North Shore - Bell's Trailhead to Cougar Overlook Loop
User:
MikeHikes - 2/21/2023
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 10.10 Miles
Duration: 5 hours, 15 minutes
Leg 1 - Bell's Trailhead > Trailhead to Trailhead (S) > Dinosaur Trail > Dinosaur Tracks Viewing Area > DInosaur Trail (S) > Upper Big Hill > Badlands > River Bend Trail > service road (NE) > Cougar Overlook 6.3 miles
Leg 2 - Cougar Overlook > Javelina > Lower Ghost Camp > River Bend Campground > Lower Ghost Camp (N) > South Slick Rock > Trailhead to Trailhead (N) > North Scenic Loop > Trailhead to Trailhead (N) > Shady Trail > Bell's Trailhead 3.8 miles
Temps started at a cold 51, ended at a warm 80. Light wind increased to a steady 5-10mph SW breeze. Mostly sunny with some thin clouds.
A good hike that started with a sweatshirt and ended in short sleeves. All trails were dry, easy to see and traverse. There were deer spotted when I arrived but none on the trails. A hawk (photo attached) graciously held still long enough for me to take his picture but most of the other birds and animals were nowhere to be seen, except for a few Robin at Bell's Trailhead and neat the North Scenic Loop.
The agarita are blooming in various places and the scent was easy to pick up. Bees and a few moths and butterflies were attracted to the plants as well.
NOTES -
Info kiosk and a bicycle repair station available at Bell's Trailhead. Water and shade availble in teh nearby campground.
Water, shade and info kiosk available at the DInosaur Tracks Viewing Area.
Shade, info kiosk anda bicycle repair station available at Cougar Overlook.
Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets available at the River Bend Campground
South Shore - Playground Parking Area to Burkett Park + Roadrunner Loop
User:
MikeHikes - 2/13/2023
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 11.50 Miles
Duration: 6 hours
Leg 1 - Playground parking area > Tasajilla Flats > Nature Trail > Lanky Lackey > WS to LL Connector > Burkett Park 3.8 miles
Leg 2 - Burkett park > Winding Snake > Chaparral > Red Dam Loop > Chaparral > Tasajilla Flats (trash) > Playground parking area 4.6 miles
Leg 3 - Playground parking area > Roadrunner Loop > Playground parking area 3.1 miles
Temp started at 43, ended at 56. Overcast with a few sprinkles, light Southerly breeze 5-10mph.
A long, leisurely hike punctuated by a few rain drops. All trails were dry, easy to see and traverse. Numerous deer were spotted as well as six javelinas on Lanky Lackey. Some birds were out but there wasn't much going on with the wildlife. I spent some extra time and hiked to gather old, rusted barbed wire just off and near the junction of Tasajilla Flats and Horny Toad trails. Also picked up a lot of other trash, mostly old stuff that seems to keep popping up no matter how many times I've been on the trails. No photos worth keeping were taken.
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.
Water, shade, info kiosk and toilets available along the Roadrunner Loop in numerous places.
North Shore - Bell's Trailhead to Cougar Overlook Double 8 Short Loop
User:
MikeHikes - 2/9/2023
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 7.80 Miles
Duration: 4 hours
Leg 1 - Bell's Trailhead > Shady Trail > Trailhead to Trailhead (S) > North Scenic Loop > Trailhead to Trailhead (S) > Badlands > River Bend Trail > Javelina > unmarked trail NE > Trailhead to Trailhead (S) > Cougar Overlook 3.7 miles
Leg 2 - Cougar Overlook > service road (WSW) > River Bend (N) > Lower Ghost Camp > River Bend Campground > Lower Ghost Trail (N) > South Slick Rock > Upper Big Hill Trail > Rocky Creek Trail > Trailhead to Trailhead (N) > Bell's Trailhead 4.1 miles
Temp started at 32, ended at 62. Sunny with a light SW breeze.
A chilly start on frosty and damp trails. Deer were spotted as well as two Great Blue Herons, some male cardinals and a dozen Robins at Bell's Trailhead. More agarita bushes are in bloom and have attracted some insects (photo attached). Even though the trails were easy to traverse, my shoes picked up quite a bit of sticky mud which I cleared off numerous times. A quiet, peaceful and relaxing hike!
