Out        Burkett Park > Park road (West) > Rollercoaster > West Potts Creek > Armadillo > Turkey Creek > River Bend > service road (East) > Cougar Lookout       4.7 miles

Return   Cougar Lookout > Flintstone > Playground trail > Armadillo > East Potts Creek > Burkett Trail > Burkett Park      4.7 miles

Warm , pleasant day with light winds.  Took my time walking and really enjoyed feeling the breeze on my skin, listening to the birds and just being with Nature.  Saw lots of flowers and bees and butterflies including Monarchs.  On the return leg I had to deal with some of the Longhorns kept at the park - they decided to lay on Flintstone Trail and I patiently got them up - unfortunately, they decided to walk along the trail in front of me so I was stepping around L-O-T-S of fresh cow dung.  After a quarter mile or so, they decided to get off the trail as I continued on.  Was concerned because there was a large bull in the group and numerous calves but nothing negative happened. 

NOTES

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

Water, info kiosk and shade available at the 5 Points Junction (where Turkey creek, River Bend and Flintstone trails meet).  You will go here on both legs of the hike if you follow my route.

Info kiosk and shade available at Cougar Lookout.

Water and shade available at Bell's Point - found on the retunr leg along the Playground Trail.

Out      Playground parking area > Chaparral > Winding Snake > Burkett Trail > East Potts Creek > Armadillo > Playground Trail > Flintstone Trail > Multi-Trail Junction         5.8 miles

Return  Turkey Creek > Armadillo > West Potts Creek > Roller Coaster > Lanky Lackey > Nature Trail > Horny Toad > Talley Valley > Chaparral > Playground Parking Area  6.6 miles

Basically, this hike went from the Playground parking area  North along the eastern trails and returned from the Multi-Trail Junction - where Turkey Creek, River Bend and Flintstone Trails meet - along the western trails back to the Playground parking area.

Weather was warm (low 90's) windy and the park was quiet.  Not much to see along the trail although there were some birds and a few interesting bugs (photo attached).

At the end of the hike, I was having a few hip discomforts but managed to push through and enjoy the hike. 

One thing to mention - please make sure if you get water from a fountain, you ensure the faucet is turned off.  The fountain at the Multi-Trail junction was not shut off and quite a lot of water was on the ground;  so much so, the water coming out of the faucet was extremely low flowing due to low pressure.

NOTES

Water, shade, info kiosk, and toilets available at the Playground parking area.

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

Water and shade available at Bell's Point (along the Playground Trail).

Water, shade, info kiosk available at the Multi-Trail Junction.

Out     Bell's Trailhead > service road (N then SW) > Dinosaur Trail > Big Hill > South Slick Rock > Lower Ghost Camp > service road (S) > Cougar Outlook      4.8 miles

Return Cougar Outlook > service road (W) > River Bend Trail > Badlands Trail > service road (N) > Scenic Loop > service road (NE) > Shady Trail > Bell's Trailhead   4.2 miles

Partly cloudy to start, mild temps and a light breeze made this a good day to hike.  Less than 30 minutes after we started, I spotted the first of three snakes, a non-rattler, who was trying to warm up.  After a little gentle prodding with a weed stalk, he slithered away.  Walking along  further the second snake made an appearance, a black/dark grey snake that had a light orange/red collar and looked like an overgrown worm.  Got a picture of his head before he disappeared.  The final snake was a brother to the second but longer - no rattles, no worries!

Saw a few mountain bikers otherwise the trails were ours.  Picked up a bit more trail trash than usual but otherwise, another great day to hike at the park.

NOTES

IMPORTANT - Bring your own water to start and make sure you drink as much water as you can when you get to the Dinosaur track area - it is the ONLY place water is available on this hike.

Water, shade and info kiosk available on Dinosaur Trail near the dinosaur tracks - about a mile or more from Bell's Trailhead/parking area - this is the ONLY water available on this route.

Shade, info kiosk, dry toilets and water FOR HORSES ONLY at the Upper Ghost Camp.  The park has capped off the water fountain - unknown why they did this.

Info kiosk and shade available at Cougar Outlook.

Out       Burkett Park > Burkett Trail > East Potts Creek > Armadillo > Playground > Flintstone > Cougar Outlook           4.5 miles
Return   Cougar Outlook > service road (West approx .25 miles) > River Bend (SSW) > Turkey Creek > Armadillo > West Potts Creek > Rollercoaster > park road (NNE) > Burkett Park    5.1 miles

Use Google Earth or a park map to follow my path.

Today I took a leisurely hike through the park midsection.  The temps were in the mid 70's to low 80's and a slight breeze kept insects at bay.  I saw two raptors overhead and although I didn't get a picture due to trees being in the way, I was able to watch an aerial battle between the larger raptor (picture attached) and a small one - the smaller raptor chased the larger bird away.

A couple of snakes were seen as well but since they were not rattlers and did not bother me, no worries!

All in all, it was a very pleasant hike!!

NOTES

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

Water and shade available at Bell's Point on the outbound portion of the hike.  Bell's Point is near the end of the Playground trail.

