D’Arbonne NWR, Hollands Bluff A

D’Arbonne National Wildlife Refuge is a large forested lake region just northwest of Monroe Louisiana. There are a lot of paddling possibilities here and this one is my first trip. The kayak route in the map above launches on the east side at a place called Hollands Bluff. It was mid afternoon after driving from Dallas and it was so so hot, a hundred F or more. The trip explores Bayou D’Arbonne going north and northwest, with a portage or two into some adjacent channels. Some of the land surrounding the bayou looked like it had been hit pretty hard by flooding, lots of downed trees, limbs, and sticks piled up. The best part of the trip was a hidden passage leading into Eagle Lake. The lake is a gem, very picturesque. There are many possible paddle routes leaving from Hollands Bluff and going south, and I would like to try that direction in the spring or fall when it’s cooler.