Shreveport sits in a strange sweet spot on the map. Dallas is a straight shot west on I-20, Little Rock and Memphis are within a tank of gas to the north, and the piney backroads of East Texas and Central Louisiana fan out in every other direction. Most people who live here already know the casinos and the riverfront. Fewer have used that location the way it’s meant to be used, as a base for weekend trips that don’t require a plane ticket or a full vacation day burned on driving.
Road trip destinations near Shreveport
Here’s a rundown of the destinations worth the tank of gas, organized by how far you’re willing to go.
Natchitoches: 75 Minutes South
Natchitoches (locals say “NACK-a-tish,” and it trips up every out-of-towner at least once) is the oldest permanent settlement in the Louisiana Purchase territory, older than New Orleans. The historic district runs along Cane River Lake. It is lined with wrought-iron balconies and brick storefronts that have been standing since before the Civil War.
Related: Balmorhea State Park cement pond swimming pool
Two things bring people back. First, the meat pies. Natchitoches meat pies are a protected regional specialty. Lasyone’s has been making them since 1967. Second, the town’s film history: “Steel Magnolias” was shot here, and several of the filming locations are still open to visit. If you time it right, the Cane River National Heritage Trail also gives you a good excuse to stop at a couple of the old plantation sites along the way, including Melrose Plantation. This place has an unusual backstory involving a formerly enslaved woman who came to own and run it.
Plan on half a day, though it’s easy to stretch into an overnight if you want to catch a plantation tour without rushing.
Caddo Lake and Uncertain, Texas: 45 Minutes East
Cross into Texas and you’ll hit Caddo Lake. Caddo Lake is a cypress swamp so tangled with Spanish moss it looks like a movie set. It’s the only naturally formed lake in Texas, and the tiny town on its shore is actually named Uncertain, a name that, depending on who you ask, comes from either uncertain property lines or an uncertain boat landing back in the 1800s.
This is a paddle-and-photograph trip more than a shopping trip. Rent a kayak or book a guided boat tour through the cypress knees at sunrise or sunset. This is when the light does something almost unfair to the water. Big Cypress Bayou runs through here too, and birdwatchers show up specifically for the herons and osprey that nest along the banks.
Jefferson, Texas: 1 Hour West
Jefferson is what happens when a 19th-century steamboat town stops growing and just stays that way. Antique shops, bed-and-breakfasts in restored Victorian homes, and a downtown that looks almost unchanged from old photographs. It gets busy during its Candlelight Tour of Homes in December. Other than that, on a normal weekend it’s quiet enough that you can actually browse without fighting a crowd.
Pair it with Caddo Lake, since Jefferson sits right on the lake’s western edge. You can do both in a single day if you start early. You can also split the difference and stay overnight in one of the town’s older inns.
Tyler, Texas: 1 Hour West
Tyler is the “Rose Capital of America,” and if you’re passing through in early October, the Texas Rose Festival is worth building a weekend around. Outside of festival season, the Tyler Rose Garden is still one of the largest rose gardens in the country and free to walk through most of the year.
Tyler’s also a reasonable stopping point if you’re continuing on to Dallas. It splits the drive roughly in half and has enough restaurants downtown to make a lunch stop worthwhile. This sure beats a gas-station sandwich eaten in the car.
Toledo Bend Reservoir: 1.5 to 2 Hours South
For anyone who wants water without the crowds of a bigger lake, Toledo Bend straddles the Texas-Louisiana line. It is one of the largest reservoirs in the South. It’s built a real reputation among bass fishermen, but it’s just as good for a weekend of nothing more ambitious than a rented cabin and a slow boat ride.
The shoreline is mostly undeveloped, which is either a selling point or a drawback depending on what kind of trip you’re after. If you want quiet, this is it. Bring your own supplies, since the small towns around the lake don’t have much in the way of big grocery stores.
Little Rock and Hot Springs, Arkansas: 3 to 4 Hours North
This one’s a bigger commitment, but it works well as a long weekend. Little Rock has the Clinton Presidential Library and a genuinely walkable River Market district downtown. Hot Springs, about an hour further, has the historic bathhouses that gave the town its name. Plus Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort if that’s more your speed.
Along the way, Crater of Diamonds State Park near Murfreesboro lets you dig for actual diamonds in a plowed field. One of the few places in the world where the public can search a real diamond deposit and keep whatever they find. It’s a strange, satisfying detour. If you’ve got kids in the car or just like the idea of getting your hands dirty for a chance at something real. Bring a bucket, a shovel, and low expectations. Most people leave with a handful of quartz and a good story instead of a diamond, and that’s fine too.
Before You Go: A Few Practical Notes
A multi-hour road trip is also a good excuse to actually look at your insurance policy instead of assuming it’s fine. Louisiana requires drivers to carry liability coverage of at least $15,000 per person and $30,000 per accident for bodily injury. Plus $25,000 for property damage, often written as 15/30/25, and most of these trips cross straight into Texas or Arkansas without you needing to do anything special. A standard U.S. auto policy generally follows you across state lines and adjusts to meet whatever the local minimum requires, so you’re not left underinsured just because you crossed a border, according to the Insurance Information Institute.
Roadside assistance matters
That said, it’s worth checking your own numbers before a long drive, not after one. Roadside assistance coverage matters more on a rural stretch near Toledo Bend than it does on your daily commute, and rental car coverage matters if you’re planning to swap your car for something with more trunk space once you get to Little Rock. If it’s been a while since you compared rates, shopping around for affordable car insurance before a trip is a reasonable way to make sure you’re not overpaying for coverage you don’t need, or underpaying for coverage you do. Regional insurers, GoAuto Insurance for example, a regional company offering cheap car insurance, are sometimes worth a look alongside the bigger national names, since local carriers occasionally price certain routes and risks differently than the big providers do.
Beyond insurance, the basics still apply. Check your tire pressure and spare before you leave, keep a paper copy of your registration in the glovebox in case your phone dies, and download offline maps for the stretches near Caddo Lake and Toledo Bend where cell service gets thin. None of these destinations require much preparation, which is exactly what makes them good weekend trips. Pick one, fill the tank, and go.
Adventure on!