NOTES -
Info kiosk and a bicycle repair sation available at Bell's Trailhead. Water and shade available in the nearby campground.
Shade, info kiosk and a bicycle repair station available at Cougar Overlook.
Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets available at the River Bend Campground.
Park Mid-Section - Burkett Park to Cougar Overlook short loop
User:
MikeHikes - 2/5/2023
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 7.90 Miles
Duration: 4 hours
Leg 1 - Burkett park > Burkett Trail > Potts Creek Trail > Turkey Creek Trail > 5 Points Junction > River Bend > service road (NNE) > Cougar Overlook 4.9 miles
Leg 2 - Cougar Overlook > service road (SW) > Trailhead to Trailhead (S) > Burkett Trail > Burkett Park 3.0 miles
Temp started at 36, ended at 72 (!). Sunny, slight breeze w/strong gusts tapering off as it got warmer.
First hike in awhile due to weather conditions last week when we had three days and nights of freezing temps and some rain and ice. The trails were damp with morning dew but otherwise dry and easy to traverse. Some morning fog so I drove to the lake and saw a feral hog hastily depart when he saw me. A herd of eight deer were seen and a few birds, otherwise the wildlife was absent. I saw a group of mountain bikers at Cougar Overlook and two others on the trail earlier otherwise, the trails were void of other people. There were a few more agarita bushes starting to bloom (photo attahced) and this time, I detected the faint perfume they emitted. A nice hike albeit a sweaty one for me due to the fairly rapid temperature increase.
NOTES
Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets available at Burkett Park.
Water, shade and info kiosk at 5 Points Junction.
Shade, info kiosk and a bicycle repair station available at Cougar Overlook.
South Shore - Playground parking area to Burkett Park Big Loop + Roadrunner Loop
User:
MikeHikes - 1/22/2023
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 10.70 Miles
Duration: 5 hours, 30 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 > Playground parking area 3.9 miles
Leg 3 - Playground parking area > Roadrunner Loop > Playground parking area 3.4 miles
Temp started at 29 and ended at 52. Sunny with a light Westerly breeze.
A cold start to a pleasant hike along dry, easy to see and traverse trails. I started hiking while the temperature was pretty cold at 29 degrees and felt the cold for the first hour or more. By then, the Sun appeared and warmed up the air to a comfortable hiking temperature. At the beginning of the hike, there were some small birds that felt the cold as well - easy to tell by their fluffed out appearance (photo attached), Numerous deer to the tune of 40 -50 in groups of three all the way to groups of ten, were searching for food for the first hour or so, afterwards, I saw very few birds and no animals.
Still seems early to me but there were a few agarita bushes in bloom with their yellow flowers out and open. Unfortunately I did not detect any scent from the flowers.
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.
Toilets and info kiosks available at three locations along Roadrunner Loop. Water and shade available at numerous campsites as well.
North Shore - Bell's Trailhead to Cougar Overlook Loop
User:
MikeHikes - 1/18/2023
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 10.10 Miles
Duration: 5 hours
Leg 1 - Bell's Trailhead > Trailhead to Trailhead (S) > Dinosaur Trail > Dinosaur Tracks Viewing Area > Dinosaur Trail (S) > Lower Big Hill Trail > North Scenic Loop > Trailhead to Trailhead (S) > service road (W) > Badlands > River Bend Trail > service road (NNE) > Cougar Overlook 6.6 miles
Leg 2 - Cougar Overlook > Javelina Trail > Lower Ghost Camp Trail > River Bend Campground > Lower Ghost Camp Trail (N) > North Slick Rock > Trailhead to Trailhead (N) > Shady Trail > Bell's Trailhead 3.5 miles
Temp started at 59, ended at 65. VERY STRONG AND STEADY SW wind 15-25mph with STRONGER Gusts. Sunny, a few wispy clouds.
A windy but enjoyable hike today. I saw a large number of deer as I drove in and when I started to hike, I saw this Great Horned Owl (photo attached). He watched me momentarily and decided to go back to sleep. The sunlight and where he perched made excellent camouflage.
There were a few more deer spotted but that was it. The winds were extremely strong and constant, dust flew through the air as well.
One surprise was seeing two agarita bushes in full bloom! The yellow flowers may have had a scent but the wind kept me from smelling it. Veru unusual that there were only two but they were all I saw today.
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 Campground.
