Leg 1 -  Burkett Park > Burkett Trail > Trailhead to Trailhead (Long) > Cougar Overlook       3.0 miles

Leg 2 -  Cougar Overlook > Flintstone > 5 Points Junction > Turkey Creek > Potts Creek (NNE) > Burkett Trail > Burkett Park     5.0 miles

Temp started at 44, ended at 68.  Sunny, infrequent 0-5mph SW breeze.

Easy hike along damp to muddy trails.  Trails are easy to see and traverse but there are spots where, due to the recent heavy rains, the topsoil is gone and the trail is very rocky.  Yet in other spots, the trail is smooth with the additional topsoil was on top of the rocks!  Just be aware that the same trail can have different characteristics.

Not many animals spotted although I was surprised to see this very young javelina (photo attached).  He came out of the underbrush and did not hesitate to walk towards me.  I had no desire to meet his parent so I made noise and the javelina ran into the brush and disappeared.  Hopefully he had merely wandered away from his parent and was not an orphan.

NOTES -

Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets available at Burkett Park.  Horse trough is still dry.

Shade, info kiosk and a bicycle repair station are available at Cougar Overlook.

Water, shade, and info kiosk are available at 5 Points Junction.

Leg 1 -  Playground parking area > Roadrunner Loop > Playground parking area

Temp started at 57, ended at 64.  Sunny with a steady ENE wind at 10-15mph.

A simple, easy exercise hike along Roadrunner Trail Loop.  Nothing of import to report, just had to get out and stretch my legs.  No photos for this trip.

NOTES -

Water, shade, info kiosk, toilets and a bicycle repair station are available at Playground parking area.

Water and shade available at campsites along Roadrunner Loop.  There are three stations along the trail that provide water, shade, info kiosk and toilets.

Leg 1 -  Playground parking area > Horny Toad Trailhead > Horny Toad > Nature Trail > Lanky Lackey > WS to LL Connector > Burkett Park   3.2 miles

Leg 2 -  Burkett park > Winding Snake > Chaparral > Playground parking area     2.9 miles

Leg 3 -  Playground parking area > Roadrunner Loop > Playground parking area   3.2 miles

Temps started at 59, ended at 85.  Sunny with 0-5mph SW breeze.

Easy hike along dry or dew dampened trails.  A female javelina and two little ones were spotted along Winding Snake Trail, bird activity was all the usual suspects - Mockers, Sparrows, turkey vultures and Loggerhead Shrikes.  A single tiny toad was almost stepped on along Horny Toad Trail.

A note to dog owners who bring their dogs to the park - it's great that you pick up your dog's scat so other animals or trail users do not get into it BUT after bagging your pet's scat TAKE THE GREEN PLASTIC BAG CONTAINING YOUR DOG'S SHIT AND PUT IT IN A TRASH CAN - ESPECIALLY IF THE BURKETT PARK TRAILHEAD TRASH CAN IS LESS THAN 50 YARDS FROM WHERE YOU LEFT SAID BAG OF SHIT ON THE WINDING SNAKE TRAIL.

NOTES -

Water, shade, info kiosk, toilets and a bicycle repair station are available at the Playground parking area.

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

Water, shade, info kiosk and toilets are available at three locations along Roadrunner Loop.  Water and shade available at numerous campsites along the same trail.

Leg 1 -  Playground parking area > Horny Toad Trailhead > Tasajilla Flats > Nature Trail > Lanky Lackey > WS to LL Connector > Burkett Park     3.7 miles

Leg 2 -  Burkett Park > Winding Snake > Chaparral > Red Dam Loop > Chaparral > Playground parking area    3.1 miles

Temp started at 68, ended at 86.  Sunny and light breeze from SW at 0-5 mph.

Easy hike along dew dampened trails.  Not much damage from the rains of a few weeks ago.  Bee bush is already blooming and it's vanilla scent was in the air.  Saw a few more birds out including a Loggerhead Shrike.  At the end of the hike, a pair of roadrunners chattered and made their presence known.  One in particular watched me as I hiked (photo attached).

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.

