Day 15 – The Bayou State Trail | The Wild Azalea Trail

Woke up before sunrise, anxious I might’ve unknowingly camped on private land. I packed up quickly, using as little light as possible, and got moving. After turning left onto Highway 28, I decided to take a slight detour into Gardner—a small town just off the Bayou State Trail. I needed to upload a video, charge up my gear, and get some editing done. Gardner turned out to be the perfect spot to reset. I knocked out over six hours of work while eating some solid food. Eventually, I hit the road again toward Valentine Lake—the section where the Bayou State Trail intersects with the Wild Azalea Trail. That’s where I met up with John, who came through with burgers and drinks. Serious trail magic. He gave me a lift right to the fire tower marking the junction of the two trails. I pushed a few more miles into the Wild Azalea Trail and found two pine trees perfect for my hammock setup. Then it was back to editing under the pines. Another memorable day out here on this raw and rugged new Louisiana trail. 🎒 Support the journey: https://venmo.com/u/Paul-Strickland-4 ⸻ #hiking backpackinglife #hikertrash #hikingadventures #bayoustatetrail #wildazaleatrail #Louisiana hiking #trailmagic #hammockcamping #hikingvlog