Park Mid-Section Burkett Park to 5 Points Junction Loop
User:
MikeHikes - 12/17/2021
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 5.70 Miles
Duration: 2 hours, 45 minutes
Leg 1 - Burkett Trail > Potts Creek Trail > Armadillo Ridge (W) > Turkey Creek (N) > 5 Points Junction 3.7 miles
Leg 2 - 5 Points Junction > Flintstone Trail (S) > service road (NE) > Trailhead to Trailhead (S) > Burkett Trail > Burkett Park 2.0 miles
Temp started at 60, ended at 70. Overcast, little to no wind, slight humidity.
Easy hike along easy to see and traverse trails. Portions of the park had been part of a prescribed burn - portions of this route were affected but not negatively. I saw 3 deer and less than a dozen birds, one of which was a Meadowlark. There was a smell of smoke in certain areas but overall it was a pleasant hike. No photos taken.
NOTES -
Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets available at Burkett Park Trailhead.
Water, shade, and an info kiosk available at 5 Points Junction.
South Shore - Playground parking area to Burkett Park Loop + Roadrunner Loop
User:
MikeHikes - 11/20/2021
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 10.00 Miles
Duration: 4 hours
Leg 1 - Playground parking area > Horny Toad > Tasajilla Flats > Nature Trail > Lanky Lackey > WS to LL Connector > Burkett Park 3.7 miles
Leg 2 - Burkett Park > Winding Snake > Chaparral Trail > Red Dam Loop > Chaparral > Playground parking area 3.3 miles
Leg 3 - Playground parking Area > Roadrunner Loop > Playground parking area 3.0 miles
Temp started at 49 ended at 72. Sunny with gradually increasing SW winds.
Very easy hike along dry and easy to traverse trails. Admittedly, there are a few areas that could do with some cutting but overall the trails are easy to see and hike on. Numerous deer were seen and I had one four point buck, aware of me but very nonchalant about it, walking parallel to me about 20 yards away on Nature Trail. Birds spotted were sparse but I am seeing Meadowlarks in increasing numbers. The most surprising thing was seeing what I believe was a 10 inch Plains Garter Snake sunning on Chaparral Trail near the Playground Parking Area. He moved quickly and I couldn't get a photo.
NOTES
Water, shade, info kiosk, toilets and a bicycle repair station available at Playground Parking Area.
Water, shade, inof kiosk and dry toilets available at Burkett Park.
Water and shade available at various campsites along Roadrunner Loop and there is an info kiosk and toilets available at three places on the loop in the campgrounds.
Park Mid-Section - Burkett to Bell's Point and Back
User:
MikeHikes - 11/14/2021
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 5.00 Miles
Duration: 2 hours, 20 minutes
Leg 1 - Burkett Park > Burkett Trail > Potts Creek Trail > Playground Trail > Bell's Point
Leg 2 - Bell's Point > Playground Trail (N) > park service road (NE) > Trailhead to Trailhead (S) > Burkett Trail > Burkett Park
Temp started at 49, ended at 70, Sunny, light wind.
A very nice hike along mostly groomed trails. The cooler air was at the start of the hike but by the end, it was comfortably warm.
I saw a 6 point buck, doe and fawn that survived last week's hunt. A javelina with two very small piglets was but they were trotting away from us so no photo. Not many birds spotted besides a few Mockingbirds and Sparrows.
Uneventful but pleasant hike.
NOTES
Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets available at Burkett Park.
Water, shade and info kiosk available at Bell's Point.
Park Mid-Section - Burkett Park to Bell's Point Loop
User:
MikeHikes - 11/8/2021
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 6.00 Miles
Duration: 2 hours, 45 minutes
Leg 1 - Burkett Park > Burkett Trail > Potts Creek Trail > Playground Trail > Bell's Point
Leg 2 - Bell's Point > Playground Trail (N) > park service road (NE) > Trailhead to Trailhead (S) > Burkett Trail > Burkett Park
Temp started at 49, ended at 70, Overcast then partly sunny, No wind then gradually a light SW breeze.
A very nice hike along mostly groomed, wet with morning dew, trails. The cold air caused an unexpected fog/mist to cover portions of the lake as well as low lying areas of the park (Photo attached).
I saw white tail deer, a solitary hawk (unknown what kind), various birds including Meadowlarks and a lone javelina. There was not much going on otherwise, it was just a peacful hike along easy to seeand traverse trails.