South Shore - Playground to Burkett Park + Roadrunner Loop
User:
MikeHikes - 1/12/2023
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 10.70 Miles
Duration: 5 hours, 30 minutes
Leg 1 - Playground parking area> Tasajilla Flats Trail > Nature Trail > Lanky Lackey > WS to LL Connector > Burkett Park 3.9 miles
Leg 2 - Burkett Park > Winding Snake > Chaparral > Red Dam Loop > Chaparral > Playground parking area 3.4 miles
Leg 3 - Playground parking area > Roadrunner Loop > Playground parking area 3.4 miles
Temp started at 44, ended at 54. Sunny with steady 10-15mph North wind with a few stronger gusts.
All trails were dry, easy to see and traverse. A very good hike today even though it was cold and windy. I photographed a female Mountain Bluebird (photo attached) for the first time at the park. I also saw female red shafted Northern Flicker which I normally don't see which was nice. Finally, there was a very large group of 20-30 javelinas on Lanky Lackey. The javelina were of all sizes and ages from very small infants to large adults. I gave them plenty of space and stood still numerous times so they didn't feel threatened.
Deer were also spotted as were more Robins. All in all a very good hike.
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.
Water and shade and a few toilets available along Roadrunner Loop at various campsites.
Park Mid-section - Burkett Park to 5 Points Junction Figure 8
User:
MikeHikes - 1/8/2023
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 8.50 Miles
Duration: 4 hours, 20 minutes
Leg 1 - Burkett Park > WS to LL Connector > Roller Coaster > West Potts Creek > Potts Creek > Playground Trail > Bell's Point > Playground Trail (N) > Flintstone > 5 Points Junction 4.8 miles
Leg 2 - 5 Points Junction > Turkey Creek > Potts Creek (NE) > Burkett Trail > Burkett Park 3.7 miles
Temp started at 39, ended at 55. Sunny with a very slight NNW 1-3mph breeze.
Easy hike along dry trails. Not many animals spotted - a few deer at the beginning of the hike and an occasional bird. Even though there was nothing to see or photograph except the Moon (photo attached) I enjoyed the solitude and quiet of the hike and am glad I did it.
NOTES -
Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets are available at Burkett Park.
Water, shade and an info kiosk available at Bell's Point.
Water, shade and an info kiosk available at 5 Points Junction.
North Shore - Bell's Trailhead to Cougar Overlook Big Loop
User:
MikeHikes - 1/2/2023
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 10.10 Miles
Duration: 5 hours, 15 minutes
Leg 1 - Bell's Trailhead > Trailhead to Trailhead (S) > Dinosaur Trail > Dinosaur Viewing Area > Dinosaur Trail (S) > Upper Big Hill > Badlands > River Bend Trail > service road (NNE) > Cougar Overlook 6.4 miles
Leg 2 - Cougar Overlook > Javelina Trail > Lower Ghost Camp > River Bend Campground > Lower Ghost Camp (N) > South Slick Rock > Trailhead to Trailhead (N) > North Scenic Loop > Trailhead to Trailhead (N) > Shady Trail > Bell's Trailhead 3.7 miles
Temp started at 60, ended at 74. Stead 10mph SW wind with slight gusts. Overcast until last mile then partly cloudy.
A good hike along dry, easy to see and raverse trails. There were two Great Horned Owls as I drove past the gate and another in the campground by Bell's Trailhead. A hawk was also spotted a little later and then a few deer were seen running in the distance. On the return leg, at the North Scenic Loop, I saw about 20-30 Robins (photo attached) - I hope they have returned to establish a new, permanent colony!
Nothing else to report besides picking up an unusually large amount of trash, old and new, along the trails - the wind and soil erosion will be blamed.
NOTES -
Info kiosk and a bicycle repair station are 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 are available at Cougar Overlook.
Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets available at the River Bend Campground.
Park Mid-Section - Burkett Park to Cougar Overlook Loop
User:
MikeHikes - 12/28/2022
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 8.80 Miles
Duration: 4 hours, 15 minutes
Leg 1 - Burkett Park > Burkett Trail > Trailhead to Trailhead (N) > Flintstone (N) > Cougar Overlook 3.2 miles
Leg 2 - Cougar Overlook > service road (WSW) > River Bend Trail (S) > 5 Points Junction > Turkey Creek Trail > Potts Creek (W) > West Potts Creek Trail > Rollercoaster > WS to LL Connector > Burkett Park 5.6 miles
Temp started at 49, ended at 74. Sunny w/high wispy clouds. Strong gusty SW wind blew steady - cold at the start, warmer at the end.