Leg 1 -  Burkett Park > Burkett Trail > Trailhead to Trailhead > service road to Cougar Overlook > Cougar Overlook      3.2 miles

Leg 2 -  Cougar Overlook > Flintstone > 5 Points Junction     1.3 miles

Leg 3 -  5 Points Junction > Turkey Creek > service road to Armadillo Pavillion (NE) > Potts CReek (NE) > Burkett Trail > Burkett Park   3.4 miles

Temp started at 77, ended at 91.  Sunny, slightly humid with a light 5-10mph SW breeze.

All trails were dry with a few patches of mud from a brief downpour received two days earlier.  Deer, a fox, a couple of roadrunners and a tortoise (photo attached) were spotted today.  I also saw a few Queen butterflies and the purple thistle is coming out in places - Fall is approaching although the current temperatures are not indicative of it.

Not many birds were out today but the park is having a spurt of "green" becauise of the recent rains.  More rain is predicted and that is always a good thing in West Texas.

NOTES -

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

Shade, inof kiosk and a bicycle repair station are available at Cougar Overlook.

Water, shade and an info kiosk are available at 5 Points Junction.

Leg 1 -  Playground parking area > Horny Toad Trailhead > Tasajilla Flats > Nature Trail > Lanky Lackey > WS to LL Connector > Burkett Park   3.7 miles

Leg 2 -  Burkett Park > Winding Snake > Chaparral > Red Dam Loop > Chaparral > Playground parking area   3.3 miles

Leg 3 -  Playground parking area > Roadrunner Loop > Playground parking area    3.2 miles

Temp started at 79, ended at 92.  Sunny w/steady SW 10-15mph breeze.

An easy hike along familiar trails.  Does and fawns, Cottontails and Black Eared rabbits, birds and javelinas were spotted.  The trails themselves were dry and easy to traverse.  Rain is desperately needed but none is in sight for the forseeable future which is VERY bad - the lake is at .9% capacity and the mudflats are very visible even from a distance. 

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.

Water, shade, info kiosk and toilets are available at three points along Roadrunner Loop with water and shade available at numerous campsites along the loop as well.

Leg 1 -  Burkett Park > Burkett Trail > Potts Creek > West Potts Creek > Roller Coaster > WS to LL Connector > Burkett Park     3.9 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 > Chaparral > Winding Snake > Burkett Park    2.9 miles

Temp started at 77, ended at 92.  Mostly sunny w/clouds.  Humid w/fairly steady 10-20mph SSW breeze.

A nice hike along dry, easy to see and traverse trails.  LOTS of animals spotted today - fawns, cottontail rabbits, jack rabbits, a skunk, a VERY large javelina and a lone fox (photo attached).  The fox was interesting because he saw me and stopped by a large prickly pear cactus bunch.  I stopped and waited to see what he would do.  When he saw I was only taking photos he very nonchalantly walked across my path about 15 feet away and climbed a hill.  I watched as he went up a little then found a spot and laid down to nap.  When I moved he opened his eyes but didn't move and as I looked back, he had already laid down again.  Very trusting.

NOTES -

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

Water, shade, info kiosk, toilets and a bicycle repair station available at the Playground parking area.

Leg 1 -  Burkett Park > WS to LL Connector > Roller Coaster > West Potts Creek > dirt road to Armadillo Ridge > service road (WSW) > Turkey Creek (N) > 5 Points Junction > River Bend > service road (NE) > Cougar Overlook    5.1 miles

Leg 2 -  Cougar Overlook > service road (SW) > Trailhead to Trailhead Trail (S) > Burkett Trail > Burkett Park   3.3 miles

Temp started at 70, ended at 90.  Sunny w/slight 0-5mph WNW breeze.

Today was animal day!  I counted thirteen fawns with five does, three javelinas, and one porcupine.  Reptiles spotted were a coachwhip that was about three feet long, numerous lizards and a single Horned Toad.  Birds were too numerous to count.

All flowers with the exception of one small stand of sunflowers, are gone.  Cactus tunas are ripening and I watched a Mockingbird either eating one or a bug that was on one, when I stopped at Cougar Overlook (photo attached).

Overall a very nice 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 are available at Cougar Overlook.

Leg 1 -  Playground parking area > Horny Toad Trailhead > Tasajilla Flats > Nature Trail > Lanky Lackey > WS to LL Connector > Burkett Park    3.7 miles

Leg 2 -  Burkett Park > Winding Snake > Chaparral > Red Dam Loop > Chaparral > Playground parking area    3.3 miles

Leg 3 -  Playground parking area > Roadrunner Loop > Playground parking area   3.1 miles

Temp started at 75, ended at 86.  Overcast w/steady SE breeze at 10-15mph.