NOTES
Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets available at Burkett Park.
Water, shade and info kiosk available at Bell's Point.
North Shore - Bell's Trailhead to River Bend Campground Loop #2
User:
MikeHikes - 10/31/2021
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 5.80 Miles
Duration: 3 hours
Leg 1 - Bell's Trailhead > Trailhead to Trailhead (S) > Dinosaur Trail > Upper Big Hill > service road (S) > Badlands > park road to River Bend Campground 3.4 miles
Leg 2 - River Bend Campground > Lower Ghost Camp Trail > South Slick Rock > North Slick Rock > Trailhead to Trailhead (N) > North Scenic Loop > Trailhead to Trailhead (N) > Shady Trail > Bell's Trailhead 2.4 miles
Temp started at 49, ended at 65. Sunny with little to no wind.
Basically a repeat of Thursday's hike except I saw some mountain bikers on the return leg. No animal activity and bird activity was minimal although I spotted a few "first for this season" Meadowlarks (photo attached).
Quiet and peaceful hike but there really wasn't much going on.
NOTES
Info kiosk and a bicycle repair station at Bell's Trailhead. Water and shade available at the nearby campground.
Water, shade, and info kiosk at the Dinosaur Tracks Viewing Area.
Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets available at River Bend Campground.
North Shore - Bell's Trailhead to River Bend Campground Loop #1
User:
MikeHikes - 10/28/2021
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 5.80 Miles
Duration: 3 hours
Leg 1 - Bell's Trailhead > Trailhead to Trailhead (S) > Dinosaur Trail > Upper Big Hill > service road (S) > Badlands > park road to River Bend Campground 3.4 miles
Leg 2 - River Bend Campground > Lower Ghost Camp Trail > South Slick Rock > North Slick Rock > Trailhead to Trailhead (N) > North Scenic Loop > Trailhead to Trailhead (N) > Shady Trail > Bell's Trailhead 2.4 miles
Temp started at 46, ended at 65. Sunny with a steady North wind.
A nice hike along groomed, damp trails. Severe winds had blown through the past few days and there was debris on the trails that I removed. Not much animal activity except for an Axis Deer buck I spotted at the beginning of the hike (photo attached). Bird activity was minimal and the grasshoppers were not as plentiful as they were a few weeks ago. At the River Bend Campground, I saw a Loggerhead Shrike and there was plenty of standing water in the river; unfortunately, the water was not flowing into the lake.
Quiet and peaceful but not much going on.
NOTES
Info kiosk and a bicycle repair station at Bell's Trailhead. Water and shade available at the nearby campground.
Water, shade, and info kiosk at the Dinosaur Tracks Viewing Area.
Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets available at River Bend Campground.
South Shore - Isabel Harte Loop
User:
MikeHikes - 10/10/2021
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 4.20 Miles
Duration: N/A
Route - Isabel Harte Day Multi Use Area > Chaparral (S) > Red Dam Loop > Chaparral > Talley Valley (N) > Horny Toad > Nature Trail > park road to Isabel Harte > Chaparral 4.2 miles
Temp started at 65, ended at 75. Sunny and breezy.
Hike along familiar trails. Nice breeze made the hike that much more enjoyable. The only real place where the trail needs "grooming" was on Red Dam Loop. Some of the vegetation has growwn but not to an abnormal degree. Otherwise, all the trails were very nice.
NOTES
Dry toilets and water available at Isabel Harte in one place. Shade available at numerous campsites.
South Shore - Isabel Harte Figure 8 Loop
User:
MikeHikes - 10/6/2021
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 7.00 Miles
Duration: 3 hours, 20 minutes
Leg 1 - Isabel Harte Day Use Area > Chaparral (S) > Red Dam Loop > Chaparral > Talley Valley (N) > Horny Toad > Nature Trail > park road to Isabel Harte > Chaparral 3.9 miles
Leg 2 - Isabel Harte > Winding Snake > Burkett park > WS to LL Connector > Lanky Lackey > park road to Isabel Harte > Isabel Harte 3.1 miles
Temp started at 60, ended at 76. Sunny with a steady light, SW breeze.
Pleasant hike along mostly groomed trails - portions of Red Dam loop were overgrown but still passable. There was minimal bird and animal activity with the exception of seeing about 10 Scissortail Flycatchers at Isabel Harte. There were a few Monarch butterflies spotted as well as the numerous grasshoppers.
