North Shore Bell's Trailhead to River Bend Campground Figure 8
User:
MikeHikes - 12/12/2020
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 6.30 Miles
Duration: 3 hours
Route - Bell's Trailhead > Shady Trail > Trailhead to Trailhead (S) > North Scenic Loop > Trailhead to Trailhead (S) > Badlands > park road to River Bend Campground > Lower Ghost Camp Trail > South Slick Rock > North Slick Rock > Upper Big Hill > Dinosaur Trail > Trailhead to Trailhead (N) > Bell's Trailhead 6.3 miles
Temp started at 44, ended at 55. Partly cloudy, then mostly sunny with intermittent winds at about 10 mph.
Easy hike along familiar, dry trails. Large numbers of people were camping as well as being on the trails. Consequently, no animals and only a few birds were spotted while hiking.
Good that people are using the park but too many of them are leaving trash; by the end of my hike, I had picked up a fairly large bag of items found on or near, the trails. If you bring it in, pack it out!
NOTES
Water, shade, info kiosk and a bicycle repair station at or near, Bell's Trailhead.
Water, shade, info kiosk, and dry toilets available at River Bend Campground.
Water, shade and info kiosk available at Dinosaur Tracks Viewin Area on Dinosaur Trail.
North Shore Bell's Trailhead to River Bend Campground and back
User:
MikeHikes - 12/7/2020
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 4.70 Miles
Duration: N/A
Out - Bell's Trailhead > Shady Trail > Rock Creek Trail > service road > North Scenic Loop > Trailhead to Trailhead (S) > Badlands > park road (NE) > River Bend Campground 3.0 miles
Return - River Bend Campground > Lower Ghost Camp > South Slick Rock > Trailhead to Trailhead (N) > Bell's Trailhead 1.7 miles
Temp started at 32, ended around 50. Sunny with light wind.
Easy hike combined with a photo hunt. Wanted to see the Bobcats and/or Kingfisher again so took our time looking for both. The bobcats were not found although we saw deer and lots of birds. The Kingfisher was spotted on the return leg but no real photos were taken due to distance. Although we didn't photograph what we wanted to, a hike is always a good thing.
NOTES
Info kiosk and a bicycle repair station is available at Bell's Trailhead. Water and shade available in the nearby campground.
Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets available at the River Bend Campground.
South Shore Playground Parking Area to Burkett Park Loop
User:
MikeHikes - 12/4/2020
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 7.40 Miles
Duration: 3 hours, 20 minutes
Out - Playground parking area > Chaparral > Red Dam Loop > Chaparral > Winding Snake > Burkett park 3.4 miles
Return - Burkett park > WS to LL Connector > Lanky Lackey > Nature Trail > Tasajilla Flats > Horny Toad > Playground parking area 4.0 miles
Temps started at 22, ended at 43. Sunny, light wind, COLD for the first two hours then gradually "warmed up" to 43.
First seriously cold weather hike of the season. I had to wear wind pants, field jacket, gloves and balaclava. Surprisingly, there were quite a few deer out and birds, including raptors, made an appearance as they hunted for food or just to stay warm. Near Burkett park, I saw some American Goldfinches in their winter plumage. Frost was on much of the vegetation and the water troughs were frozen, but I found no slick spots on the trails. Even though it was cold, it was a very good hike!
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.
North Shore Bell's Trailhead to Cougar Overlook and back
User:
MikeHikes - 11/23/2020
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 10.10 Miles
Duration: 4 hours, 50 minutes
Out - Bell's Trailhead > Dinosaur Trail > Dinosaur Viewing Area > Dinosaur Trail > Upper Big Hill > Badlands > River Bend > service road (NNE) > Cougar Overlook 6.3 miles
Return - Cougar Overlook > Javalina Trail > River Bend > Lower Ghost Camp > River Bend Campground > Lower Ghost Camp > South Slick Rock > Trailhead to Trailhead (N) > North Scenic Loop > Trailhead to Trailhead (N) > Shady Trail > Bell's Trailhead 3.7 miles
Temp started at 45, ended at 64. Overcast until the last 2 miles then partly cloudy. Cool, southerly wind at 10 mph.
