Washington Parish High Point Trip Report
six points (370+ ft with 10 ft contour intervals)
Dates: November 30 December 26, 2000
Author: Fred Dale
From west to east [actually I visited the easternmost point first, on the earlier date -- the rest on 12/26]:
Point 1 (USGS 7.5' Map "Progress LA/MS"): Start at Warnerton, LA, on State Hwy. 25 almost on the
MS/LA state line, about 25 mi. from I-55. Go W 1.4 mi. on Hwy. 438's intersection with Hwy. 25. Turn
right onto Earl Forrest Rd., which is where 438 makes a 90 degree turn to the south. Go 0.5 mi., and turn left
onto the unsigned paved Minnie Fortenberry Rd. Go 1.7 mi.; turn R onto Holmesville Rd. Now go 0.5 mi.
Turn right onto paved, unsigned Bill Simmons Rd. Go 0.9 to a gravel road coming in from the north (on right).
Park. You're practically on the state line. Walk the left (S) side of the road westward about 200'. Now, on
the north side of the road (still in LA?) the 371' BM "Burch" is in the woods next to the gravel road,
supposedly, but I didn't find it. It was easy enough to scout about in these woods, diligently westward just to
be sure the hp is attained, and the same is true of minor spots in the yards of a couple of houses on the south
side. The state line's exact location is not apparent, but it seems likely that the E-W Bill Simmons Rd. is treated
that way. Interestingly, note the GPS (see below for coordinates): old state line surveys apparently gave LA a
little extra ground, north of 31 degrees latitude.
Topo chart for point 1
Next, USGS 7.5' Map "Pine": From Warnerton again, head east on Hwy. 438 4.3 miles to Brock Rd.,
and turn left (N). Go about 0.2 mi., where there was an open gate on both sides of the lane. Martinize
'em both if you want: Point 2, on the W, is very near in the stubble-shorn field. Point 3 across the
lane on the east is a bit further, maybe 150 yds., in a similar easy field.
Topo chart for points 2 and 3
[Still on the "Pine" quad] Back to Hwy. 438 at Brock Rd.: Continue E 1.2 mi. to a "T" (STOP sign). In
front of you is the entrance to Hackley Hill Farm [HHF], whose lanes on the maps appear available;
they're not, but no sweat. Turn S (right) with the highway, and proceed 2.2 mi. through the community of
Hackley.
Point 4: Turn left onto paved Sam Thomas Rd. Go 0.75 mi. There'll be several houses on
the east side of the road and an opening in the fenced pasture on the left. The topo maps show a road
coming in from the N/NW another 0.1 mi. ahead; it apparently is not public, probably on HHF. But the
hp can be "felt" for. I touched the ground near a tree in the pasture on the HHF, and also several spots on
the other side of the road, the larger remaining area within the contour -- the driveway/carport, the
adjoining large field planted in rye (walked a bit).
Topo chart for point 4
Back to Hwy. 438, at Sam Thomas Rd., now turn eastward and go just 1.0 mi. to Q. D. Turnage Rd. and
turn left. Go 1.6 mi. to New State Line Baptist Church and park; you're within POINT #5 (still on the
"Pine" quad.). Across the road, on the W side, the 376' BM (inscribed "Thomas", el. not readable) is
easily seen in the dirt drive way to a small truck parking area/old dairy. You can fool around like I did,
poking into local driveways and such, but the highest ground to me seemed to be just S, back down the
way you came a very short piece, to the south end of Mr. Turnage's junkyard (which is on the E side).
There, on the WEST side, is a small grove of large oaks in a pasture. The hp area seemed here, across the
barbed-wire.
Topo chart for point 5
For Point 6, on the "State Line" 7.5' quad., I ask you to measure from Angie, LA, over to the east on
the N/S LA Hwy. 21. [You'll still be using Hwy. 438 and can, I'm sure, find the spot by continuing on E
from Pt. #5.] From Angie, go about 5.8 mi. W on 438 to Keaton Rd. (signed); turn N. Go 1.4 mi. to a
blue gate across a dirt lane on your right, just past a house on the left. Here I unloaded my bike and went
N on the dirt lane (no posted signs seen, but deer stands seen) about a half mile. There's a fork of sorts;
bear right, and check out the pasture on the left, a short visible distance through the woods across the
fence. The hp is in the field. (I had attempted this one from the MS side, but found no one home at the
nearby homes, and was too conspicuous.)
Topo chart for point 6
Coordinates:
point 1 (31 deg 3.60' N, 90 deg 15.94' W) - GPS
point 2 (30 deg 59.41' N, 90 deg 10.40' W) - GPS
point 3 (31 deg 0.03' N, 90 deg 6.82' W) - GPS
point 4 (30 deg 59.34' N, 90 deg 4.56' W) and [see text] (30 deg 59.39' N, 90 deg 4.42' W) - GPS
point 5 (31 deg 0.08' N, 90 deg 3.08' W) and [see text] (30 deg 59.95' N, 90 deg 3.15' W) - GPS
point 6 (31 deg 0.00' N, 89 deg 54.48' W) - map derived