Nothing much else to say except it was as always, a good hike.
NOTES
Water and dry toilets available at Isabel Harte. Shade available at numerous sites.
Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets available at Burkett Park.
North Shore - Bell's Trailhead to Cougar Overlook Loop
User:
MikeHikes - 9/29/2021
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 9.60 Miles
Duration: 4 hours, 45 minutes
Leg 1 - Bell's Trailhead > Trailhead to Trailhead (S) > Dinosaur Trail > Dinosaur Tracks Viewing Area > Dinosaur Trail > Upper Big Hill > Dinosaur Trail (S) > Badlands > River Bend > service road (WNW) > Cougar Overlook 6.1 miles
Leg 2 - Cougar Overlook > Javalina > Lower Ghost Camp > River Bend Campground > Lower Ghost Camp > South Slick Rock > Trailhead to Trailhead (N) > North Scenic Loop > Trailhead to Trailhead (N) > Shady Trail > Bell's Trailhead 3.5 miles
Temp started at 68, ended at 78. Overcast and humid for Leg 1, then mostly sunny. Light breeze.
An easy hike this morning. Not much activity besides a few deer for the first leg of the hike then when the Sun came out and the temperature rose, numerous grasshoppers were out as well as a few birds. Of note, I saw a Plains Leopard Frog for the first time along Dinosaur Trail, a little far from the creek but healthy. Also worth noting - the Monarch have arrived! The park is on their flyway and this morning I saw quite a few of them near the pecan trees on Shady Trail and the North Scenic Loop.
NOTES
Info kiosk and a bicycle repair station available at Bell's Trailhead. Water and shade available at the nearby campgrounds.
Water, shade, and info kiosk available at the Dinosaur Tracks Viewing Area.
Shade, info kiosk and a bicycle repair station are available at Cougar Overlook.
Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets available at the River Bend Campground.
Park Mid-section - Burkett Park to Armadillo Ridge Loop
User:
MikeHikes - 9/26/2021
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 3.50 Miles
Duration: 2 hours
Leg 1 - Burkett park > WS to LL Connector > Roller Coaster Trail > West Potts Creek > East Potts Creek Trail
Leg 2 - East Potts Creek Trail > Burkett Trail > Burkett Park
East, fitness hike along dry and easy to traverse trails. A few portions of Roller Coaster wer a little more difficult due to loose stones and dirt on the downslopes. No animal, bird or reptile activity seen. I saw some spiders (photo attached) and lots of grasshoppers.
A short but pleasant hike.
NOTES
Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets available at Burkett Park.
Park Mid-section - Burkett Park to 5 Points Junction Loop
User:
MikeHikes - 9/23/2021
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 7.70 Miles
Duration: 3 hours, 30 minutes
Leg 1 - Burkett park > WS to LL Connector > RollerCoaster > West Potts Creek > Turkey Creek > 5 Points Junction 4.2 miles
Leg 2 - 5 Points Junction > Flintstone (S) > Playground Trail > Bell's Point > Playground Trail > Potts Creek > Burkett Trail > Burkett park 3.5miles
Temp started at 46, ended at 76. Sunny with light breeze.
A cold start along recently groomed trails. The cold weather kept almost all the animals, birds and insects in their burrows and nests. I saw a doe and two fawns at the park entrance and one lone doe during the hike, very few birds and no insects until late in the hike when the sun warmed the air and the grasshoppers appeared in abundant numbers.
The trails were dry and easy to traverse. For the most part, the trails were groomed the only exceptions being in hard to get to portions on the Roller Coaster and Playground Trails.
NOTES
Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets availabvle at Burkett Park.
Water, shade and info kiosk available at 5 Points Junction.
Water, shade and info kiosk available at Bell's Point.
South Shore - Playground parking area to Isabel Harte + Roadrunner Loop
User:
MikeHikes - 9/15/2021
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 7.70 Miles
Duration: 3 hours, 30 minutes
Leg 1 - Playground parking area > Roadrunner Loop > Playground parking area 3.1 miles
Leg 2 - Playground parking area > Horny Toad > Tasajilla Flats > Nature Trail > park road to Isabel Harte 2.6 miles
Leg 3 - park road to Isabel Harte > Chaparral > Playground parking area 2.0 miles
Temp started at 65, ended at 80. Overcast for Legs 1 & 2 , then mostly sunny. Light breeze most of the time.
