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Swampy but beautiful
As Randy navigates our rented john boat through the interconnected waterways, sloughs, and bayous of CaddoLake, I keep the map spread across my lap and make note of the “road” signs we pass; tracing our course with my finger, lest we get lost and never find our way back to the put-in point. We glide through the canal-like alleys flanked by bald cypress trees with their knees poking out of the water…like some sort of strange creatures eyeing us as we pass…and tangled beards of Spanish moss swaying in the gentle breeze of the humid afternoon. This slice of southern charm has a serene—if somewhat eerie—feel, triggering images of the movie Deliverance, starring Burt Reynolds. Thankfully, I don’t hear banjo music.
I peer through binoculars scanning the banks in search of wildlife that is often camouflaged by aquatic plant life. Some of the more unusual critters include: alligators, mink, nutria, beaver, raccoon, and white-tail deer. Eventually, we enter a large wide-open area that is literally covered with Lilly pads, most of them in bloom and the sun’s glitter sparkles on the water’s surface. What a beautiful, rarely-seen spectacle! Randy stops the boat’s motor so we can listen to the birds calling to one another while we take in the dazzling waterscape.
Several motion pictures have been made here: The Bayou Boy, Soggy Bottom USA, Southern Comfort, Big John, Gator Bait, Universal Soldier, and others.
As one of the largest cypress swamps anywhere, CaddoLake, on the border of Texas and Louisiana, is home to 71 species of fish, such as crappie and bass; and 225 species of birds, from the tiny warbler to the Great Blue Heron.
CaddoLakeState Park offers: camping, hiking, swimming, fishing, birding, and of course boating.
Nearby towns:
Uncertain, Jefferson, Marshall, and Karnack: childhood home to Mrs. Lyndon B. Johnson (Ladybird).
It's swampy, expect mosquitoes.
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