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San Angelo State Park

Type: Trail

Length: 50.00 Miles

Elevation Gain: N/A

Cost: $4.00

Rating:

(4.17)619

Difficulty: halfstar

(0.88)

Solitude:

(4.64)

ADA Accessible: N/A

Bikes Allowed: Yes

Dogs Allowed: N/A

Interpretive Guide: N/A

City: San Angelo

County: Tom Green

More Information: More Info

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Photos

I can only hope this buck is as suspicious of humans next week when a scheduled hunt will occur. Run, run, run AWAY! (Photo by MikeHikes)

This buck saw me first and sprinted away. Looks to be a 10 pointer - good luck to him as a hunt is scheduled soon. (Photo by MikeHikes)

A park resident seldom seen. The few times I see them they are either way up in a tree or slowly moving on the ground. (Photo by MikeHikes)

This chair was left behind from the July 4th flood. I am almost six foot tall and the red line is about where the top of my head would be as I stood on the trail on the opposite bank. (Photo by MikeHikes)

One of the numerous deer spotted today. Not a buck but a vigilant observer nonetheless. (Photo by MikeHikes)

The vast majority of his fellow Monarchs have already departed. Don't know why this one is still traveling but I wish him a safe journey to his wintering areas in Mexico. (Photo by MikeHikes)

The Moon looked larger as it set by the houses along the park's western perimeter. (Photo by MikeHikes)

This white tail was nonchalantly looking the other way until he suddenly saw me and sprinted away. A fast runner! (Photo by MikeHikes)

This Axis Deer buck has a few of his family in the photo, another six members are out of range. I imagine he is fair game during the sanctioned deer hunts - I wish him well! (Photo by MikeHikes)

This bird was cheerfully singing in the early morning sun. (Photo by MikeHikes)

The butterfly is finding one of the remaining flowers still loaded with pollen. Some other flowers are beginning to bloom while most have faded. (Photo by MikeHikes)

No apprehension or fear from him as I hiked and snapped a few photos. Seeing more Road runners out this year than last. (Photo by MikeHikes)

Only showing last 12 photos. View All Photos

Log Entries

Park Mid-section - Burkett Park to Bell's Point and back
By MikeHikes on 1/8/2026
Rating:

Difficulty:

Solitude:

Distance: 5.80 Miles Duration: 3 hours

Route - Burkett park > Burkett Trail > Potts Creek Trail > Playground Trail > Bell's Point and return along the same route.

Temp started at 60, ended at 64. Sunny w/some cloudy, 10-20mph steady SW wind.

Easy hike shortened by a phone call. Deer were seen and I wish them luck for next weeks hunt which will beconducted throughout the entire park. Only a very small section at the extreme South end of the park will offer sanctuary.

NOTES -

Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets available at Burkett Park

Water, shade and info kiosk available at Bell's Point.

South Shore - Playground parking area to Burkett Park Loop + Roadrunner Loop
By MikeHikes on 1/1/2026
Rating:

Difficulty:

Solitude:

Distance: 9.50 Miles Duration: 5 hours

Leg 1 - Playground parking area > Horny Toad > Nature Trail > Lanky Lackey > WS to LL Connector > Burkett Park 3.2 miles

Leg 2 - Burkett Park > Winding Snake > Chaparral > Red Dam Loop > Chaparral > Playground parking area 3.2 miles

Leg 3 - Playground parking area > Roadrunner Loop > Playground parking area 3.1 miles

Temp started at 40, ended at 57. Brief sunny then overcast. Steady 5-10mph SW Breeze.

Easy hike on New Year's Day. Quite a few deer were out (photo attached) as well as a feral hog on Winding Snake. No threat was made so it was a peaceful encounter. A few birds were out but overall, it was just a pleasant hike!

Starting miles for 2026 - 5011.4

NOTES -

Water, shade, info kiosk, toilets and a bicycle repair station are available at Playground parking arrea.

Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets availabvle at Burkett Park.

Water and shade available at numerous campsites along Roadrunner. Water, shade, info kiosk and toilets available at three locations along Roadrunner.

Park Mid-section - Burkett Park to Cougar Overlook Figure 8
By MikeHikes on 12/26/2025
Rating:

Difficulty:

Solitude:

Distance: 8.70 Miles Duration: 4 hours, 20 minutes

Leg 1 - Burkett Park > WS to LL Connector > Roller Coaster > West Potts Creek > Potts Creek (W) > Turkey Creek > 5 Points Junction > Flintstone (N) > Cougar Overlook 5.3 miles

Leg 2 - Cougar Overlook > park service road (SW then S) > Trailhead to Trailhead > Burkett Trail > Burkett Park 3.4 miles

Temp started at 60, ended at 77. Sunny then slightly overcast. Steady SW breeze at 5-10mph.