All trails listed have been recently trimmed and are easy to traverse. There was very little wildlife activity although I did see a pair of Scissortail Flycatchers which was good. I also saw a ring-collared snake early in the hike but otherwise the only other thing of interest was a Monarch Butterfly (photo attached). They are due to arrive in a few more weeks as they migrate South so I was surprised to see only one today.
When I arrived, there were 6-8 cars and trucks already parked (0810). I saw five different people on the trails at various times so the solitude was not as good as usual. BUT, when I finished my hike, everyone had gone! Guess they got there, did their thing and departed quickly.
An unremarkable hike but as always, any hike is a good one.
NOTES
Water, shade, info kiosk, toilets and a bicycle repair station available at Playground parking area.
Water available at one spot and shade available at campsites at Isabel Harte.
North Shore - Bell's Trailhead to Cougar Overlook Loop
User:
MikeHikes - 9/8/2021
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 9.00 Miles
Duration: 4 hours, 40 minutes
Leg 1 - Bell's Trailhead > Shady Trail > Trailhead to Trailhead (S) > North Scenic Loop > Trailhead to Trailhead (S) > South Slick Rock > Lower Ghost Camp > River Bend Campground > Lower Ghost Camp > service road (W) > River Bend Connector > Javelina > Cougar Overlook 3.2 miles
Leg 2 - Cougar Overlook > service road (SW) > River Bend (N) > Badlands > service road (NW) > Upper Big Hill > DInosaur > DInosaur Viewing Area > Dinosaur > Trailhead to Trailhead (N) > Bell's Trailhead 5.8 miles
Temp started at 70, ended at 86. Sunny, little to no breeze.
Easy hike along trails that are becoming overgrown with vegetation from the recent rains. I saw a group of four Axis deer which are not native to the park (photo attached). Surprisingly, there is still a low stream of water moving into the river near the River Bend campground boatramp. More purple thistle is coming up and there were a few spots of beebush sltill in bloom. Otherwise, there was hardly any animal or bird activity seen.
NOTES
Info kiosk and a bicycle repair station available at Bell's Trailhead. Water and shade available in the nearby campground.
Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets availabl at River Bend Campground.
Shade, info kiosk and a bicycle repair station available at Cougar Overlook.
Water, shade and info kiosk available at the Dinosaur Tracks Viewing Area.
South Shore - Playground parking area to Burkett Park Short Loop
User:
MikeHikes - 9/1/2021
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 6.10 Miles
Duration: 3 hours
Leg 1 - Playground parking area > Chaparral > Red Dam Loop > Chaparral > Winding Snake > Burkett Park 3.1 miles
Leg 2 - Burkett Park > WS to LL Connector > Lanky Lackey > Nature Trail > Horny Toad > Playground parking area 3.0 miles
Temp started at 74, ended at 85. Sunny with fairly steady 5-10mph southerly breeze, humid.
Trails were dry but the humidity in the air and in the vegetation caused my shoes to get wet with morning dew. Haze from the humidity was visible but the breeze kept me somewhat comfortable. The trails are becoming overgrown with all the recent rains but still easy to see and traverse. No wildlife and very few birds except for the juvenile Mockingbird and female (?) Hummingbird I saw on the Red Dam (photo attached). The Hummer was zooming toward the Mocker but the Mocker was unconcerned and held his perch. There are still lots of grasshoppers that will jump/fly away wuth every step you take. The beebush is still blooming on the Nature Trail which makes hiking it very pleasant! Near the end of the hike on Horny Toad Trail, I noticed a "circle" of about 20 Black Vultures and Turkey Vultures in the air a short distance away but didn't see them land nor did I smell anything dead. Perhaps they were just riding the currents as they looked for a meal.
NOTES
Water, shade, info kiosk, toilets and a bocycle repair station available at the Playground parking area.
Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets available at Burkett Park.