A great hike today! I saw two Bobcats on the North Concho River at Shady Trail, quite a few deer as well as numerous birds including a Belted Kingfisher (photo attached) that I'd spotted on my last hike. The Bobcats were on the opposite shore from me and were just starting to get a drink when there was a loud SNAP!; they both ran up the embankment like bullets and were gone. The noise was created by the longhorns who came down to get their morning drink as well.
The Kingfisher was near the River Bend Campground and seems to have staked that part of the river as his territory. I saw him a few weeks back but couldn't get a photo. This time I was better prepared and got a few good pictures. He was very spooky and wouldn't let me get close so what I got was the best I could get.
Trails were dry and easy to traverse. There were quite a few equestrians camped at the north shore campground but I didn't see anyone else on the trails.
NOTES
Info kiosk and a bicycle repair station at Bell's Trailhead. Water and shade available in the local campground.
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 area.
Park Mid-section Burkett Park to Cougar Overlook
User:
MikeHikes - 11/19/2020
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 8.80 Miles
Duration: 4 hours
Out -- Burkett park > WS to LL Connector > Roller Coaster > West Potts Creek > Potts Creek > Turkey Creek > 5 Points Junction > River Bend > service road (NNE) > Cougar Overlook 5.7 miles
Return - Cougar Overlook > Flintstone > Trailhead to Trailhead (S) > Burkett Trail > Burkett park 3.1 miles
Temp started at 60, ended at 70. Overcast with fairly consistent, 15-20 mph South wind.
Peaceful hike along easy to see, dry trails. Only animals spotted were a javalina and a whitetail deer. Some birds were out and stayed pretty low to the ground. One notable bird sighting was a group of Meadowlarks - the first sighting of this bird at the park this Fall. I passed two other hikers during the four hours I was out on the trails so it was not crowded; all in all, the hike was a very quiet and peaceful walk in Nature.
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.
South Shore Playground Parking Area to Burkett Park Loop
User:
MikeHikes - 11/8/2020
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 7.50 Miles
Duration: 3 hours
Out - Playground parking area > Chaparral > Red Dam Loop > Chaparral > Winding Snake > Burkett Park 3.5 miles
Return - Burkett park > WS to LL Connector > Lanky Lackey > Nature Trail > Tasajilla Flats > Horny Toad > Playground parking area 4.0 miles
Temp started at 60, ended at 65. Overcast with steadily rising wind from the South.
Uneventful hike along dry and mostly groomed trails. A few places on different trails need to have some vegetation cut but the trail is easily visible. I saw six deer at the beginning of the hike and no other animals. The few birds that were out, stayed very low to the ground except for the Mockingbirds. Being Sunday, there were quite a few people using the trails and perhaps thats why the animals and birds stayed hidden for the majority of the time I hiked.
NOTES
Water, shade, info kiosk, toilets and a bicycle repair station available at the Playground parking area.
Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets available at Burkett park.
North Shore Bell's Trailhead to Cougar Overlook Loop
User:
MikeHikes - 11/2/2020
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 10.20 Miles
Duration: 4 hours, 40 minutes
Out - Bell's Trailhead > Shady Trail > service road (SW) > Rocky Creek Trail > service road (S) > North Scenic Loop > service road (S) > Badlands > River Bend Trail > service road (ENE) > Cougar Overlook 4.9 miles
Return - Cougar Overlook > Javalina > River Bend (NW) > Lower Ghost Camp > River Bend Campground > Lower Ghost Camp > South Slick Rock > Upper Big Hill > Dinosaur Trail > Dinosaur Tracks Viewing Area > Dinosaur Trail > service road (NE) > Bell's Trailhead 5.3 miles
Temp started at 38, ended at 68. Sunny, very light breeze.
