The Beast

"The Beast" provides a different experience from other Baton Rouge trails. The trail doesn't "flow" as well as the others, as many of the turns and challenges seem somewhat contrived. This may have been by design so as to slow mountain bikers for the sake of hikers. "The Beast" compensates by being far more physically demanding with longer and steeper climbs. There are plenty of roots that require some focus. The trail is 95% shaded, which means that a few sections of trail remain muddy days after rain. There are lots of wide bridges to span the natural ditches and gullies, most of which are in good repair. One section is marked with double black diamonds; however, it wasn't terribly steep. In a steeper incline, there were some nice switchbacks. The condition as of May 2019 was somewhat overgrown, with several vines hanging low. There were a few tree falls that hadn't been cleared, without much evidence of a bypass trail. There was minimal washout considering the recent rains.