The town of St. Francisville, Louisana, is located in West Feliciana Parish near Baton Rouge. This small town features numerous plantations and is situated along the Mississippi River. When visiting St. Francisville, head out exploring the plantations, a local floral garden or bring a bike and hit one of the challenging trails around St. Francisville.
Floral Gardens
Escape the modern amenities of town and spend a few hours exploring the nature that surrounds St. Francisville. At Afton Villa, you will find more than 250 acres of formal gardens. This location features an abundance of plants including magnolia fuscata, wild ferns, tulip trees and camellias. During the spring, you will walk through more than 80,000 daffodils that are planted on the grounds. While exploring the grounds, expect to see two small ponds and an abundance of birds, specifically waterfowl.
Biking
When traveling to St. Francisville, plan to bring your bike. There are several routes around the area that are popular with cyclists. Individuals often bike between the seven plantations that surround the area. In addition to these self-guided rides, the town hosts several cycling events throughout the year. The area around St. Francisville is hilly and provides an ideal location for both road and mountain biking. In St. Francisville is the Beast Trail, which is a four- to five-mile single-track dirt mountain biking trail located in West Feliciana Sports Park. This trail was designed by famed mountain bike trail designer James Ramsaur and features double black diamond hills and switchbacks.
Farmers’ Market
Stock up on fresh snacks when visiting St. Francisville by heading over to the St. Francisville Farmers’ Market. The market is located in a covered livestock barn behind the Audubon Antique Gallery. This market takes place on Thursdays. Market hours are from noon to 5 p.m. At the market, you can find fresh vegetables, fruits, organic foods, crafts and prepared foods.
Golf
If you are interested in playing a round of golf, head to the Arnold Palmer designed Bluffs Golf Course. According to its website, this course was rated as the No. 1 Best Place You Can Play in Louisiana by Golf Week Magazine and was awarded four stars by Golf Digest. The course has hosted numerous championships since its opening and features three sets of tees to play from. As of 2010, during the week the course costs $50 for a round of 18, cart rental and a bucket of range balls. The course costs $65 on the weekends. This course is open year-round, and tee times can be reserved up to seven days in advance.
Wildlife Reserve
Located near downtown St. Francisville is the Cat Island National Wildlife Reserve. Here you will find an area filled with wildlife, wetlands and several trails. The reserve is dedicated to conservation and preservation of migratory birds and endangered or threatened plants and animals. This 10,473-acre reserve features four miles of trails and allows canoeing, hunting, fishing, bird watching and wildlife observation.
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