Longleaf Pine Trail

The Longleaf Pine Trail at Chicot State Park passes through an active ecological restoration area where land managers are working to reestablish the once-vast longleaf pine savanna ecosystem of the American South. This globally threatened habitat once stretched across nearly 90 million acres from Virginia to Texas; today less than three percent of the original extent survives. Chicot's restoration effort includes the reintroduction of wiregrass groundcover and the use of prescribed fire to maintain the open, park-like structure characteristic of healthy longleaf savannas.

Among the most exciting features of this trail are the carnivorous pitcher plants growing in the wet, nutrient-poor soils of seasonal seeps along the route. These striking native plants are rarely seen by casual visitors and make the Longleaf Pine Trail a genuine botanical treasure. The trail gains modest elevation across gently rolling terrain and is well-suited for families. Interpretive markers explain the restoration process and the ecological importance of longleaf pine habitat for species such as the red-cockaded woodpecker and the gopher tortoise.