Water, shade and info kiosk are available at the Multi-Trail junction where the Turkey Creek, River Bend and Flintstone trails converge.  If you follow my route, you will visit this location on the way out and on the return journey.

Shade and info kiosk are available at the Cougar Outlook.

Out    Playground parking area > Tasajilla Flats > Nature Loop > Lanky Lackey > Roller Coaster > West Potts Creek > Armadillo > Turkey Creek Trail > Multi-Trail Junction       6.6 miles

Return Service road (East  .5 miles) > Service road (SSW) > Burkett Trail > Burkett Park > Winding Snake > Chaparral> Playground parking area    5.0 miles

Easiest to trace the route either via Google Earth or buy a laminated park map at the South Shore office for $3.

Low 80's, a light steady breeze and a somewhat overcast sky.  Lots of grasshoppers, lizards and quail!  I don't hunt quail but I must have flushed at least five coveys of anywhere from 10 - 30 birds per covey.  The mesquite beans are beginning to change color here and provide some color although the park conducted aerial spraying to eradicate the majority of the mesquites and it has worked. 

A couple of comments concerning the route specifically the return leg.  The first service road I used today, runs due East from the Multi-trail Junction where the Turkey Creek, River Bend and Flintstone trails converge.  The road is overgrown but passable and runs for approximately 1/2 mile.  This road ends at a cattle tank and if you look right you will see another service road about 50 yards away that has an asphalt surface.  This road runs SSW and is the one I took.  About a mile or so later, this road will split - I took the left (SSW) leg. 

The surface changes to mostly dirt and eventually connect to the Burkett Trail which is bordering Pulliam Point.  The service roads run throughout the entire park and are easy to see in an aerial photo or the laminated map. Most of these roads are being allowed to return to nature and some are returning quicker than others.  Be advised - I have encountered rattlesnakes on these roads although no snakes were seen today.

NOTES

Water, shade, info kiosk and toilets available at Playground parking area.  Suggest you hydrate and have full water containers since the next water stop is 6.6 miles away.

Water, shade, and an info kiosk are available at the Multi-trail Junction.

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

Out    Burkett Park > park road (West) > Roller Coaster > West Potts Creek > Armadillo > Turkey Creek > River Bend Trail > service road (East) > Cougar Outlook      5.2 miles

Return Cougar Outlook > Flintstone > Playground > Armadillo > East Potts Creek > Burket Trail > Burkett Park    4.6 miles

Recommend you look at Google Earth to follow the route we took.

Humid, overcast and a light breeze.  We walked the trails seeing two snakes (non-rattlers), a horned toad and numerous lizards - one lizard was quite large; the largest I've seen at the park.

This is directed to a "mountain biker" - slow down A$$HOLE !!  Although you obviously thought nothing of running over a horned toad in your quest to get through the trails as quickly as possible, there aren't many horned toads left in the park.  Rather than race along the trails, why don't you slow down and enjoy the scenery?  By the way, I'm getting tired of picking up your empty GU packets, water bottles and discarded inner tubes - if you bring it in, take it out.

NOTES

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

Water, shade, info kiosk available at the Multi Trail junction - you will visit this area on your way out and on your way back, if you follow my route.

Shade and info kiosk available at Cougar Outlook.

Water and shade available at Bell's Point - on the Playground Trail.

Suggest you purchase a laminated park trails map at the South Shore gatehouse ($3).  Shows all the trails in the park.

Out      Playground parking > Tasajilla Flats > Nature Loop > Lanky Lackey > park road (NE) > Burkett Park > Burkett Trail > East Potts Creek > Armadillo Trail               4.9 miles

Return  Armadillo Trail (West) > West Potts Creek > Roller Coaster > park road (NE) > Burkett Park > Winding Snake > Chaparral > Playground parking                     5.0 miles

Record setting heat and a steady breeze made this a very nice hike.  Trails are starting to become overgrown in places due to the heat and moisture in the air.  Saw one snake today which was on the Tasajilla Flats trail about a mile on the trail - not a rattler!

The ponds on Winding Snake and Lacky Lankey are becoming overrun with cattails - I hope the park personnel clear them out this winter.  As of this writing, there is a scant measure of water in O.C. Fisher and it is located by the dam gate - no water activities there.

Not many birds or other wildlife were seen - must have been too hot!

NOTES

Water, shade, info kiosk and toilets available at the Playground parking area

Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets available at Burkett Park which you will visit twice if you follow my route

Out     Bell's Trailhead > service road > Dinosaur Trail > Big Hill > Badlands (Horse) > River Bend Trail > Javalina Trail > Cougar Outlook     5.4 miles

Return Cougar Outlook > service roads > Lower Ghost Camp Trail > service roads > Bell's Trailhead     2.7 miles

Today was a first - I saw three rattlesnakes within 30 minutes of starting the hike!  Last week, I saw one two foot rattler in the mid section of the park and thought I was doing pretty good.  Today not 100 feet into the hike, I saw a rattler that was about 5-6 foot long stretched across the road (photo attached).  When I enlarged the photo, I counted eleven (11) sets of rattles on his tail. 

