Leg 1 -  Playground parking area > Roadrunner Loop > Playground parking area   3.0 miles

Leg 2 -  Playground parking area > Horny Toad > Tasajilla Flats > Nature Trail > Lanky Lackey > WS to LL Connector > Burkett park    3.9 miles

Leg 3 -  Burkett Park > Winding Snake > Chaparral > Playground parking area   2.8 miles

Temp started at 70, ended at 80.  Cloudy for Leg 1, sunny for Legs 2 & 3.  Steady SSW breeze about 10mph.

Easy hike along dry and familiar trails.  Last week the cactus flowers and wildflowers were prolific; not so much this time.  On a positive note - I saw a small Horned Toad, a yellow billed cuckoo, a solitary javelina, a single cicada, numerous lizards as well as the usual suspects of birds.  Because of the recent rains, some of the trails are in need of a haircut so caution is advised especially when trying to avoid stepping on a snake or horned toad.

NOTES

Water, shade, info kiosk and a bicycle repair station are available at Playground parking area - the toilet is temporarily OUT OF SERVICE.

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

Leg 1 -  Playground parking area > Horny Toad > Tasajilla Flats > 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     3.0 miles

Temp started at 70, ended at 78. Overcast until last 1/2 mile then sunny.  Light and steady Southerly breeze at 5mph.

A very nice hike today!  Trails were dry, easy to see and traverse although there were some portions of Tasajilla Flats, Lanky Lackey and Winding Snake that are getting quite a bit of vegetation on them so caution is advised due to snakes.  No rattlers spotted but I did see my first Texas Long-nosed Snake (photo attached) on Roadrunner Loop.  Prickly Pear cactus blooms and all kinds of wildflowers are VERY plentiful but I didn't see any Lace Cactus flowers this time.

Quite a few birds out singing and flying about. Scissortails, hawks, nighthawks, sparrows, etc.  Animals were also diverse seeing Jack Rabbits, Cottontail Rabbits, deer and a lone Turkey hen.  Non-mammals were the snake, lizards and a large (12 inch or more wide and heavy) tortise sitting in the middle of a trail until I picked him up and moved him into the grassy area.

Overall, it was one of the better hikes I've had in quite awhile!

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 available along Roadrunner at the nearby campsites.  Toilets also available at a few locations.

Leg 1 -  Bell's Trailhead, Trail;head to Trailhead (S) > Dinosaur Trail > Dinosaur Tracks Viewing Area > Dinosaur Trail (S) > Upper Big Hill > service road (S) > Badlands > River Bend > Javalina > Cougar Overlook    6.5 miles

Leg 2 -   Cougar Overlook > service road (WNW) > River Bend (N) > Ghost Camp > Lower Ghost Camp Trail > River Bend Campground > South Slick Rock > trailhead to Trailhead (N) > North Scenic Loop > Trailhead to Trailhead (N) > Shady Trail > Bell's Trailhead     4.1 miles

Temp started at 70, ended at 86.  Sunny then partly cloudy, slight but steady breeze for most of the hike.

A very good hike along trails that are easy to see but with vegetation starting to cover in places.  Wildflowers are blooming now as are my first of the year cactus flowers as well as a batch of Lace Cactus blooms.  Also saw my first of the year big snake - a 4+ foot long non-rattler.  I also spotted a single feral hog when I reached Cougar Overlook at glanced at the nearly dry North Concho River.

I founbd a juvenile racoon trapped in the dumpster when I arrived at 0700.  I put some branches in so he could climb out and went on my hike.  When I returned almost 5 hours later, he was still scared and huddled in teh dumpster.  I put in more branches and called the park office - they said they would send a ranger out to rescue him so I hope that went well.

There were a few people on the trails but for the vast majority of time, I was alone. 

NOTES

Info kiosk and a bicycle reapir station are available at Bell's Trailhead.  Water and shade are available in the nearby campground.

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

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

Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets available at the River Bend Campground.

Leg 1 -  Playground parking area > Horny Toad > Tasajilla Flats > Nature Trail > Lanky Lackey > WS to LL Connector > Burkett park     3.9 miles

Leg 2 -  Burkett park > Burkett Trail > Potts Creek > West Potts Creek > Roller Coaster > WS to LL Connector > Burkett Park    4.0 miles

Leg 3 -  Burkett park > Winding Snake > Chaparral Trail > Playground parking area    3.0 miles

Temps started at 55, ended at 86.  Sunny, steady 10-15mph South winds with gusts.