Easy hike along dry, easy to see and traverse trails. Some deer out at the beginning of the hike but they disappeared quickly and no other animals seen until the end of the hike when I saw a grey fox on the Big Hill. Bird activity was not too busy although I saw a Rufous Sided Towhee as well as a Loggerhead Shrike and a Kingfisher.
A good hike but nothing exciting happened.
NOTES
Info kiosk and a bicycle repair station at Bell's Trailhead. Water and shade available at campsites nearby.
Shade, info kiosk and a bicycle repair station available at Cougar Overlook.
Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets available at River Bend Campground.
Water, shade, info kiosk available at the Dinosaur Tracks Viewing Area.
South Shore Roadrunner Loop then Playground to Burkett Loop
User:
MikeHikes - 10/20/2020
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 10.50 Miles
Duration: 4 hours
Leg 1 - Playground parking area > Roadrunner Loop > Playground parking area 3.5 miles
Leg 2 - Playground parking area > Horny Toad > Tasajilla Flats > Nature Trail > Lanky Lackey > WS to LL Connector > Burkett Park 3.8 miles
Leg 3 - Burkett park > Winding Snake > Chaparral > Playground parking area 3.2 miles
Temp started at 60, ended at 75. Overcast until Leg 3, then partly cloudy. Liittle to no wind for the entire hike.
An easy hike along dry trails. I started early hoping to see more wildlife but I was disappointed - there were lots of whitetail deer but that was it. The few birds that were out kept to the low scrub for most of the hike. There were a few Monarchs but it looks like the majority have left the area. Not much went on so will stop here.
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, shade and a few toilets available along Roadrunner Loop in the campsites and bathhouses.
Park Mid-Section Burkett Park to Cougar Overlook Loop
User:
MikeHikes - 10/13/2020
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 11.10 Miles
Duration: 5 hours
Leg 1 - Burkett Park > Burkett Trail > Potts Creek > Playground Trail > Bell's Point > Playground Trail > Flintstone > 5 Points Junction 3.9 miles
Leg 2 - 5 Points Junction > Flintstone (N) > Cougar Overlook > service road (WNW) > River Bend Trail (S) > 5 Points Junction 2.7 miles
Leg 3 - 5 Points Junction > Turkey Creek > Potts Creek (W) > West Potts Creek > Roller Coaster > WS to LL Connector > Burkett Park 4.5 miles
Temp started at 50 and ended at 80. Sunny with light wind.
Easy hike along dry, easy to see and traverse trails. There was not much activity out today even though I started just before sunrise. Bird activity was minimal but I saw a Great Horned Owl as I was driving in, a Jack Rabbit that ran in front of me but wasn't hit and a number of deer watching me drive into the park. An equestrian I spoke to on the trail, told me she saw about 30 javalina crossing a park road earlier in the day but I wasn't so lucky.
I saw some deer here and there as I hiked but otherwise, it was a long but photo-less hike.
NOTES
Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets available at Burkett Park.
Water, shade and info kiosk available at Bell's Point.
Water, shade, and info kiosk available at 5 Points Junction.
Shade, info kiosk and a bicycle repair station available at Cougar Overlook.
South Shore Playground parking area to Burkett Park Loop
User:
MikeHikes - 10/7/2020
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 6.80 Miles
Duration: 3 hours, 20 minutes
Out - Playground parking area > Chaparral > Winding Snake > Burkett Park 3.2 miles
Return - Burkett Park > WS to LL Connector > Lanky Lackey > Nature Trail > Horny Toad > Playground parking area 3.6 miles
Temp started at 60, ended at 75. Sunny with very light, intermittent breeze.
