Welcome to the Circumnavilake Ride Guide!
Two days, 155 miles, and one large lake. This guide covers what you need to know before we roll out, along with information you'll want to have handy during the ride. You'll find details about the route, important stops, road conditions and SAG support. Be sure to read through the Overview, Start of Day 1, Start of Day 2, Tangiapahoa River Bridge, and the sections on "Safety".
Laketown ➡️🚻📷
ETA 06:30 AMSUNRISE 06:59 AMETD 07:00 AMMILE 00Wheels roll at 7:00 AM sharp.
Laketown Park is the official name of the park adjacent to where the Treasure Chest Casino Boat used to dock. Plan to be at Laketown parking lot on Saturday, Oct 10, 2026 for 6:30 AM. We’ll have two vehicles parked there. The SAG, a turquoise/cream 1968 Chevrolet C10 truck, will follow the cyclists around the lake and the "trailer vehicle" which is a dark blue 2016 F-150 Supercrew truck pulling a U-Haul trailer. The trailer vehicle will go directly to the campground in Fontainebleau once the ride begins. We’ll provide tags so you can tag your gear, if you choose. If there are items you want available to you during the ride, put them in the SAG. Otherwise, put them in the trailer which will be locked and remain locked until the first riders arrive in Fontainebleau. The trailer will be returned to Laketown at 5:00 PM Sunday. The trailer vehicle will also have a large ice chest filled with ice. Any perishable items you either want at the campground, or at the end of ride on Sunday, should be placed inside of it Saturday morning before 7:00 AM.
Be sure to give yourself adequate time to unload your bike, complete a safety check of your bike and tires, label your gear, take group photos, warm up and stretch your legs. Family and friends are more than welcome to see you off. If you plan on leaving your vehicle there for the weekend, there are places to park however there is no security provided. Park at your own risk and conceal/remove any visible valuables.
We don’t clock watch during the ride, but starting on time is important with respect to safety. The first leg of the ride is Williams Blvd from the lake to the river and we will be riding in the road alongside automobile traffic. Starting late causes the group to compete with additional traffic so plan to start on time. If for any reason, you miss the 7:00 AM start, you may coordinate having someone drive you and your bike to Montz Park, our first stop to meet up with us and the SAG.
I-10 Crossing #1 - Williams Blvd ⚠️➡️
MILE 2ETA 07:09 AMETD 07:09 AMThis is the first of four crossings of Interstate 10 this weekend. No special instructions other than follow bike law.
Montz Park 🛑🚻📷
MILE 21ETA 08:29 AMETD 09:04 AMWe will first pass through the communities of St. Rose, Destrehan, New Sarpy and Norco before reaching our first stop in St. Charles Parish, Montz Park. Partly to rehydrate, reorientate, and re-combobulate, the scheduled 35-minute stop gives us an opportunity to assess both riders and equipment. It will also be our first scheduled meeting with the SAG. If there are no issues needing to be addressed, expect to see a hacky-sack make an appearance.
I-10 Crossing #2 - Main Street - ⚠️➡️
MILE 29ETA 09:55 AMETD 09:55 AMThe is the second of four crossings of Interstate 10 this weekend. No special instructions other than follow bike law.
Swamp Stop 🛑🚻
MILE 29ETA 09:42 AMETD 09:57 AMSwamp Stop is a Shell Gas Station. For previous riders, this is not a new stop, but the name has changed. This is the only stop with a store until Mile 64 so if you want additional snacks or drinks, this is the place to stock up. The SAG will meet us here.
This bridge, built in 1957 has a total length of 3012 feet and is estimated to be 35 feet in height. It has no shoulder but Hwy 51 has very little traffic. It's a climb.
Middendorf’s restaurant is known for their thin fried catfish but they have many other options. They are just under 24 miles from Montz Park and don't open until 10:30 AM. They will be expecting us at 11:00 AM. The SAG will also meet us there. They have a large covered deck behind the main restaurant facing Pass Manchac. It's perfectly suited to serving our large group. In past years, we’ve spent over an hour there so the plan is to saddle up and be back on the road for 12:30 PM. Note: We've never had an incident or concern about security, but if you do own a bike chain and lock, this is the one place you may consider using it as the location we park the bikes will be out of our direct line of sight while dining.
The City of Ponchatoula is just over 11 miles from Middendorf’s, however we no longer go through downtown Ponchatoula, so there are no scheduled stops. Instead look for the Electric Train Depot on your left. Take your next right, cross the train tracks, then take an immediate left onto S E RR Ave. Stay on that until the first stop sign which is East Pecan Street. ⚠️This intersection is unusual in that it's a 4-way intersection but only a 3-way stop; traffic coming from your left doesn't have stop sign so be aware⚠️. Take a right onto E Pecan Street and follow it onto Esterbrook Road. This route replaces a few miles of Highway 22 with quiet residential streets.