Final Hike of the year for me. Stats are as follows -
Starting mileage - 3453
Ending mileage - 3898
Total mileage for the year - 445
Number of hikes for the year - 60
A cold, crisp and windy hike at first then a warmer one in the same field jacket and wind pants at the end. All trails were dry and easy to traverse. Unfortunately, there were very few birds out and I only saw one deer (photo attached). There really wasn't much going on although I did enjoy the quieter than normal hike. I suspect the strong wind kept the traffic and other city noises down to a minimum.
NOTES -
Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets available at Burkett Park.
Shade, info kiosk and a bicycle repair station available at Cougar Overlook.
Water, shade and info kiosk available at 5 Points Junction.
South Shore - Playground Parking Area to Isabel Harte Loop
User:
MikeHikes - 12/18/2022
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 4.30 Miles
Duration: 2 hours
Leg 1 - Playground parking area > Chaparral > Talley Valley > Horny Toad > Nature Trail > park road (NE) > Isabel Harte Day Use Area 3.0 miles
Leg 2 - isabel Harte Day Use Area > Chaparral > Playground parking area 1.3 miles
Temp started at 29, ended at 50. Sunny with a few clouds, steady wind with gusts from the SW.
A short and easy hike along dry and easy to see trails. Saw a small family of javelinas (photo attached), a few deer who survived last weeks hunt and a Loggerhead Shrike. Cold and wind kept most of the animals and birds away. A short but enjoyable walk in the park.
NOTES -
Water, shade, info kiosk, toilets and a bicycle repair station available at the Playground parking area.
Water and a dry toilet available at Isabel Harte. Shade available at various campsites.
North Shore - Bell's Trailhead to Cougar Overlook - Short loop
User:
MikeHikes - 12/12/2022
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 7.10 Miles
Duration: 3 hours, 30 minutes
Leg 1 - Bell's Trailhead > Shady Trail > Trailhead to Trailhead (S) > North Scenic Loop > Trailhead to Trailhead (S) > South Slick Rock > River Bend Campground > Lower Ghost Camp > Trailhead to Trailhead (S) > Cougar Overlook 3.1 miles
Leg 2 - Cougar Overlook > Javelina Trail > River Bend (N) > Badlands > Upper Big Hill > service road (NW) > Rocky Creek > Trailhead to Trailhead (N) > Bell's Trailhead 4.0 miles
Temp started at 58, ended at 68. Low, overcast clouds, steady 5-10mph Southerly breeze.
An upcoming hunt made today's hike shorter than usual. The trails were damp to muddy but easy to see and traverse - just got a lot of sticky mud on my shoes!
A Kingfisher was spotted along Shady Trail watering hole and further up along the very dry riverbend as I headed South. A few deer were seen which I hope moved much further South for sanctuary from the hunt that would start the next morning. One interesting observation - I saw a Robin at Cougar Overlook that stayed for a few minutes before flying North. Perhaps there will be another permanent colony of Robins at the campground by Bell's Trailhead.
Otherwise, not much was going on but I was glad I was able to get a hike in before they shut the park down.
NOTES -
Water, shade, info kiosk and a bicycle repair station are available at or near Bell's Trailhead.
Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets available at the River Bend Campground.
Shade, info kiosk and a bicycle repair station are available at Cougar Overlook.
South Shore - Playground parking area to Burkett Park Short Loop
User:
MikeHikes - 12/5/2022
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 6.80 Miles
Duration: 3 hours
Leg 1 - Playground parking area > Tasajilla Flats > Nature Trail > Lanky Lackey > WS to LL Connector > Burkett Park 3.8 miles
Leg 2 - Burkett Park > Winding Snake > Chaparral > Playground parking area 3.0 miles
Temp started at 60, ended at 68. Steady SSW Wind 10-15mph, Partly cloudy to mostly sunny.
Easy hike along dry, easy to see and traverse trails. Saw some deer near the park entrance as they learned the South Shore was a sanctuary during last weekend's hunt at the North and mid-sections of the park.
