Located in northeastern Louisiana, Poverty Point is one of the most historic attractions in the entire state. Built between 1700 and 1100 BC, there’s a lot of fascinating history behind this ancient architectural wonder, and it’s worth a day trip exploring the area.

In its heyday, Poverty Point was a massive trading hub and thriving community.
Becky Parton/All Trails
It was also a ceremonial center, but there are many questions as to why these massive earthworks were constructed.
Constructed by hand, the site was the largest of its kind for over 2,000 years and was built long before the Mayan cities or even Machu Picchu.
Maximilian Dörrbecker/Wikimedia
Poverty Point’s earliest residents left no written word of their time there, so there are many mysteries that still remain.
Before you tackle the trail, pop into the visitor's center where you can learn more about Louisiana's earliest residents.
Louisiana Travel/Google

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You can check out the displays featuring several artifacts archaeologists have uncovered here.
Kris Fam/Google
Since the Poverty Point residents left no documentation of their day-to-day lives, historians have had to piece together the puzzle through artifacts left behind.
There’s a hiking trail that will take you all over the grounds.
Michael McDonald/All Trails
The trail runs for about 2.5 miles. There’s not much shade on the trail, so keep that in mind!
From historic earthworks to beautiful bayou overlooks, the trail will lead you on quite the journey.
Donald Hodge/Google
Bayou Macon plays an important role in Poverty Point's history. Back then, the bayou would have been much larger and was a more popular avenue to import and export goods. Archaeologists have founds rocks and minerals that are from hundreds of miles away, leading historians to believe the bayou was used as a highway of sorts.
The entrance fee to visit Poverty Point is just $4 - and it's worth every penny!
Sam Plouffe/Google
It's not every day you get to walk through history.

Poverty Point is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For more information, visit the Poverty Point website. If you’ve ever been to Poverty Point, share your experience with us in the comments!

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Poverty Point World Heritage Site, 6859 LA-577, Pioneer, LA 71266, USA