South Shore - Playground Parking Area to Armadillo Ridge Figure 8
User:
MikeHikes - 8/26/2021
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 10.70 Miles
Duration: 4 hours, 30 minutes
Leg 1 - Playground parking area > Horny Toad > Tasajilla Flats > Nature Trail > Lankey Lackey > WS to LL Connector > Burkett Park 3.9 miles
Leg 2 - Burkett Park > Burkett Trail > Potts CReek > West Potts Creek > Roller Coaster > WS to LL Connector > Burkett Park 3.9 miles
Leg 3 - Burkett Park > Winding Snake > Chaparral > Playground parking area 2.9 miles
Temp started at 72, ended at 86. Sunny with 1-5mph intermittent SW breeze. Humid
Trails were for the most part dry. Vegetation is growing over parts of the trails and at two points - on the Potts Creek and West Potts creek trails - there is standing stagnant water from last week's rain. There is some visible debris from the flooding of Potts Creek but the trails overall are in good shape. Caution is advised if you ride a bike. When the rain water went down the trails, it took whatever topsoil was covering the rocks and cut deeper, narrower channels in the trails which could cause a tire to unexpectedly get stuck in the rut.
On a positive note - the rains have caused the bee bush to finally blossom for the first time this year (photo attached). The scent of vanilla is prevalent in many places and made the hike that much more enjoyable.
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.
Park Mid-section - Burkett Park to Cougar Overlook Loop
User:
MikeHikes - 8/22/2021
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 6.40 Miles
Duration: 3 hours, 30 minutes
Leg 1 - Burkett Park > Burkett Trail > Trailhead to Trailhead (N) > Flintstone (N) > Cougar Overlook 3.2 miles
Leg 2 - Cougar Overlook > service road (SW) > Trailhead to Trailhead (S) > Burkett Trail > Burkett Park 3.2 miles
Temp started at 75, ended at 86. Sunny, wind became steady at 5-10mph from South.
An easy hike along dry trails. Had a LOT of rain (park had 7 inches in 24 hours) with lots of water in creeks that are normally dry. OC Fisher Reservoir went from 5% to 7% but there was no real damage to the trails I hiked today!
I saw a fox as I was driving in (photo attached), three groups of javelinas, lots of whitetail deer, turkeys and a cottontail rabbit. Not many birds were out but there were quite a few grasshoppers and small lizards.
Overall a good hike.
NOTES
Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets available at Burkett Park.
Shade, info kiosk and a bicycle repair station at Cougar Overlook.
North Shore - Bell's Trailhead to Cougar Overlook Loop
User:
MikeHikes - 8/9/2021
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 9.70 Miles
Duration: 4 hours, 15 minutes
Leg 1 - Bell's trailhead > Shady Trail > Trailhead to Trailhead (S) > North Scenic Loop > Trailhead to Trailhead > North Slick Rock > Lower Ghost Camp > River Bend Campground > Lower Ghost Camp > service road (W) > River Bend (100 yds) > Javelina Trail > Cougar Overlook 3.7 miles
Leg 2 - Cougar Overlook > service road (W) > River Bend Trail (N) > Badlands > Service road (N) > Upper Big Hill > Dinosaur Trail > Dinosaur Tracks Viewing Area > Dinosaur Trail > Trailhead to Trailhead (N) > Bell's Trailhead 6.0 miles
Temp started at 76, ended at 91. South wind started at 5mph, increased and held steady at 10-15mph. Sunny, slightly humid.
Easy hike along dry and easy to traverse trails. Water is still in the North Concho River but it is not flowing; rather, it is held in pools which have definitely decreased in size from my last visit a month ago. Not much was happening today - I saw whitetail deer, a "blind in one eye" rattler curled up on Javelina Trail near Cougar Overlook and saw my first small 17 year cicada (photo attached). One biker and two hikers were seen as well. Quiet but enjoyable hike.
NOTES
Info kiosk and a bicycle repair station available at Bell's Trailhead. Water and shade available in the nearby campground.
Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets available at the River Bend campground.
Shade, info kiosk and a bicycle repair station available at Cougar Overlook.
Water, shade and info kiosk available at the Dinosaur Tracks Viewing Area.
Park Mid-section - Burkett Park to Cougar Overlook and Back
User:
MikeHikes - 8/4/2021
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 10.60 Miles
Duration: 4 hours, 45 minutes
Leg 1 - Burkett park > Burkett Trail > Potts Creek > Playground > Bell's Point > Playground > Flintstone > 5 Points Junction > Flintstone (N) > Cougar Overlook 5.1 miles
Leg 2 - Cougar Overlook > service road > River Bend (S) > 5 Points Junction > Turkey Creek > Potts Creek (W) > West Potts Creek > Roller Coaster > WS to LL Connector > Burkett Park 5.5 miles
Temp started at 66, ended at 86. Sunny with humidity haze, light wind during leg 2.