I was surprised to see a flock of about 50 American Robins (photo attached) on Lanky Lackey near the dried creek. Robins are present in the city but this is the first time I've seen them in the Southern portion of the park. There used to be a year round colony at the North Shore but they disappeared some years back - perhaps these Robins will decide to stay rather than continue their trek South for the Winter.
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.
Park Mid-Section - Burkett Park to 5 Points Junction Big Loop
User:
MikeHikes - 11/29/2022
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 7.60 Miles
Duration: 3 hours, 45 minutes
Leg 1 - Burkett Park > WS to LL Connector > Roller Coaster > West Potts Creek > Potts Creek > Turkey Creek > 5 Points Junction 4.2 miles
Leg 2 - 5 Points Junction > Flintstone (S) > Playground > Bell's Point > Playground > Potts Creek (S) > Burkett Trail > Burkett Park 3.4 miles
Temp started at 54, ended at 68. Sunny with steady SSW breeze at 5-15mph.
Five days ago, we received a much needed slow, steady, soaking rain. All trails were easy to see and traverse but were from damp to muddy depending on where the trail went. There were very few animals out - a few deer spotted while driving in (photo attached) - and there were only a few birds out. It was a pleasant, quiet hike so no complaints from me!
NOTES
Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets available 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 Burkett Park Big Loop
User:
MikeHikes - 11/10/2022
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 7.50 Miles
Duration: 4 hours
Leg 1 - Playground parking area > Chaparral > Winding Snake > Burkett Park 3.4 miles
Leg 2 - Burkett park > WS to LL Connector > Lanky Lackey > Nature Trail > Tasajilla Flats > Playground parking area 4.1 miles
Temp started at 70, ended at 75. Overcast then partly cloudy with a steady SSW breeze at 10mph.
An easy hike along dry easy to see and traverse trails.
The Mid and Northern sections of the park were closed for hunting. A few birds were spotted including a Loggerhead Shrike and a pair of adult turkeys near the end of the hike. Two does were the only animals we saw. All in all a quiet peaceful hike!
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 are available at Burkett Park.
North Shore - Bell's Trailhead to River Bend Campground Short Loop
User:
MikeHikes - 11/2/2022
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 3.70 Miles
Duration: 2 hours
Leg 1 - Bell's Trailhead > Shady Trail > Trailhead to Trailhead (S) > North Scenic Loop > trailhead to Trailhead > South Slick Rock > Lower Ghost Camp > River Bend Campground 1.7 miles
Leg 2 - River Bend Campground > South Slick Rock > North Slick Rock > Upper Big Hill > Rocky Creek > Trailhead to Trailhead (N) > Shady Trail > Bell's Trailhead 2.0 miles
Temp started at 70, ended at 75. Sunny and light constant SW breeze.
Easy hike with friends. We saw a Belted Kingfisher (photo attached) at the watering hole on Shady Trail. A few deer survived last week's hunt and were seen as we drove in. A couple of hawks were out but otherwise not many birds and no other animals were present. The wind brought in pollen and/or dust which fired up my allergies - not good but nonetheless, any hike is a good one.
NOTES
Info kiosk and a bicycle repair station are available at Bell's Trailhead. Water and shade is available in the nearby campsites.
Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets available at River Bend Campground.
South Shore - Playground parking area to Burkett Park Short Loop
User:
MikeHikes - 10/26/2022
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 6.50 Miles
Duration: 3 hours, 45 minutes
Leg 1 - Playground parking area > Horny Toad Trailhead > Horny Toad > Nature Trail > Lanky Lackey > WS to LL Connector > Burkett Park 3.8 miles
Leg 2 - Burkett Park > Winding Snake > Chaparral > Playground parking area 2.7 miles
Temp started at 42, ended around 65. Sunny and cold at first then warmed up.
A leisurely hike along dry and familiar trails. Not much went on but I did see Meadowlarks (photo attached) and Scissortail Flycatchers which were nice. Otherwise, the trails were dry, easy to see and traverse. An uneventful but enjoyable hike.
NOTES
Water, shade, info kiosk, toilets and a bicycle repair staiton available at Playground parking area.
Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets available at Burkett Park.
