“So, are you guys Highpointers?” asked a man who had also made it to the “peak” of Mt. Driskill near Arcadia, LA. My wife Susan and I knew he could not be a local due to his jean pants and Portland Trailblazers shirt on an exceptionally hot and humid day. “I’m from Portland,” he continued, “This is my 29th highpoint.”

After parking our car at the Mt. Zion Presbyterian Church at the base of the mountain, we had walked down a gravel road until it ended at a cattle gate that we slipped by and headed onto a trail more fit for hiking. We reached a placard that gave us the option of two trails to reach the summit. One was a wider, more navigable trail that slowly escalated to the top. The other trail was a winding path through the woods, which caused us to rely on trail markers, those being trees spray painted with blue dots. We opted for the latter and headed toward the top.

With an elevation of only 535 feet, this “mountain” is only rivaled by Florida’s Britton Hill and Delaware’s Ebright Azimuth for the lowest highpoint.

After we crossed the false summit, we eventually reached the highest point in Louisiana! We were greeted by an information booth, a guestbook to sign (which we did), the aforementioned fellow hiker and Highpointer, and a pleasant view through the trees.

The information booth contained details on the origin of the Driskills and the founding of this mountainous region. Additionally, it stated that Jack Longacre, founder of the Highpointer Club in 1987, had his ashes scattered at this point in 2003. Next to the information booth was a bench donated by the Highpointers Foundation.

We started back down the trail, the easy way, and greeted fellow climbers as they worked their way towards the summit. One of them, a five-year-old girl, had proudly hiked the entire way by herself! We reached our car and headed home, proud to now be Highpointers and explorers of this unique site in the state we love so much. This is a great day-cation for those needing some time in the outdoors or for families who want to provide their children with a sense of accomplishment.

Join us as Highpointers!

Getting there from I-20:
– Take Exit 67 S for 1.7 miles to Arcadia
– Go S on SR 147 for 7.4 miles
– Turn SW (R) on SR 797 and continue for 3.7 miles
– Turn W (R) onto SR 507 at T-intersection and continue for 1.0 miles to the Mt Zion Presbyterian Church parking lot