An easy hikealong dry and easy to see trails. A few trails are becoming overgrown but nothing major. Javelinas, deer, Jack rabbits and some birds were spotted as well as a solitary grey fox. Of special interest was the sighting of a feral hog at the North Concho River when I was at Cougar Overlook (photo attached).
Not much was going on so won't make this a big report about nothing.
NOTES
Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets available at Burkett Park.
Water, shade and an info kiosk at Bell's Point.
Water, shade and info kiosk at 5 Points Junction.
Shade, info kiosk and a bicycle repair station at Cougar Overlook.
South Shore - Playground parking area to Burkett Park & Back + Roadrunner Loop
User:
MikeHikes - 7/24/2021
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 10.30 Miles
Duration: 4 hours, 20 minutes
Leg 1 - Playground parking area > Chaparral > Red Dam Loop > Chaparral > Winding Snake > Burkett park 3.4 miles
Leg 2 - Burkett park > WS to LL Connector > Lanky Lackey > Nature Trail > Tasajilla Flats > Horny Toad > Playground parking area 3.8 miles
Leg 3 - Playground parking area > Roadrunner Loop > Playground parking area 3.1 miles
Temp started at 75, ended at 93. Sunny with haze, steady 5-10mph southerly breeze.
All trails were dry and easy to traverse although some such as Red Dam Loop, could use a trimming. I saw a pair of javelinas and not many birds. One item of interest was a red caterpiller (photo attached) that I found out, will become a pipevine swallowtail butterfly!
An uneventful hike but enjoyable nonetheless.
NOTES
Water, shade, info kiosk and a bicycle repair station available at Playground parking area. TOILETS ARE STILL UNAVAILABLE.
Water shade, info kiosk and dry toilets available at Burkett park.
Water and shade are available at campsites along Roadrunner Loop. Toilets and info kiosks available at a few locations as well.
Park Mid-section - Burkett Park to Cougar Overlook and Back
User:
MikeHikes - 7/19/2021
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 9.10 Miles
Duration: 4 hours
Leg 1 - Burkett Park > WS to LL Connector > Roller Coaster > West Potts Creek > Potts Creek > Turkey Creek > 5 Points Junction > River Bend > service road (NNE) > Cougar Overlook 5.6 miles
Leg 2 - Cougar Overlook > Flintstone > 5 Points Junction > Flintstone > service road (ENE) > Trailhead to Trailhead > Burkett Trail > Burkett Park 3.5 miles
Temp started at 75, ended at 81. Sunny then partly cloudy. Steady southerly breeze at 1-5mph. Humid.
A quiet hike along dry trails. No wildflowers except individual blooms here and there. Not many birds out although I saw a male Painted Bunting which was nice. A somewhat rare sighting for me was a Texas Spiny Lizard (photo attached). Usually, I hear them scamper up a tree and can never find them. This one scampered up the tree and held still long enough for me to get the picture then he was gone.
Another oddity - at the southern end of Flintstone, I saw movement out of the corner of my eye and a large pale brown snake shot into the brush making a hissing sound. I don't know if the hissing was an actual hiss or noise made when he rubbed against some bark. In any event, he went his way and I went mine with no photo.
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.
North Shore - Area 7 Annex
User:
MikeHikes - 7/16/2021
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 6.40 Miles
Duration: 3 hours, 30 minutes
Temp started at 75, ended at 91. Sunny with some clouds, light breeze then a little stronger as the hike progressed.
The route is simple - walk through the swinging gate and follow the old truck/jeep trail all the way to the end before returning on the same route. It's approximately 3 miles long but with detours to the river, the distance increases a little.
Wanted to check the North Concho River after the recent rains. Large portions of the river has water, not real deep but nonetheless, there is water in the river. A few places have dry gaps between wet areas. Vegetation was pretty thick, not too many animals seen except for deer both whitetail and a pair of Axis deer. Some birds but nothing unusual.
My objective was to see the river and I did that. Probably won't be back to this area for another year or more.
NOTES -
If you want to go on this trail, I strongly recommend you check in with park personnel at the South Shore gatehouse and get the gate combo. Park your car inside the park at the bath/toilet parking area and walk across FM2288 to the trail. You can park by the trail entrance but I wouldn't recommend it - too much glass and "openness" by the trailhead.