Park Mid-Section - Burkett Park to 5 Points Junction Loop
User:
MikeHikes - 10/21/2022
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 8.00 Miles
Duration: 4 hours
Leg 1 - Burkett park > Burkett Trail > Potts Creek > Playground > Bell's Point > Playground (N) > Flintstone > 5 Points Junction 3.6 miles
Leg 2 - 5 Points Junction > Turkey Creek > Potts Creek (SW) > West Potts Creek > Roller Coaster > WS to LL Connector > Burkett park 4.4 miles
Temp started at 52, ended at 76. Sunny with slight SW breeze.
Easy hike along easy to traverse trails. Not much activity today - two white tail deer and a few birds were spotted. One of the birds was a yellow shafted flicker so that was nice. I saw a Walking Stick on the trail and only saw it because it moved across a rock (photo attached). Otherwise, it was a quiet, peaceful and very ordinary hike in the park.
NOTES
Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets available at Burkett Park.
Water, shade and info kiosk available at Bell's Point.
Water, shade and info kiosk available at 5 Points Junction.
North Shore - Bell's Trailhead to Cougar Overlook Short Loop
User:
MikeHikes - 10/13/2022
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 7.30 Miles
Duration: 3 hours, 30 minutes
Leg 1 - Bell's Trailhead > Shady Trail > Trailhead to Trailhead (S) > South Slick Rock > Lower Ghost Camp > River Bend Campground > Lower Ghost Camp > Trailhead to Trailhead (S) > Cougar Overlook 3.2 miles
Leg 2 - Cougar Overlook > Javelina Trail > service road (NE then at the bend W) > River Bend (N) > Badlands > Upper Big Hill > service road (NW) > Rocky Creek Trail > Trailhead to Trailhead (N) > Bell's Trailhead 4.1 miles
Temp started at 54, ended at 74. Sunny with a light breeze.
A cool start on morning dew damp trails. The North Concho River is practically dry along Shady Trail but there are a few water holes left. I went to the largest and waited to see what showed up - nothing. Next, I looked for migrating Monarch butterflies which in past years had been somewhat numerous. I saw a grand total of two Monarchs resting in the pecan trees (photo attached). Continued to hike to Cougar Overlook on now dry trails. Although the trails were in good condition, there was nothng to see and what I did see with regard to water was poor. Numerous areas that had always contained some water were now bone dry. The last couple of years starting with the exceptionally brutal Winter storm in Feb 2021 and the on-going drought, has really hit the park hard in all aspects - vegetation, insects, reptiles, birds and animals. Rain is predicted in a few days which is good but it will take vast amounts of rain and time to bring this area back to what it was.
NOTES -
Info kiosk and a bicycle repair station available at Bell's Trailhead. Water and shade available in nearby campground.
Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets available at River Bend Campground.
Info kiosk and a bicycle repair station available at Cougar Overlook.
South Shore - Playground parking area to Burkett Park Loop
User:
MikeHikes - 10/9/2022
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 7.40 Miles
Duration: 3 hours
Leg 1 - Playground parking area > Chaparral > Winding Snake > Burkett park 3.4 miles
Leg 2 - Burkett Park > WS to LL Connector > Lanky Lackey > Nature Trail > Tasajilla Flats > Playground parking area 4.0 miles
Temps started at 58, ended at 82. Partly cloudy, then sunny with a light 5mph SW breeze.
A nice hike along recently groomed trails. The Monarch butterflies are definitely migrating (photo attached) through the area. Although I didn't see cluster of them, I saw numerous individual Monarchs flying around the park feeding off Gayfeather flowers and pollen or ?? on the mesquite trees. I also saw a small group of six turkeys - three hens and each of them had a youngster/juvenile with them. I gave them space and watched as they hunted for food on the ground. There were a larger than usual (for me) number of people on the trails but everyone acted appropriately so all was well.
NOTES
Water, shade, info kiosk, toilets and a bicycle repair sation available at Playground parking area.
Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets avaialble at Burkett Park.
South Shore - Playground parking area to Armadillo Ridge Figure 8
User:
MikeHikes - 9/29/2022
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 10.70 Miles
Duration: 5 hours, 15 minutes
Leg 1 - Playground parking area > Horny Toad Trailhead > Tasajilla Flats > Nature Trail > Lanky Lackey > WS to LL Connector > Burkett Park 3.9 miles
Leg 2 - Burkett Park > Burkett Trail > Potts Creek Trail > West Potts Creek Trail > Rollercoaster Trail > 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 60, ended at 82. Sunny w/constant light, WSW breeze.
