North Shore Bell's Trailhead to Cougar Overlook

Out     Bell's Trailhead > Shady Trail > service road (S) > Scenic Loop > service road (S) > South Slick Rock > Lower Ghost Camp > service road (S) > Cougar Overlook        3.3 miles

Return Cougar Overlook > service road (W) > River Bend (N) > Badlands > Dinosaur Trail > Upper Big Hill > Dinosaur > service road (N) > Bell's Trailhead      6.2 miles

Temps low 80's to low 90's, mostly sunny, light 10-15 mph southerly breeze.

A nice day for a hike.  I was at the North Shore trails two weeks ago which was the first time there since the big flood.  Park personnel have worked on some of the trails - clearing debris and cutting vegetation but there is still a lot of work to be done.   There is still lots of grass which needs to be cut, especially on Dinosaur Trail, and some of the trails need to be smoothed out.

Buzzing in my ears and flying into my eyes, gnats made their presence known constantly.  Their friends, the biting flies, stopped by as well but the mosquitoes which plagued me two weeks ago, were not bothersome at all.

Saw some lizards and at the beginning of the hike, we filled our snake quota by seeing a two foot long rattler (photo attached).  Of course, we picked up a bag of trash along the trails so I consider this to have been a good hike!

NOTES

Shade, info kiosk, dry toilets and water for ANIMALS ONLY available at the River Bend Ghost Camp.

Shade and info kiosk available at Cougar Overlook.

Shade, info kiosk and water available at the Dinosaur Tracks area - this is the ONLY water available on the North Shore trails so make sure you have water with you prior to hiking.