A nice hike along dry and easy to traverse trails. The birds are singing for mates but the number of birds are not as great as in past years.  The only animals spotted were a pair of Jack Rabbits (photo attached).  Understandably, there were a lot of folks on the trails today!

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.

Leg 1 -  Bell's Trailhead > Shady Trail > Trailhead to Trailhead (S) > Norht Scenic Loop > trailhead to Trailhead (S) > South Slick Rock > Lower Ghost Camp > River Bend Campground > Lower Ghost Camp > service road (WSW) > River Bend Trail (N)   3.2 miles

Leg 2 -  River Bend Trail (N) > Badlands > Dinosaur Trail (N) > Upper Big Hill > Rocky Creek > Trailhead to Trailhead (N) > Bell's Trailhead    2.5 miles

Temp started at 48, ended at 87!, Sunny, very light SW wind.

Easy hike along dry and easy traverse trails.  Cold start but the temperture warmed up raipidly!  More birds were singing but no wildlife was seen.  More flowers are beginning to bloom, mostly yellows, with a few blue/purple flowers.  I also saw individual Indian Blankets here and there.  Another sign of Spring - at a couple of places along the trail, I caught the very faint hint of blooming agaritas bushes but not flowers or buds were seen.

NOTES

Info kiosk and a bicycle repair station are available at Bell's Trailhead.  Water, shade and toilets available in the nearby campground.

Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets available at the River Bend Campground.

Leg 1 -  Playground parking area > Chaparral > Red Dam Loop > Chaparral > Isabel Harte         2.4 miles

Leg 2 -  Isabel Harte > park road (SW) > Nature Trail > Horny Toad > Playground parking area    3.1 miles

Temp started at 50, ended at 60.  STRONG NNE wind 20-25mph. Overcast but clearing at the end of the hike.

An easy hike along dry and easy to see trails.  Strong winds and the somewhat cold temps, kept all the animals and all but a few birds hunkered down.  Really nothing to report other than the hike was enjoyable!

NOTES

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

Leg 1 -  Isabel Harte Day Use Area > Winding Snake >Burkett Park > Burkett Trail > Potts Creek > West Potts Creek > Roller Coaster > WS to LL Connector > Burkett Park     5.4 miles

Leg 2 -  Burkett Park > WS to LL Connector > Lanky Lackey > Nature Trail > Tasajilla Flate > Chaparral > Red Dam Loop > Chaparral > Isable Harte Day Use Area     5.6 miles

Temp started at 52, ended at 72.  Overcast with low clouds, then overcast with high clouds.  Steadily increasing SSW wind at 10-15mph.

A crowded day at the park!  Spring Break is going and there were more visitors than usual.  On a positive note there were a lot more birds than last time I visited.  I saw some pairs of birds and a couple of Robins - not an uncommon bird but at the park, very uncommon.  There used to be a large group of Robins that were year-round residents at the North Shore.  For whatever reason, they disappeared so it was unusual to see two Robins near Burkett Park in the South Shore area.  I also saw a male Vermillion Flycatcher - the first of the year.

Trails are in good repair and there is plenty of green grass growing within the park.  A few widely scattered wildflowers were spotted as well as a few cactus with what looked like red peppers on them.  All in all, a god hike.

NOTES

Shade and water available at various campsites in Isabel Harte Day Use Area.

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

Out      -  Burkett Park > Burkett Trail > Trailhead to Trailhead w/Detours (N) > Cougar Overlook         3.7 miles

Return  -  Cougar Overlook > service road (WSW) > River Bend (S) > 5 Points Junction > Flintstone (S) > Playground (S) > Bell's Point > Playground > Potts Creek (S) > Burkett Trail > Burkett Park.

Temps started at 40, ended at 72.  SW breeze blew steadily and increased in intensity.  Sunny with very few clouds.

All trails were dry and easy to traverse.  Today, I hiked along some trails I normally don't use. As far as animals - today I spotted six deer as well as a healthy fox (photo attached).  Birds - there were a number of Turkey Vultures circling overhead, a few songbirds as well as a Loggerhead Shrike and the usual Mockingbirds.  Spring is coming so hopefully the bird and animal population will rebound from the intense cold we experienced a few weeks ago.

Nothing else was going so I'll just say, today's hike was simply a very pleasant walk in the park.

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.

Water, shade and info kiosk available at Bell's Point.

