Louisiana Highway 66

Louisiana Highway 66
Tunica Trace
Route of LA 66 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by Louisiana DOTD
Length:	19.620 mi (31.575 km)
Existed:	1955 renumbering – present
Tourist routes:	Louisiana Scenic Byways: Tunica Trace Scenic Byway
Major junctions
West end:	Begin state maintenance at Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola
East end:	US 61 north of St. Francisville
Location
Parishes:	West Feliciana
Highway system
Louisiana Highway System Interstate US State ← US 65 LA 67 → ← SR 123 SR 124 SR 125 →

Louisiana Highway 66 (LA 66) is a state highway located in southeastern Louisiana. It runs 19.62 miles (31.58 km) in a general east–west direction from the main entrance of the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola to a junction with U.S. Highway 61 (US 61) north of St. Francisville.

LA 66 winds through the scenic Tunica Hills of West Feliciana Parish and connects the prison facility with US 61, the main highway through the area. It is also steeped in history as the route is derived from an ancient Native American portage known as the Tunica Trace. The surrounding area contains burial mounds and other artifacts recalling this heritage. More recent historical sites include the antebellum Trudeau plantation located on the former site of a Tunica Indian village.

Several small rural communities are also located along LA 66, including Tunica, Retreat, and Weyanoke. LA 66 was designated in the 1955 Louisiana Highway renumbering, replacing former State Route 124. The route is also designated as the Tunica Trace Scenic Byway in the state's system of tourist routes known as the Louisiana Scenic Byways.

From the west, LA 66 begins at the main entrance to the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola, formerly the site of a 19th century plantation now within the boundaries of the prison. The maximum security facility is located within a bend of Mississippi River in the northwestern corner of West Feliciana Parish near the Mississippi state line. LA 66 heads southeast through a thickly wooded rural area and passes through the tiny community of Tunica. The highway then curves to the northeast, passing between the north and south tracts of the Tunica Hills Wildlife Management Area.