Easy hike along dry, easy to see and traverse trails. A few deer were spotted but today was bird day. Cardinals, White Crowned Sparros, Meadowlarks, a Kestrel, and red-tailed hawk and the biggest surprise was a Belted Kingfisher at Turkey Creek. What water is there was stagnant so I assume the Kingfisher quickly moved on to a better hunting locale. The trails were good, the weather pleasant and the solitude was nice - a good hike!

This was my last hike for 2025. Here are a few stats -

Number of hikes - 43

Beginning miles - 4636.7

Ending Miles - 5011.4

Miles Hiked - 374.7

Avg Miles per hike - 8.7

NOTES -

Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets available at Burkett Park.

Water, shade and info kiosk available at 5 Points Junction.

Shade, info kiosk and a bicycle repair station available at Cougar Overlook.

South Shore - Playground parking area to Burkett Park Loop + Roadrunner Loop
By MikeHikes on 12/22/2025
Rating:

Difficulty:

Solitude:

Distance: 9.60 Miles Duration: 5 hours

Leg 1 - Playground parking area > Tasajilla Flats > Nature Trail > Lanky Lackey > WS to LL Connector > Burkett Park 3.6 miles

Leg 2 - Burkett Park > Winding Snake > Chaparral > Playground parking area 2.9 miles

Leg 3 - Playground parking area > Roadrunner Loop > Playground parking area 3.1 miles

Temp started at 39, ended at 70!! Sunny with some overcast clouds, steady SW 5-10mph breeze.

Easy hike along dry and easy to traverse trails. Deer were spotted as was a songle javelina, numerous Mockers, a Loggerhead SHrike, sparrows and a porcupine sleeping at the top of a tree (photo attached). Not much activity until it warmd up a bit and even then it was pretty quiet. One negative - I found 1/2 of a baby porcupine on the Nature Trail. No idea what got him but I hope it was a quick death.

On a more positive note - today I passed the 5,000 recorded mile mark hiking on Texas trails - the vast majority of the mileage was at San Angelo State Park where I've hiked for almost 25 years. I know the trails well!

NOTES -

Water, shade, info kiosk, toilets and a bicycle repair station available at Playground Parking Area.

Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets available at Burkett Park.

Three stations with water, shade, info kiosk and toilets available along Roadrunner Loop. Water and shade available at numerous campsites along the way.

North Shore - Bell's Trailhead to Cougar Overlook Figure 8
By MikeHikes on 12/17/2025
Rating:

Difficulty:

Solitude:

Distance: 7.40 Miles Duration: 3 hours, 45 minutes

Leg 1 - Bell's Trailhead > Shady Trail > park service road (SW) > Rocky Creek Trail > park service road (S) > South Slick Rock > River Bend Campground > Upper Ghost Camp Trail > Trailhead to Trailhead (S) > Cougar Overlook 3.5 miles

Leg 2 - Cougar Overlook > Javelina Trail > River Bend (W then N) > Badlands > Trailhead to Trailhead (N) > Bell's Trailhead 3.9 miles

Temp started at 50, ended at 56. Overcast for the 1st 2/3 of the hike then partly sunny with clouds. 0-5mph Westerly breeze, light humidity.

Easy hike along recently opened trails with the Lower Ghost Camp Trail still CLOSED. Shady Trail and the North Scenic Loop have reopened. The July 4th flood was pretty severe and left a lot of debris scattered about (photo attached).

Due to the temperature and the overcast skies, there was almost no bird activity and only a few deer were out. The only good news is the river still has water in it. For this park, that is very welcome news!

NOTES -

Info kiosk and a bicycle repair station are available at Bell's Trailhead. Water and shade available at nearby campsites.

Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets available at River Bend Campground.

Shade, info kiosk and a bicycle repair station available at Cougar Overlook.

Park Mid-section - Burkett Park to Cougar Overlook Loop
By MikeHikes on 12/11/2025
Rating:

Difficulty:

Solitude:

Distance: 9.00 Miles Duration: 4 hours, 30 minutes

Leg 1 - Burkett Park > WS to LL Connector > Roller Coaster > West Potts Creek > Turkey Creek > 5 points junction > River Bend > park service road (W) > park service road (N) > Cougar Overlook 5.7 miles

Leg 2 - Cougar Overlook > park service road (SW) > Trailhead to Trailhead (S) > Burkett Trail > Burkett Park 3.3 miles

Temps started at 36, ended at 64. Sunny with a light breeze then steady 10-15mph SW wind.

Easy hike along dry, easy to traverse trails. A few deer were spotted and a few birds but with the cold and increasing wind, no other animals or birds were seen. Nothing much to report except it was a very pleasant hike and no photos taken.

NOTES -

Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets available at Burkett Park.

Water, shade and info kiosk available at 5 Points Junction.

Shade, info kiosk and a bicycle repair station available at Cougar Overlook.

