Tammany Trace: short return from Koop Drive
Louisiana · Rail-trail
Take the main orange-mapped Trace in the Mandeville / Sharp Road direction. Turn BEFORE Sharp Road, any earlier road interface, work barrier or uncomfortable transition; retrace. Do not enter a road detour, the parallel horse trail or the green share-road extension. If the lot connection is blocked, postpone.
Plan your ride
- Location
- Mandeville / Northshore · Louisiana
- Ride length
- Up to 3 miles return
- Ride format
- Out-and-back
- Surface
- Asphalt main rail-trail
- Road crossings
- Take the main orange-mapped Trace in the Mandeville / Sharp Road direction. Turn BEFORE Sharp Road, any earlier road interface, work barrier or uncomfortable transition; retrace. Do not enter a road detour, the parallel horse trail or the green share-road extension. If the lot connection is blocked, postpone.
- Elevation
- A 2017 Rails-to-Trails feature with named manager interviews describes a flat smooth railway course suitable for cruisers. This is historical qualitative context, not a current maximum-slope or bridge/lot inspection.
- Starting location
- Tammany Trace Koop Drive Trailhead, Mandeville, LA
Owner April 2025 map matrix gives Koop–Sharp Road 1.50 miles one way. This is an up-to-three-mile return ending before the road, with any earlier interface shortening it. Parking walk extra.
Approximate named public facility/access-area reference. Follow the guide to designated public visitor parking and the signed path; not a surveyed stall.
Tammany Trace: short return from Koop Drive — detailed guide
Source review: 2026-10-21. A dated source review does not guarantee current-day conditions.
Mandeville / Northshore, Louisiana · Up to 3 miles return · Asphalt main rail-trail
Start: Koop Drive green-caboose public trailhead, Tammany Trace Koop Drive Trailhead, Mandeville, LA. Parish explicitly lists visitor parking at the green caboose and playground. Use designated public trail spaces, walk through the lot and join the signed main Trace; walk any access-drive crossing when clear. The address identifies the public complex, not a parking stall. Playground maintenance hours can differ from Trace hours.
Ride: Take the main orange-mapped Trace in the Mandeville / Sharp Road direction. Turn BEFORE Sharp Road, any earlier road interface, work barrier or uncomfortable transition; retrace. Do not enter a road detour, the parallel horse trail or the green share-road extension. If the lot connection is blocked, postpone.
Distance: Owner April 2025 map matrix gives Koop–Sharp Road 1.50 miles one way. This is an up-to-three-mile return ending before the road, with any earlier interface shortening it. Parking walk extra.
Permission and effort: Parish explicitly permits ordinary cycling on the main Trace and identifies this public bicycle head. A 2017 Rails-to-Trails feature with named manager interviews describes a flat smooth railway course suitable for cruisers. This is historical qualitative context, not a current maximum-slope or bridge/lot inspection.
Planning: Current seasonal Trace hours 7 a.m.–6 p.m., effective October 4, 2026; closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve/Day and New Year’s Eve/Day. No current ordinary trail or parking tariff established; posted terms govern. 15 mph ceiling; slow around walkers, keep right and announce passes. No pets, alcohol or racing on the Trace. Ordinary pedal cycling covered here; no class-specific e-bike certification.
Access reviewed October 20, 2026 Central (October 21 UTC): Fresh parish notices retain four bridge closures: Abita River, bridges 14 and 24 near Abita, and bridge 13 Bayou Castine between Rapatel and Group Camp Road. Their 2026–2027 target dates are not reopenings. This short Koop–before-Sharp outing avoids those named reaches; no full 31-mile through ride or current tread inspection is claimed.
Bring water and choose suitable weather. Parking walking is extra. No surveyed parking-space pin or navigable GPX is supplied.
Sources: Parish current hours and bridge alerts · Parish public parking · Owner map, mileage and rules · Historical railway terrain context