Started walking on Dinosaur Trail and within 20 minutes saw two rattlers, one darker, medium sized and one lighter in color and smaller, separated by about 50 yards of trail.  Needless to say,  for the rest of the hike, my eyes were glued to the ground looking for more snakes but did not find any.

The winds picked up and kept the temps tolerable for the hike, lots of birds to be seen and as the day progressed, more lizards appeared, including a solitary tree lizard near the end of the hike.

Nice temps, windy, saw lots of wildlife, had the trails to myself the entire time - all in all, a very good day!

NOTES

Suggest you bring your own water when you first begin the hike - there is no water available at the trail head/parking area.

Water, shade and info kiosk available at the dinosaur track area on Dinosaur Trail.

Shade and info kiosk available at Cougar Outlook.

Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets available at the Upper Ghost Camp (some maps say River Bend camping area) on the return leg.

Out     Burkett Park > Burkett trail > East Potts Creek > Armadillo Ridge shortcut > old service road (West) > Turkey Creek (South)  1.5 miles

Return  Turkey Creek > Armadillo Trail > West Potts Creek > Roller Coaster Trail > park road (NE) to Burkett Park   2.3 miles

No pictures today - just a short hike from Burkett park to Armadillo Ridge and back along.  Nice breeze, sunny skies and a walk in the park - can't get much better than that!

NOTES

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

Out      Playground parking lot > Chaparral > Red Dam Loop > Chaparral > Winding Snake > Burkett Trail > East Potts Creek > Armadillo Ridge        4.2 miles

Return  Armadillo Ridge Trail (West) > West Potts Creek > Play Ground Trail > Lanky Lackey > Nature Loop > Tasajila Flats > Playground parking lot   5.3 miles

This hike was different from the one taken last week - I went a slightly different route by taking Red Dam Loop.  The other major difference was the abundance of bee brush flowering and perfuming the air with the scent of vanilla.

Surprisingly, I saw four moutain bikers during the hike which is why I rated Solitude at 4.5.  I'm sure seeing only four others on a four hour hike would be considered an extremely small number but at this park it is an unusually large number.

All in all, a very nice hike!!

NOTES

Water, shade, toilets and an info kiosk are available at the Playground parking lot.

Water, shade, dry toilets and an info kiosk is available at Burkett Park - at the northern end of Winding Snake Trail about 3 miles from the Playground on the route I took.

Out      Burkett Park > Burkett Trail > East Potts Creek Trail > Armadillo Ridge Trail (West) > Turkey Creek Trail (North) > River Bend Trail > service road (East) > Cougar Outlook     4.3 miles

Return  Cougar Outlook > service road (WSW) > asphalt service road (South) > dirt service road (WSW) > Burkett Trail > Burkett Park    2.7 miles

Basically this route consist of going out on the trails and returning via the service roads.  I suggest using Google Earth to see the route as it is fairly easy to follow.

We've had a few days of much needed rain, which didn't do much except get the trails wet and full of sticky mud so I waited until the trails dried up a bit.  Warm temps were tempered by fairly consistent winds today as I hiked.

Not much to see in the way of wildlife unless you count the longhorns - I ran into two groups of them; we acknowledge each other's presence and left it at that.  

Saw one hiker at Burkett Park as I was leaving, otherwise I had the trails to myself for the entire hike.

NOTES

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

Water, shade and info kiosk are available at the northern end of Turkey Creek Trail where it joins the River Bend and Flintstone Trails - this is about 3.2 miles outward bound on this hike.  I suggest you take the time to hydrate and refill all bottles because there is no other water available.

NO WATER, only shade and an info kiosk are available at Cougar Outlook.

The portion of the park I hiked today is on the western side of FM2288 across from the North Shore park entrance.  This trail does not have a name - rather, it is a hike along an old service road which is best seen using Google Earth.

The hike was a VERY enjoyable one today with warm temps, a light breeze and new terrain to see!!  This portion of the park is know as one of the locations where the longhorns roam and for hunting. 

The route is fairly easy to follow - you follow an old dirt, service road that runs alongside the North Concho River as you head West, the road ends and you can either retrace your original route or wander around a bit on the numerous cattle paths.  I crossed the dry riverbed where the large power stanchions are and wandered back to the North Shore check in station along another dirt service road.

Lots of bird activity today - ducks, hawks, Mississippi Kites, orioles, canyon towhees and others.  Lizards were numerous as well, some of them quite large.  Longhorns grazed and watched as we trudged along enjoying the quiet solitude of the hike.

NOTES

Water, info kiosk and toilets are available at the North Shore check in station where I parked.

VERY, VERY, VERY IMPORTANT - if you decide to hike this route you MUST talk to the personnel at the South Shore check in station.  Hunting goes on for various types of game to include doves, javalinas, turkey and deer.  Because this area is rarely used by hikers (to the best of my knowledge no bikers or equestrians are allowed in this part of the park) the game is more numerous than the other sections and is quite popular with hunters.