Out     -  Bell's Trailhead > Shady Trail > Trailhead to Trailhead (S) > North Scenic Loop > Lower Ghost Camp > River Bend Campground > Lower Ghost Camp > dirt service road (W) > River Bend (S) > Javalina > Cougar Overlook    3.9 miles

Return -  Cougar Overlook > service road (WNW) > River Bend (N) > Badlands > Dinosaur Trail > Upper Big Hill > Dinosaur Trail > Bell's Trailhead   6.0 miles

Temp started at 43, ended at 71.  Light winds from the SSW at 10-15mph.

Very pleasant hike today.  A small herd of deer were spotted as I drove in but otherwise, animal activity was zero!  I saw turtles, a few ducks, a large raptor and some smaller songbirds including a Bluebird but only got a few photos.  One mountain biker and one hiker were the only humans who shared the trails with me.  The trails are still dry and easy to see.  There are a few green shoots on the mesquites so Spring will be here before you know it.

NOTES

Info kiosk and a bicycle repair station are available at Bell's Trailhead.  Water and shade available in the camping area 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.

Water, shade, and an info kiosk are available at the Dinosaur Tracks Viewing Area on Dinosaur Trail.

Out     -  Burkett Park > Ws to LL Connector > Rollercoaster > West Potts Creek > Potts Creek > Turkey Creek > 5 Points Junction > Flintstone (N) > Cougar Overlook       5.9 miles

Return -  Cougar Overlook > service road (SW) > Trailhead to Trailhead (S) > Burkett Trail > Burkett Park     3.1 miles

Temp started at 38, ended at 58.  Overcast with SW winds starting at 0 and growing to 15-20 mph.  At the end of the hike, some sunlight shone.

Easy hike along dry, easy to see and traverse trails. Overcast, cold day made the vast majority of birds and animals to stay in place. I saw a pack of 20-25 javalinas at the beginning of the hike when I was on Rollercoaster Trail.  First, a javalina was startled by my approach and jumped up, then I noticed others were on both sides of the trail. I tried to not frighten them and let them regroup as I moved slowly forward and was able to pass the majority of them without causing them to panic.  

I saw a lone raptor fly overhead and saw a Loggerhead Shrike sitting on a branch. One other bird of note - on the way back, I spotted a single Robin perched on the top of a tree - this Robin was the first I've seen at the park in a long time. When I brought my camera up for a photo, he took off.

Much trash was picked up and I decided to include a photo to illustrate the reason people should pick up after themselves. I pick up whatever trash I find while hiking, not only for aesthetic reasons but because of the harm the smallest item of trash can do to the wildlife.

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.

Out      -  Bell's Trailhead > Dinosaur Trail > DInosaur Tracks Viewing Area > Dinosaur Trail > Upper Big Hill > Badlands > River Bend Trail > service road to Cougar Overlook > Cougar Overlook     6.0 miles

Return  - Cougar Overlook > Javalina > River Bend (N) > service road to Lower Ghost Camp > Lower Ghost Camp Trail > River Bend Campground > Lower Ghost Camp Trail > South Slick Rock > Trailhead to Trailhead (N) > North Scenic Loop > Trailhead to Trailhead (N) > Shady Trail > Bell's Trailhead   4.2 miles

Temp started at 29, ended at 41.  Foggy, frosty and overcast majority of the time but gradually cleared a little.  Little to no wind.

A cold, frosty and damp hike for the most part. The trails were covered in frost but otherwise easy to see and traverse.  A few deer were out but very skittish and ran as soon as they saw me.  Not many birds out except for Loggerhead Shrikes - I saw six at various places on the hike. 

A cold, grey day but it was nice to hike in the relative quiet.

NOTES -

Water, shade, info kiosk and a bicycle repair station available at Bell's Trailhead.

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.

Leg 1 -  Playground parking area > Roadrunner Loop > Playground parking area       3.2 miles

Leg 2 -  Playground parking area > Horny Toad > Nature Trail > park road to Isabel Harte > Chaparral > Playground parking area    4.3 miles

Temps started at 44, ended at 50.  Overcast then partly sunny.  Winds from SW increased from 5mph to 15-20mph at the end of the hike.

Easy hike along dry trails.  Wind kept almost all the animals in their shelters except for one pair of deer (photo attached),  Scheduled hunt coming up in a few weeks - best of luck to the deer. Some birds were out so I saw Meadowlarks, Black Throated Sparrows, White Crowned Sparrows and others.  No exciting events just a nice hike on a windy day.

NOTES

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

Water, shade, and toilets available at campsites along the Roadrunner Loop.