In the treasure hunt for sun-dappled leaves and deep, shadowy hollows, Bayou Paul spills riches.
Over the past five years, the area, located in Iberville Parish’s City of St. Gabriel, near Nicholson Drive, has been inked into the training logs of cyclists, triathletes and even families looking for a peaceful, safe place to get in shape and have fun.
Baton Rouge’s recreational cyclists have traditionally ridden on an ever-dwindling handful of streets that are often scarred by potholes and packed with motorists.
There are only so many times a person can ride up and down River Road without getting dizzy. So finding a lovely new spinning route stirs outright ecstasy.
The blacktop at Bayou Paul winds, sweet and silky, for a glorious 13 tree-shaded, woodsy miles.
Find it on Google Street View, and you’ll see the cyclists caught on camera whizzing by, enthusiastic, always-moving citizens of the byway.
Bikers find out about Bayou Paul the same way they do the latest energy gel or padded shorts: word of mouth.
Cyclist Nancy Cole discovered the route during a group bike ride a few years back.
“I usually ride there from L’Auberge Casino or McDonald’s on Nicholson,” she says.
Though there is a parking lot for cyclists at Alligator Bayou off of Bluff Road, most people get to Bayou Paul the way Cole does: by bike from Baton Rouge, often by way of River Road.
The most-traveled cycling route there includes three main streets—Manchac Road, paved in 2008, Bayou Paul Road and Bayou Paul Lane. Parts of the route still appear unpaved on a Google map, but your wheels will thank you. It’s all smooth.
Riders love the course along Bayou Paul because the speed limit there is 20 mph for all vehicles, though many of the bikers go faster.
Breathtakingly beautiful hairpin turns demand attention from drivers, making it easier for them to see cyclists.
Real estate developer Jairo ?Alvarez was among the first bicyclists to discover Bayou Paul, and he told a lot of his friends about it.
You could find Alvarez pedaling the route at 8 o’clock every Saturday and Sunday morning, even as he was enduring chemotherapy.
He passed away from cancer last August, but before he did, Alvarez was emphatic that he didn’t want a funeral.
Instead, his friends put together a bike ride along Bayou Paul to celebrate his life.
They rolled through by the dozens on a sunny, dewy morning, telling stories about Jairo.
It was a perfect tribute, says son Sebastian Alvarez, since his father spent so much time on Bayou Paul. Lately, Alvarez wheels along Bayou Paul whenever he’s missing his dad.
“Riding my bike on Bayou Paul makes me happy because it made Dad happy,” Alvarez says.
Yet cyclists also worry about the future of their small slice of two-wheel Louisiana heaven.
Not all of the locals along Bayou Paul look forward to the parade of swift, flashy spandex that populates the area after work and on weekends.
“It can be difficult to drive down Bayou Paul Road when you have a pack of 15 or 20 riders going down the road during high traffic times, 5 or 6 p.m., or when you may be rushing home,” says resident Charlene Williamson. “I know there are complaints about cars not sharing the road with bikers, but it also goes the other way. It just pays to be courteous, no matter the situation. If we all did that, then there would be no problems on the road.”
Other neighbors have lashed out in frustration.
Cycling lore abounds about one grouchy resident, dubbed “Boudreaux,” who dumps broken glass or nails on the road and sometimes holds target practice on his property while riders are zooming by, minding their own business.
He’s never shot at anyone, but some cyclists have heard shots on their rides.
Though most haven’t.
“The only problem I have ever had was the three-legged dog on Manchac Road,” Cole says.
Still, some wonder what would happen if residents figured out a way to capitalize on the beautiful drive. Instead of tolerating the bikers, why not cater to them and invite runners, strollers and bird watchers to come, too?
“Since I live close to Capital Heights, it is hard for me to understand why people are not more welcoming to cyclists and runners. It has helped our neighborhood to become more social, fit and active and thus a more attractive place to live. The additional traffic leads to more eyes and ears around the neighborhood to make it more safe,” says Baton Rouge triathlete Kristin Menson.
Calls to the City of St. Gabriel—which stands to gain from highlighting its unintentional recreational attraction—were not returned at press time.
“I do hope that there is a way to come to an understanding between those who cycle and those who don’t about sharing the road,” Menson says. “It’s so scenic and beautiful with the tree canopy.”
A cyclist’s account of Bayou Paul
Bayou Paul Lane starts like many other roads in our area, straight as an arrow and featureless. A fenced-in park, a historic marker, a few homes. Why am I riding my bicycle here?
Well, the smooth pavement rolls away under your wheels quickly to reveal a thick green canopy. Tall trees hug the road as it bends to the path of the bayou. You cross the turn to Pecan Drive, and Bayou Paul Lane becomes Bayou Manchac Road.
Nothing really has changed except the name. Lots of homes here, a front yard filled with artfully arranged duck decoys. A truck passes, going not terribly faster than you are, not half as stressful as River Road.
You cross Bayou Paul Road, and the turns, slighter before, become more pronounced. The road turns back onto itself in the neighborhood just past the old Alligator Bayou Bar.
You spy a real gator cruising off to your right. The road back unrolls before you. This time you take a left where you see new homes and horses. Banana trees lean out of yards, and their leaves brush against your shirtsleeve. The gentle bends return as you close “the noose” that makes Bayou Paul a loop.
To your right are six-foot-tall welded human sculptures and small homes, and then you’re done, back on Bayou Paul Lane with a 15-mile ride in—or should you make it 30?—DAVID ALEXANDER
