The Incredible Flower Road Trip Through Louisiana Is The Ultimate Spring Adventure

Feel free to use this map to guide your way. You can also add more stops if you want to make the road trip unique to you!

Our first stop brings us to the American Rose Center in Shreveport. Clocking in at 118 acres, the American Rose Center is the largest park dedicated to roses in the United States! The official rose season lasts from April 1 - October 31, so you’ve plenty of time to enjoy the blooms. There are benches and pathways peppered around the grounds and plenty of beautiful roses to smell.

Not far from the American Rose Garden, the garden at the R.W. Norton Art Gallery is a must-see this spring. Here you’ll find 40 acres of beautifully landscaped botanical gardens, including thousands of native azaleas. It’s easy to feel like you’re walking through a Monet painting here. Speaking of art, if you have the time, pop into the art gallery! The R.W. Norton Art Gallery has an extensive collection of art ranging from ancient Egypt to contemporary pieces.

The Biedenharn Museum and Gardens is one of the best things to do in Monroe, for a few reasons. Built in 1913, the museum was originally the home of Joseph A. Biedenharn, who was the first person to bottle Coca-Cola. Inside, the museum has three exhibits: his home, a Coca-Cola museum, and a Bible museum. Outside, the gardens really steal the show. ELsong Gardens (named after Biedenharn’s daughter) are truly one of a kind. Each section has a different theme including a walled English garden, a four seasons garden, an oriental garden, and a musical grotto.

This next stop might be one of the best kept hidden gems in Louisiana. Tucked away in the Kisatchie National Forest, the Catahoula Hummingbird and Butterfly Garden was established in 1995 as a joint project between the US Forest Service and Gardeners for Wildlife to create an area for our little fluttering friends to thrive. Over the years, this space has continued to attract hummingbirds and butterflies of all types, as well as beautiful songbirds and other wildlife, too.

Stuart Lake Campground is not far from this spot, and it’s the perfect spot to spend the night if you want to turn this day trip into a weekend adventure.

If you’re really itching to see Louisiana’s native flowers in bloom, there’s no better spot than the Wild Azalea Trail. This primitive trail in the Kisatchie National Forest spans 24 miles and is the longest primitive hiking trail in Louisiana. If you don’t want to tackle all 24 miles, you can always park at one of the trailheads and wander until you’re ready to head back. As you might have guessed from the trail’s name, there are plenty of wild azaleas along the trail to admire. You can expect these beauties from March until May.

I would highly recommend getting yourself an AllTrails + account if you plan on hiking the entire trail. While it is well marked, it is in the middle of a forest and cell signal can be hit or miss.