All trails were dry, easy to see and traverse although some parts of Roadrunner Loop are in need of a trim.  I saw a 4 foot long Coachwhip snake but he saw me first and slithered away so no photo.  I also saw a Painted Bunting pair as well as a Mississippi Kite.  Two pairs of does and fawns were also seen as well as cottontail rabbits, lizards and a single horned toad.  Almost all of the wildflowers are gone with the exception of some small yellow daisy looking flowers which were few and far between.  The only flowering plant I saw were Desert Willows trees and there were only a few of them.

Unfortunately, I found a snake carcass on the trail (photo attached).  The ants were feasting on him so his death was not wasted.

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.

Water and shade are available at the campsites along half of Roadrunner Loop along with two toilet, water and info kiosks areas.

Leg 1 -  Playground parking area > Horny Toad Trailhead > Horny Toad > Nature Trail > Lanky Lackey > WS to LL Connector > Burkett Park      3.2 miles

Leg 2 -  Burkett Park > Winding Snake > Chaparral > Playground parking area   2.9 miles

Temp started at 75, ended at 87.  Slightly humid, very sunny w/intermittent 0-10mph SW breeze. 

Easy, short hike along dry trails that had been recently groomed.  Quite a few birds were out including a Black Tufted Titmouse which I hadn't seen in quite awhile.  I also saw a turkey hen running away from me with six chicks flying above her trying to keep up.  A few cottontails and a cotton rat as well as deer were also spotted.  Some yellow flowers are making a reappearance and the Lemonmint is becoming more common (photo attached).

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.

Leg 1 -  Burkett Park > WS to LL Connector > Rollercoaster Trail > West Potts Creek > Turkey Creek > 5 Points Junction    4.4 miles

Leg 2 -  5 Points Junction > Flintstone (S) > Playground > Bell's Point > Playground (S) > Potts Creek > Burkett Trail > Burkett Park    3.8 miles

Temp started at 64, ended at 88.  Sunny, humid w/very light and intermittent 0-5mph breeze.

Easy hike along damp to wet trails that were easy to traverse.  Not much animal activity except for a few cottontail rabbits and two sightings of cotton rats (I believe).  Numerous lizards and birds were out and I saw two cicadas (photo attached).  Cactus flowers are gone and a lot of the wildflowers seemed to have disappeared as well.  We had a severe hailstorm a few days ago so that may be the reason why.  Not much else to report.

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.

Leg 1 -  Bell's Trailhead > Trailhead to Trailhead (S) > Dinosaur Trail > Dinosau Tracks Viewing Area > Dinosaur Trail (S) > Badlands > River Bend > service road (NNE) > Cougar Overlook     6.2 miles

Leg 2 -  Cougar Overlook > Javelina Trail > Lower Ghost Camp > Upper Ghost Camp > Riverbend Camping Area > Lower Ghost Camp (N) > South Slick Rock > North Slick Rock > Trailhead to Trailhead (N) > North Scenic Loop > Trailhead to Trailhead (N) > Bell's Trailhead     3.4 miles

Temp started at 59, ended at 86.  Sunny w/very light 0-5mph N then SW breeze.

Easy hike along familiar trails that were slightly damp with morning dew.  Lots of bird actvity - I watched a Great Horned Owl hunt near Bell's Trailhead, later I saw a male Painted Bunting having a dirt or any bath, Cardinals and Mockingbirds were singing as well.  Lizrads were spotted and so was a Ring Collared Snake (photo attached).  This snake was about 18 inches long which made him very large for that type of snake (at least as far as the ones I've seen).  The gnats were VERY active and I did the Georgia wave numerous times to shoo them off.  Of note there are literally hundreds if not thousands of holes in the ground at various places along the Dinosaur and Trailhead to Trailhead trails - those holes contains BEES!  I walking through them and they didn't bother me but caution is advised.

NOTES -

Info kiosk and a bicycle repair staton are available at Bell's Trailhead.  Water and shade is available at the nearby campsites.

Water, shade and an info kiosk is available at the Dinosaur Tracks Viewing Area.

Shade, info kiosk and a bicycle repair station is available at Cougar Overlook.

Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets are available at the River Bend camping area.