A bit of everything
By Austin Explorer on
3/18/2018
Rating: 



Difficulty: 




Distance: 3.06 Miles Duration: 1 hour, 31 minutes
Coppertone and I were looking for something not too long or difficult today. We had hiked at the adjacent Spring Lake Regional Park in the past but had never crossed the boundary into this park so we figured we'd give it a shot.
Howarth is one of those parks that seems to have something for everyone. In addition to trails there are playfields, playscapes and even a miniature train. The hiking is not a destination activity for those who live far away, but there is a surprising variety of terrain from completely flat paved surfaces to rocky hard packed dirt with a little bit of elevation gain.
You won't find a lot of solitude here, particularly on the easier trails near the center of activity in the park. But as is typical, the farther away from a trailhead you venture the smaller the number of people you'll encounter.
The Spur 6 Trail had piles of rough rocks that resembled those we've seen in quarries elsewhere. I need to do some research to see whether or not that was the case here.
When hiking down the Eagle Scout Trail on the north shore of Lake Ralphine we were able to see a young boy catch his first fish along the shore. Unfortunately, the fish got loose right at the edge of the lake and got away, much to the young angler's disgust. He threw his pole down and mother and and father were trying to encourage him and keep him motivated.