmade structures in the Americas.

The place was pretty empty on a Saturday afternoon, and the woman working the counter talked me through the different options the park offered. I took the self-guided hiking tour, which lasted about 2.5 miles and went to all the major mounds, including Mound A, the single largest mound in the world. Believed to represent a bird in flight, this massive manmade mountain is filled with sculptures and artifacts from a civilization completely lost to time whose motivations, beliefs, and downfall can only be speculated. It truly is a one-of-a-kind location filled with history and a sense of wonder that's become increasingly rare in the world.

A view of Mount A from the hiking trail. Note the people on top for scale.

Looking south over the remarkably flat land from the top of the impressive mound.

Sightseeing taken care of, I headed on to the main destination of the state: Driskill Mountain. With a summit elevation of only 535', Driskill Mountain is the third-lowest state high point in the US, poking out of the Piedmont Plane just south of the town of Ruston in north-central Louisiana. I had always figured I'd hit this peak later on in my college career but with the trip route planned, it made more sense to bag it on this trip.

"It's our first time here, and we won't be back."

The trailhead for the short Driskill Mountain Trail is located at the Mount Zion Presbyterian Church, which was thankfully not in use when I arrived. I set up my poles and headed out for what I would assume would be a very easy and probably boring hike; after all, how impressive could a 'mountain' be that only reaches 535'? The first section of trail, a grassy 4x4 trail with a locked gate at the end, only seemed to confirm my assumptions.

Signage at the trailhead warns prospective hikers of the mountain's location on private land.

The wide gravel road that forms the first part of the trail.

Eventually this wide road forked; to the right was a gate beyond which the rumble of heavy machinery could be heard, and to the left was the narrow footpath that heads to the summit. Shortly into the path I ran into a couple in their late 70s who told me that the mountain was far more mountainous than they had expected. "You won't have any trouble with it, but we're old," the man told me. Evidently this was a serious trail and not the gradual walkup which characterized most low-lying highpoints.

Heeding their warning I headed forward to a junction in the trail. The old, traditional Driskill Mountain Trail winds up around the summit's lower slopes, but a second, newer trail climbs over its southern (false) summit before continuing on to the true top. Always seeking the road less travelled, I followed the little-used, blue-blazed trail as it ascended steeply towards the nearer false summit. As the couple had told me, this was a proper hiking trail, not a simple walk or meander but a hike with rocks and obstacles and sweat.

Twisty young pine trees dominate the forest at the false summit.

Rather than traversing the col to the true summit, this secondary trail descends almost 100' down the east side of the mountain before climbing back up. The forest here seemed quite young and was dominated by pine trees and vines, and the trail clearly hadn't been used recently. Rains from the night before gave the whole mountain the distinct smell of "pine forest after rain", which is my favorite smell and one I hadn't experienced in quite some time. Soon I emerged at the true summit, marked by a few benches, two cairns, and a kiosk.

View of the summit area, with the smaller cairn at left and the kiosk at right.

A view of the larger cairn at the approximate highest ground. The cairn is made of native rocks, which are in a surprising abundance on the peak.

Driskill Mountain, elevation 535'. US State High Points 21/50.

After taking a few pictures, I headed over a few hundred feet to the summit 'overlook' on the west side of the mountain. This consists of a few Highpointers Association benches and a clearing caused mainly by a steep drop-off on the mountainside. There is a very limited view to Jordan Mountain in the southeast, but even without sweeping vistas I definitely got the feel of elevation.

Wide view of the overlook towards the southeast.

A glimpse of Jordan Mountain. The couple told me they thought it looked higher, even though they knew it wasn't.

I was on a decently tight schedule, given my ambitious itinerary, so I soon left the summit. I descended via the traditional trail, which was more direct and had less elevation gain, skipping the false summit. This trail is far more commonly used, and as such was far easier to follow. It was also surprisingly steep and very rocky, and really felt like a proper hiking trail, which again wasn't what I had expected from such a low-lying peak.

A view of the wide, rocky trail below the summit. Parts of the trail were washed out from recent storms.

Signs like this marked both trails all the way up the mountain, ensuring that hikers have no excuse to wander onto adjacent private land.

This great tree fell across the lower portion of the trail some time ago; it seems to be one of the more popular photography targets on Driskill Mountain for some reason.

A communications tower located below the summit, off the side of the wider road.

Soon I was off the mountain and back at my car. It was already decently into the afternoon and I was eager to get a jump on my next target. Little did I know that my day was about to get a lot more frustrating.