Easy hike along dry and easy to traverse trails. Not much animal activity but the bird activity was much better! At the beginning of the hike, we saw a Great Horned Owl that I photographed. After walking along Winding Snake Trail, there was a Loggerhead Shrike sharing a tree with a Mockingbird - not a usual sight; once the Loggerhead flew, the Mockingbird was in hot pursuit. Finally as we neared Burkett Park, a flash of color in the juniper bush caught our attention and I was able to photograph a Wilson's Warbler (photo attached) as he and his mate were passing through the area on their way to the Yucatan. At this moment, a hurricane is heading toward Yucatan so they may want to delay their departure and stay a little while longer.
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.
Park Mid-Section Burkett Park to 5 Points Junction Figure 8
User:
MikeHikes - 10/1/2020
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 8.80 Miles
Duration: 3 hours, 45 minutes
Leg 1 - Burkett park > WS to LL Connector > Roller Coaster > West Potts Creek > Potts Creek > Turkey Creek (1st segment) > Armadillo Ridge service road (NNE) > Playground Trail 3.5 miles
Leg 2 - Playground Trail (N) > Bell's Point > Playground > Flintstone > 5 Points Junction 2.0 miles
Leg 3 - 5 Points Junction > Turkey Creek > Armadillo Ridge service road (NNE) > Playground (S) > Potts Creek > Burkett Trail > Burkett Park 3.3 miles
Temps started at 60, ended at 81. Sunny, very light breeze.
Easy and uneventful hike along dry, easy to see and traverse trails. A few deer were out when I started but not as many as I usually see. The lemonmint flowers are becoming more numerous and there is a surprising bloom of bee bush which pleasantly scents the air with vanilla. I saw a few mountain bikers at Burkett Park but only saw 1 on the trails. Hiking along, smelling the vanilla scented bee bush, feeling the sun and breeze - nothing better!!
NOTES
Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets available at Burkett Park.
Water, shade and info kiosk available at Bell's Point.
Water, shade and info kiosk available at 5 Points Junction.
North Shore Bell's Trailhead to Cougar Overlook Loop
User:
MikeHikes - 9/25/2020
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 9.90 Miles
Duration: 4 hours, 20 minutes
Out - Bell's Trailhead > Trailhead to Trailhead (S) > Dinosaur Trail > Dinosaur Tracks Viewing Area > DInosaur Trail > Upper Big Hill > Badlands > River Bend Trail > service road (NNE) > Cougar Overlook 6.3 miles
Return - Cougar Overlook > Javalina Trail > Lower Ghost Camp > River Bend Campground > Lower Ghost Camp > South Slick Rock > Trailhead to Trailhead (N) > Scenic Loop > Trailhead to Trailhead (N) > Shady Trail > Bell's Trailhead 3.6 miles
Temp started at 58, ended at 80. Sunny, no clouds, very light SW breeze.
An easy, peaceful hike along damp then dry trails. Numerous deer were out and a solitary owl was seen (photo attached) as I drove into the park. Some birds were out but nothing unusual to report; just a pleasant, peaceful hike in the state park with no crowds to disturb me.
NOTES
Info kiosk and bicycle repair station at Bell's Trailhead. Water and shade are available in the nearby campgrounds.
Water, shade, and info kiosk available at Dinosaur Tracks Viewing Area.
Info kiosk, shade and a bicycle repair station available at Cougar Overlook.
Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets availabvle at River Bend Campground.
North Shore Bell's Trailhead to Ghost Camp and Back
User:
MikeHikes - 9/16/2020
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 5.70 Miles
Duration: 3 hours
Out - Bell's Trailhead > Shady Trail > Trailhead to Trailhead (S) > Scenic Loop > Trailhead to Trailhead (S) > South Slick Rock > Lower Ghost Camp > River Bend Campground > Lower Ghost Camp > Ghost Camp > service road (W) 2.5 miles
Return - Service road (W) > River Bend Trail (N) > Badlands > Upper Big Hill > service road connector (NW) > Rocky Creek > Trailhead to Trailhead (N) > Bell's Trailhead 3.2 miles
Temps started at 63, ended at 75. Mostly cloudy, light and intermittent wind.