North Shore - Bell's Trailhead to Cougar Overlook Loop
User:
MikeHikes - 7/8/2021
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 9.80 Miles
Duration: 4 hours, 20 minutes
Leg 1 - Bell's Trailhead > Trailhead to Trailhead (S) > Dinosaur Trail > Dinosaur Tracks Viewing Area > Dinosaur Trail > Upper Big Hill > Badlands > River Bend Trail > Service road (NNE) > Cougar Overlook 6.3 miles
Leg 2 - Cougar Overlook > Javalina Trail > River Bend Trail (N) > service road (NNE) > Ghost Camp > Lower Ghost Camp Trail > River Bend Camp Area > Lower Ghost Camp > South Slick Rock > Trailhead to Trailhead (N) > North Scenic Loop > Trailhead to Trailhead (N) > Shady Trail > Bell's Trailhead 3.5 miles
Temp started at 69, ended at 80. Sunny with no breeze gradually became partly cloudy with a little breeze.
A ncie hike along the North Shore! Recent rains have brought some water to the previously dry North Concho River and made the trails slightly wet in some places and dry in others. Vegetation growth has slowed a little and almost all the wildflowers and cactus blooms are gone; however, I saw a few beebush starting to come out. There were lots of male Cardinals singing and I saw a grey fox on the Badlands trail. Grasshoppers of all colors and sizes were abundant and it seemed every step I took meant a handful or more flew off in front of me.
More importantly, there is actually some flowing water (photo attached) where it has been dry for way too long. A good hike overall!
NOTES
Info kiosk and a bicycle repair station available at Bell's Trailhead. Water and shade available in the nearby campground.
Water, shade and info kiosk available at the Dinosaur Tracks Viewing Area.
Shade, info kiosk and a bicycle repair station available at Cougar Overlook.
Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets available at the River Bend Camp Area.
South Shore - Playground parking area to Isabel Harte and Back
User:
MikeHikes - 7/1/2021
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 4.70 Miles
Duration: 2 hours, 15 minutes
Leg 1 - Playground parking area > Chaparral > Talley Valley > Horny Toad > Nature Trail > park road to Isabel Harte > Chaparral Trailhead 3.1 miles
Leg 2 - Chaparral Trailhead > Chaparral > Playground parking area 1.6 miles
Temp started at 72, ended at 82. Very light intermittent breeze, sunny and humid.
Easy hike along dry to damp to slightly muddy trails. Rains brought out the Red Velvet Mites (photo attached) which is the first time I've seen them this year. Almost all of the wildflowers are gone with a few exceptions; the desert willow is blooming and there were numerous bees and wasps on the blooms.
NOTES
Water, shade, info kiosk and a bicycle repair station are available at the Playground parking areas - TOILETS ARE CLOSED but are available at other areas.
South Shore - Playground parking area to Armadillo Ridge & Back - Figure 8
User:
MikeHikes - 6/26/2021
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 10.90 Miles
Duration: 4 hours, 45 minutes
Leg 1 - Playground parking area > Horny Toad > Tasajilla Flats > Nature Trail > Lanky Lackey > WS to LL Connector > Burkett Park 3.9 miles
Leg 2 - Burkett park > Burkett Trail > Potts Creek > West Potts Creek > Roller Coaster > WS to LL Connector > Burkett Park 3.6 miles
Leg 3 - Burkett Park > Winding Snake > Chaparral > Red Dam Loop > Chaparral > Playground parking area 3.4 miles
Temps started at 80, ended at 90. Overcast then partly cloudy with a constant 10-15mph southerly wind.
A nice hike but a large number of people at the park. The trails have been groomed recently so they are in very good repair. I arrived early in the morning and saw a few deer but not many birds. As I hiked i saw a few more birds including a large raptor in the distance. A small group of four young turkeys were on Lanky Lackey but didn't want to be photographed. I also saw a young rattlesnake who decided the best place to take a nap was right in the middle of Winding Snake trail (photo attached). He was pretty well camoflaged in the dirt and if I had not been looking where my feet went, would have stepped on him. I was able to use a stick and persuade him to get in the brush. Really surprised a biker hadn't run over him.
Otherwise, it was a nice long stroll through the park.
NOTES
Water, shade, info kiosk and a bicycle repair station at the Playground parking area . THE TOILETS ARE CLOSED AT THE MOMENT.
Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets available at Burkett park.