A very nice hike along trails that are dry, easy to see and traverse. A good portion of the hike was on rocky trails or on trails that had dry, loose soil. Animals spotted were numerous deer, two sets of javelinas, a group of turkeys and numerous birds, including raptors. Fall is officially here because some of the mesquite tree leaves have turned yellow, purple thistle is blooming as well as Gayfeather flowers. Additionally, I saw some transient Scissortail Flycatchers looking for food as they stop over briefly before continuing their flight to Southern Mexico and Central America for the winter.
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.
North Shore - Bell's Trailhead to River Bend Campground Loop
User:
MikeHikes - 9/25/2022
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 5.50 Miles
Duration: 3 hours
Leg 1 - Bell's Trailhead > Trailhead to Trailhead (S) > Dinosaur > Dinosaur Tracks Viewing Area > Dinosaur > Upper Big Hill > service road (S) > Badlands > park road (NE) 2.7 miles
Leg 2 - park road (NE) > River Bend Campground > South Slick Rock > Trailhead to Trailhead (N) > North Scenic Loop > Trailhead to Trailhead (N) > Shady Trail > Bell's Trailhead 2.8 miles
Temp started at 77, ended at 89. Sunny with light SW breeze.
A short hike that started later in the day than usual. All trails were dry, easy to see and traverse. There were no animals spotted and very few birds were out. Nonetheless, I enjoyed it as a quiet, pleasant hike on a sunny day with a light breeze to help keep me cool.
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 available at the Dinosaur Tracks Viewing Area.
Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets available at River Bend Campground.
Park Mid-section - Burkett Park to Cougar Overlook Figure 8
User:
MikeHikes - 9/22/2022
[View Log Page]
Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 10.60 Miles
Duration: 5 hours, 15 minutes
Leg 1 - Burkett park > WS to LL Connector > Rollercoaster > West Potts Creek > Turkey Creek > 5 Points Junction > River Bend Trail > service road (NE) > Cougar Overlook 5.6 miles
Leg 2 - Cougar Overlook > Flintstone Trail > 5 Points Junction > Flintstone (S) > Playground > Bell's Point > Playground (S) > Potts Creek > Burkett Trail > Burkett Park 5.0 miles
Temp started at 66, ended at 82. Sunny, no clouds with a light 5mph SSW breeze.
All trails were dry, easy to see and traverse. LOTS and LOTS of spider silk all over the trails! I saw a dozen deer while driving in, a single cottontail rabbit, a javelina on Rollercoaster Trail and a Loggerhead Shrike on West Potts Creek trail. Otherwise there were very few birds out with the exception of a young Mockingbird (photo attached) who landed on a branch near me and allowed me to take his photograph before he departed.
Some purple thistle is coming out and I noticed a large number of grasshoppers were jumping around. Otherwise, it was a quiet and peaceful hike.
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.
Water, shade and info kiosk available at Bell's Point.
South Shore - Playground parking area to Burkett Park Loop
User:
MikeHikes - 9/18/2022
[View Log Page]
Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 7.30 Miles
Duration: 3 hours
Leg 1 - Playground parking area > Horny Toad Trailhead > Tasajilla Flats > Nature Trail > Lanky Lackey > WS to LL Connector > Burkett Park 3.8 miles
Leg 2 - Burkett Park > Winding Snake > Chaparral > Red Dam Loop > Chaparral > Playground parking area 3.5 miles
Temp started at 72, eneded at 83. Light SSW breeze at first then steadily increased to 10-15mph wind. Sunny w/few clouds.
Easy hike along familiar trails. I saw deer and a few cottontails then on Tasajilla Flats Trail, I saw a tortoise cross the trail and go into some brush. Bee Bush at various locations were still in bloom and gave off a nice scent. On Lanky Lackey where it crosses the now dried creek running from Javelina Pond, a very young feral piglet ran in front of me as it scampered to it's mother who I did NOT see but heard grunting. Not waiting to meet her, I back tracked a little and waited until the noise stopped then I quickly crossed the area - I have no desire to meet ANY animal mother guarding her young, especially a wild hog!
NOTES
Water, shade, info kiosk, toilets and a bicycle repair station are available at Playground parking area.
Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets are available at Burkett Park.