John Wild Road & Rue De Mes Amis 🛑
MILE 61ETA 01:44 PMETD 01:54 PMWe're going to stop just short of Highway 22 at the intersection of John Wild Road and Rue De Mes Amis. There, we will meet the SAG to recap the plan for entering Hwy 22. We made this same stop last year.
We will turn off of John Wild Road and on to Louisiana Hwy 22. Hwy 22 is a two lane state highway which we will take from Ponchatoula to Madisonville. Most of the sections we will be riding have a speed limit of 55 mph and plenty of automobile traffic. As such, we'll be riding on the shoulder as much as possible. We will be on it for about 10 miles, but the first 1.5 miles are arguably the highest risk section of the weekend so we plan for it. We’ll need to cross three bridges in one half mile. These bridges have no shoulders so we’ll be riding in the road with traffic. The third bridge crosses the Tangipahoa River and is nearly 700 feet in length. We'll need to put the SAG behind us. The SAG cannot legally block traffic, however the SAG can follow us at a safe distance and the group should be prepared to take the lane, two abreast, for a total of half a mile. Review and follow applicable Louisiana bike laws.
LA22 Mart 🛑🚻
MILE 64ETA 02:04 PMETD 02:19 PMAfter the three bridges, we stop at at LA22 Mart on the corner of Lee's Landing Rd. This is a recently built gas station and a new stop for us. In previous years, we would have 3.5 additional miles to reach an Exxon. The plan is for this to be a 15 minute stop however there's an optional route modification to consider. We can either stay on Hwy 22 as we have in years past or take Lee's Landing Road. It eventually T's into Traino Road. Taking a left of Traino Road will take us back to Hwy 22 just before the Bedico Creek Bridge. We'd be exchanging 3.2 miles and 13 minutes on Hwy 22 for 6.4 miles and 27 minutes of a smaller 2 lane roads. If we're ahead of schedule and can leave the LA22 Mart by 02:04 PM, it is recommended. If we're not ahead of schedule and take this, then either we will need to cut short one of the remaining stops or we will get to the campground later than otherwise scheduled. The rest of this Ride Guide assumes that the route modification is not taken.
Bedico Creek Bridge ⚠️➡️
MILE 67ETA 02:33 PMETD 02:33 PMThis is another small bridge (210ft) with no shoulder. We'll need to take the lane, riding 2 abreast. We currently have no plan for SAG support at this spot.
Koepp Road ➡️
MILE 71ETA 02:52 PMETD 02:55 PM7.6 Miles after LA22 Mart is small detour off of Hwy 22, Koepp Road. Take a right onto Koepp and follow it back to Hwy 22. It's adds about 30 seconds to the route but saves about 3/4 a mile of Hwy 22. We're only on it for three minutes, but it is a nice three minutes.
Less than a mile after Koepp Road we’ll turn left onto Old Ponchatoula Highway. It's a well paved, relatively quiet section of road and will lead into the Town of Madisonville.
Madisonville Riverside Park 🛑🚻📷
MILE 75ETA 03:06 PMETD 03:42 PMWe will stop at the Riverside Park South immediately before the Madisonville Bridge. There are multiple places nearby for bathrooms, snacks, and beverages. We traditionally take group photos here. Some years, our ride coincides with the Madisonville Wooden Boat Festival but that is not the case for 2026. When it does coincide, many areas are barricaded for the Festival, we lose access to the Riverside Park and to the Tchfuncte River.
Madisonville Tchefuncta River Bridge ➡️
MILE 76ETA 03:43 PMETD 03:43 PMThe Madisonville bridge is a swing span drawbridge with a metal grate. It's length is roughly 650 ft. On weekends, the bridge opens to marine traffic on the hour.
Barley Oak 🛑🚻📷🍺
MILE 83ETA 04:17 PMETD 05:17 PMThis year we’ve made a change to ride along Lakeshore Dr in Mandeville. We meet our sister event, Pedals & Pints, at Barley Oak Bar on the Mandeville Lakefront around 4:15 PM for a drink and a toast. In case someone needs a quick fix, Brooks Bike Shop is around the corner and closes at 5:00 PM on Saturdays.
Group Camp 3 🛑🚻📷
MILE 87ETA 05:36 PMSUNSET 06:34 PMAfter Barley Oak, we only have 4½ miles to our campground in Fontainebleau State Park. Look for balloons to mark the turnoff. See below for extensive information on the campground.
Group Camp 3 ➡️🚻📷
MILE 87SUNRISE 06:59 AMETD 10:00 AMWheels roll at 10:00 AM sharp.
Sunday at 10:00 AM, we pull out of the park and onto the Tammany Trace. Before doing so, we need to eat, break down camp, empty the trash into the nearby dumpster and pack everything into either the SAG or the trailer which will meet us back at Laketown at 5:00 PM.
