Iatt Lake

Boat ramp at the observation point.

Don't get much better. Easy access, secure parking. Only caveat, this is a day use only site. I'm not sure you could leave a vehicle overnight. Probably need to check with the Ranger District if you plan an overnighter.

Waypoint

Waypoint

Just off the boat ramp... ya, the water lilies were an issue. Beautiful but what a pain to paddle through. Fortunately, only for a short distance and we were able to get around and through them. Not a game changer...

Waypoint

Beaver den

Mike saw it first and asked, "is that a beaver den?" then we saw the beaver sitting atop it. A pretty good clue! Unfortunately he dropped down inside before i was able to get a picture.

Waypoint

Trail markers

Much of our route was marked by these orange and white "blazes". As much as I wanted to be offended, they certainly helped us through some of the thicketey areas. We picked them up shortly past the beaver den and followed them down into the main body of the lake.

Waypoint

Waypoint

The trail

In places the boat lane was pretty much a tunnel through a young cypress, tupelo forest. pretty obvious, then it would disappear into the forest. The markers came in handy there.

water weeds!

We hit a pretty ugly patch of salvinia right after our lunch break. No fun! This patch was close to a mile long, pretty thick and extended as far out into the woods as we could see from the boat lane. No choice but to plow through. We were told that LAWF was out spraying, we saw their trucks but never stumbled into them. There was another small patch just east of the boat ramp. much thicker and much more difficult to paddle through but easily avoidable, stay north, out in the lake and go around towards the levee. We cut into the south shore too early. Be sure to clean your boats before getting into any other body of water!