South Shore - Playground parking area to Armadillo Ridge Figure 8
By MikeHikes on 12/5/2025
Rating:

Difficulty:

Solitude:

Distance: 9.70 Miles Duration: 4 hours, 45 minutes

Leg 1 - Playground parking area > Chaparral > Talley Valley > Horny Toad > Nature Trail > Lankey Lackey > WS to LL Connector > Burkett Park 3.2 miles

Leg 2 - Burkett Park > Burkett Trail > Potts Creek > West Potts Creek > Roller Coaster > WS to LL Connector > Burkett Park 3.7 miles

Leg 3 - Burkett Park > Winding Snake > Chaparral > Playground parking area.

Temsp started at 36, ended at 54. Overcast with 5-10mph WSW breeze.

An easy hike along dry and easy to traverse trails. Cold at first but gradually warmed up. LOTS and LOTS of deer spotted - especially 6 and 8 point bucks. No doubt they sought refuge from the recent hunt of a few days ago. Not many birds spotted although I saw a red tailed hawk at a distance and quite a few quail. Overall it was a good hike to enjoy nature while it was cold outside.

NOTES -

Water, shade, info kiosk, toilets and a bicycle reapir station are available at Playground parking area.

Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets are available at Burkett Park.

South Shore - Playground parking area to Burkett Park + Roadrunner Loop
By MikeHikes on 11/22/2025
Rating:

Difficulty:

Solitude:

Distance: 9.80 Miles Duration: 4 hours, 45 minutes

Leg 1 - Playground parking area > Chaparral > Red Dam Loop > Chaparral > Winding Snake > Burkett Park 3.2 miles

Leg 2 - Burkett Park > WS to LL Connector > Lanky Lackey > Nature Trail > Tasajilla Trail > Horny Toad Trailhead > Playground parking area 3.5 miles

Leg 3 - Playground parking area > Roadrunner Loop > Playground parking area 3.1 miles

Temp started at 46, ended at 64. Sunny with 0-5mph NNE breeze.

Easy hike along damp, slightly muddy trails. Deer hunting is on-going at the North Shore of the park which means 2/3 of the park is closed to hiking/biking.

Not much activity from the park residents for the majority of the hike. There were a lot more people using the park today (Saturday) in part due to a break in the inclement weather we've had as well as the inclement weather we'll soon receive. A couple of mountain bikers were out but there were quite a few hikers and trail runners I shared the trails with today.

NOTES -

Water, shade, info kiosk, toilets and a bicycle repair station are available at the Playground parking area.

Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets available at Burkett Park.

Water and shade available at campsites along the Roadrunner Loop plus there are three places that have water, info kiosk and toilets.

South Shore - Playground parking area to Burkett Park and back
By MikeHikes on 11/6/2025
Rating:

Difficulty:

Solitude:

Distance: 6.30 Miles Duration: N/A

Leg 1 - Playground parking area > Chaparral > Tally Valley > Horny Toad > Nature Trail > Lanky Lackey > WS to LL Connector > Burkett Park 3.2 miles

Leg 2 - Burkett park > Winding Snake > Chaparral > Red Dam Loop > Chaparral > Playground parking area 3.1 miles

Temp started at 46, ended at 74. Sunny with light, intermittant SW breeze.

Easy hike along dry and easy to see trails. Nothing unusual about today's hike. I saw deer and javelinas, birds and a few raptors in the air, few to no insects and no reptiles.

As of this date, the trails North of Burkett Park remained closed due to hunting.

NOTES -

Water, shade, info kiosk, toilets and a bicycle repair station are available at Playground parking area.

Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets available at Burkett Park.

South Shore - Playground Parking Area to Burkett Park Loop + Roarunner Loop
By MikeHikes on 10/22/2025
Rating:

Difficulty:

Solitude:

Distance: 9.50 Miles Duration: 4 hours, 45 minutes

Leg 1 - Playground parking area > Tasajilla Flats > Nature Trail > Lanky Lackey Trail > WS to LL Connector > Burkett Park 3.7 miles

Leg 2 - Burkett Park > Winding Snake > Chaparral > Playground parking area 2.7 miles

Leg 3 - Playground parking area > Roadrunner Loop > Playground Parking Area 3.1 miles

Temp started at 43, ended at 83. Sunny with intermittent SW 0-5mph breeze.

Easy hike along dry, easy to see and traverse trails. Due to the temperature, this was my first of the season sweatshirt + shorts + shoes hike. The sweatshirt came off when I reached Burkett Park but had most assuredly needed for Leg 1 of the hike.

The Monarch Butterflies became more numerous but nor in flocks as the hike progressed and the day warmed. Lots of single then small groups of butterflies flew overhead - all heading South. Javelinas as well as white tail deer (photo attached) were seen and numerous birds such as Mockers, Scissortail Flycatchers and a horde of wood peckers were spotted at various times.

All in all a cold start but quickly warmed up hike.

NOTES -

Water, shade, info kiosk, toilets and a bicycle repair station are available at Playground parking area.

Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets available at Burkett Park.

Water and shade availabe at numerous camsites along Roadrunner. Info kiosks, water and toilets are available at three locations along Roadrunner Loop.

Only showing last 10 log entries. View All Log Entries