At the same time, there the Northshore half-marathon running from the main entrance of the park. The race starts at 7:00 AM. They leave the park then turn left on Hwy-190 towards Mandeville. If you have anyone driving to our campground, they will need to go around and approach from Lacombe.
Northshore Half-Marathon Website
Bayou Lacombe Bridge ➡️🚻📷
MILE 94ETA 10:27 AMETD 10:27 AMAnother waypoint, but we don't plan on stopping. Just over 260 feet in length, the Bayou Lacombe Bridge was a old rail bridge which was converted to be part of the St. Tammany Trace. There is a trailhead here with benches, a picnic table, bathrooms and water fountains around back. The bridge doesn't open to bicycle and pedestrian traffic until 7:00 AM. Until then, it is in the open position for boats and marine traffic. You'll want some photos of this bayou and bridge if you do stop.
We don't plan on stopping here, but there are bathrooms, water fountains, a drink machine, and a gas station across the parking lot. Last year, our SAG positioned himself here and took pictures as the group passed.
We don't stop in Camp Salmen, but use it as a shortcut to save us from additional highway miles. There are bathroom and water fountains in the park, but not directly on our route and they are not always unlocked.
Heritage Park ➡️🚻
MILE 104ETA 11:11 AMETD 11:11 AMWe pass directly through the parking lot of Heritage Park. There are bathrooms, and water fountains. Unless there is a need, we don't plan on stopping.
Heritage Park to Old Spanish Trail
MILES 104-107ETA 11:11 AMETD 11:24 AMThere are a bunch of ways to do this. Here's another. I'll finalize this section of the document this weekend.
I-10 Crossing #3 - Old Spanish Trail🛑⚠️🚻
Mile 107ETA 11:24 AMETD 11:34 AMOur first Sunday stop will be Shell Gas Station on Old Spanish Trail just PRIOR to crossing I-10 at about mile 107. We’ll meet the SAG there and have them follow behind us through the I-10 crossing. We'll continue to follow Old Spanish Trail until it intersects Chef Hwy near the Fort Pike Bridge.
This stop will be at mile 113 at the Rigolets Bait Shop just prior to crossing the Rigolets. In addition to the bait shop, they have a standard convenience store setup. Recently, they are specifically trying to cater to cyclists. Last year, they had an ice machine with free ice, bathrooms, and other amenities.
The Rigolets Ridge has a total length of 3,877.9 feet. It rises to 72 feet over the Rigolets and is the highest point of elevation of the ride. It has a 10 foot shoulder on either side. We stop at the top, take a few photos and wait for everyone to catch up. Often, our SAG will position himself to take photos/video of us coming down the bridge.
The Chef Menteur Bridge is roughly 1200 feet long and crosses Chef Pass. We've had to stop here for boat traffic more than once. Much of the bridge surface is a metal grate. Although there is no shoulder or separate lane for cyclists, traffic at this point naturally slows and it's not particularly challenging.
We will make our last stop before the end at Dong Phuong for lunch. They have a deli/bakery and an indoor restaurant. They also have outdoor seating. They are usually showing the Saints game on multiple TVs. Some riders choose the deli and outdoor seating area. Others opt for the restaurant. Either way, we need to be back on the road by 3:20 PM if we are to arrive on time back at Laketown in Kenner.
We cross the Industrial Canal via the Almonaster Avenue Bridge. It's open to foot traffic only. We'll dismount and walk our bikes across. When back to pavement, we'll take an immediate right on France Rd and continue North underneath the I-10 High Rise Bridge. We'll stay on France Rd until we T into Lincoln Beach Blvd (formerly Hayne Blvd).
I-10 Crossing #4 - High Rise Bridge ➡️
MILE 139ETA 03:55 AMETD 03:55 AMThe is the fourth and last crossing of Interstate 10 this weekend. No special instructions other than follow bike law.At Lincoln Beach Blvd, we'll need to pick up our bikes are carry them approximately 50 feet across the railroad tracks.
We'll walk or bike under the Seabrook Bridge (aka Senator Ted Hickey Bridge) and then onto Lakeshore Drive quicker. There are some reasonable alternatives to this, including taking Leon C. Simon to Franklin Ave to Lakeshore Drive, but the consensus is this is the better plan in part because it has less automobile traffic and is a slightly shorter distance. Also, if we are ahead of schedule, the bridge is the best bad place to stop and it provides abundant shade.
Laketown🛑🏁
MILE 155ETA 05:00 PMWe will arrive back to where we started. If all goes to plan, that should be right at 5:00 PM. The trailer vehicle will be there waiting with our gear from the campground as well as pizza. The SAG is generally a few minutes behind. If you want drinks waiting for you, be sure to put them in the ice chest in the trailer vehicle Saturday morning.