Lake Ramsay Preserve

©Harold E. Malde

Location
St. Tammany Parish.

Size
Approximately 414 acres

How to Prepare for Your Visit
Open during daylight hours. A trail system allows visitors to view this unique habitat.  A trailhead parking lot is located north of Covington on Horse Branch Road. The preserve is suitable for children that are accompanied by an adult.  There are no restroom facilities available on site.

Please review the following visitation guidelines:

  • Dogs and other pets are not permitted.
  • Do not collect, remove, injure, damage, or destroy any artifact or mineral or any animal living or dead.
  • No hunting, trapping, fishing, or discharge of firearms is allowed.
  • No camping is allowed.
  • Absolutely no fires are allowed, and smoking is not permitted in the preserve.
  • Do not litter.
  • No permanent photography blinds may be constructed.  Portable blinds are allowed, but we ask that you remove them when you leave.
  • Do not scatter feed or seed of any kind.  Do not use taped calls to attract wildlife.
  • Keep your vehicle locked at all times, and do not leave equipment or valuables in your vehicle.  Do not leave equipment unattended anywhere on the preserve.
  • Leave the preserve before darkness falls.
  • Please respect the rights of adjacent landowners.  Do not trespass.  Do not block neighbor's driveways.  Please do not use any entrance other than the one designed for the preserve.

Directions
From I-12:

  • Take Exit 63 (US Highway 190) north for 5 miles.
  • Turn west on Highway 190 north of Covington at the intersection with Highway 25. 
  • Go west on Highway 190 for 2 miles to Penn Mill Road (1/2 mile west of Covington High School) and turn north.
  • Go 2 miles to the Horse Branch Creek Trailhead parking lot.

Why the Conservancy Selected This Site
This site was selected by The Nature Conservancy in order to preserve the last remaining pine savanna habitats in the Florida Parishes. These savannas are known for their diversity, including several carnivorous plants, numerous rare plant species and a spectacular variety of orchids.

What the Conservancy Has Done/Is Doing
The Nature Conservancy of Louisiana is restoring the savanna by removing certain flora with an aggressive prescribed burning program and planting longleaf pine. This site is being cooperatively managed with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, which owns the adjacent 796-acre Lake Ramsey Wildlife Management Area.