Cane River Lake

The Red River shifted course after removal of the Great Raft in the 1830s. The bend it abandoned became Cane River Lake, a 35-mile oxbow that runs through Natchitoches' historic district. For centuries before European contact, the Caddo had used this stretch of the Red River as a trading route. When the river moved, it bypassed Natchitoches and cut off its lucrative connection with the Mississippi River. The lake is famous for the numerous plantations located on or near its banks, particularly Melrose. Between 1966 and 1979, the nationally known outdoorsman Grits Gresham — host, with Curt Gowdy, of ABC's *The American Sportsman* — publicized the lake to a national audience. University crew teams from LSU, Alabama, and Kansas State now use it for spring training. Each November through January, 300,000+ Christmas lights line the lakefront. Walk the path or rent a kayak. Best viewed at dusk when the light hits the water — not the river the Caddo knew, but the shape it left behind.