Slower paced hike along damp to wet/muddy trails. Trails were still wet from last Wednesday and Thursday's 5-7 inches of rain - rain that is always welcome! The North Concho River actually looks like a river now; there were no dry patches present as there were before the rains. Vegetation has green'ed up as well.
Deer were spotted as was a raccoon who trapped himself inside a dumpster. We gathered fallen branches and made an escape ladder for him. A short minute later, he used the branches to climb out and scampered into the brush. I hope he learned a lesson and will avoid the dumpster but ......
Some birds were out but not as many as I'd hoped for; we saw one large raptor as we were getting ready to leave.
Muddy shoes and feet but a good hike!
NOTES
Info kiosk and a bicycle repair station available at Bell's Trailhead. Water and shade available at the nearby campground.
Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets available at the River Bend Campground.
Park Mid-section Burkett Park to Cougar Overlook Figure 8
User:
MikeHikes - 9/7/2020
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 11.40 Miles
Duration: 5 hours, 15 minutes
Leg 1 - Burkett Park > WS to LL COnnector > Roller Coaster > West Potts Creek > Potts Creek (E) > Turkey Creek > 5 Points Junction 4.5 miles
Leg 2 - 5 Points Junction > Flintstone (N) > Cougar Overlook > service road WNW > River Bend (S) > 5 Points Junction 2.8 miles
Leg 3 - 5 Points Junction > Flintstone (S) > Playground > Bell's Point > Playground > (East) Potts Creek > Burkett Trail > Burkett Park 4.1 miles
Temp started at 69 and ended at 93. Sunny, no clouds and a steadily increasing SSW breeze.
A very good hike along dry, easy to see and traverse trails. Coming into the park, I saw numerous deer, javalinas and a "shore bird" at the pond closest to Burkett park; the "shore bird" is a juvenile Yellow Crowned Night Heron (photo attached) - the first I've seen at the park.
Not many birds were out at first but the numbers inceased as the hike progressed. I saw a lone Box Turtle that was the size of my fist along the trail just moseying along - been awhile since I saw the last one!
The hike went longer than I expected but was well worth it!
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.
Water, shade and info kiosk available at Bell's Point.
South Shore Playground Parking Area to Burkett Park and Roadrunner Loop
User:
MikeHikes - 9/3/2020
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 11.00 Miles
Duration: 4 hours, 30 minutes
Leg 1 - Playground parking area > Chaparral > Red Dam Loop > Chaparral > Winding Snake > Burkett Park 3.5 miles
Leg 2 - Burkett Park > WS to LL Connector > Lanky Lackey > Nature Trail > Tasajilla Flats > Playground Parking Area 4.1 miles
Leg 3 - Playground parking area > Roadrunner Loop > Playground parking area 3.4 miles
Temp started at 69, ended at 86. Sunny with haze caused by high humidity, light breeze.
Long and uneventful hike along trails that were dry, easy to see and traverse. I saw numerous deer as well as the "usual suspects" in the bird viewing department. The only things worth mentioning -- the sighting of a foot long Ring-Necked snake, the second of this year, and a male Vermillion Flycatcher. Photos of the snake are of the "so what" type so I'm not bothering to post and the Vermillion Flycatcher was far away to the point the photos easily identified him but again only a "so what" photo.
As mentioned in a prior hike report, even if the hike was uneventful, it was still much better than sitting at home and looking at a computer monitor or television screen!
NOTES
Water, shade, info kiosk, toilets and a bicycle repair station are available at the Playground parking area.
Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets available at Burkett Park.
Water and shade are available at numerous campsites along most of Roadrunner Loop. Toilets and info kiosks are available at a few locations as well.
North Shore Bell's Trailhead to Cougar Overlook Loop
User:
MikeHikes - 8/26/2020
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 8.40 Miles
Duration: 3 hours, 30 minutes
Out - Bell's Trailhead > Shady Trail > Trailhead to Trailhead (S) > Scenic Loop > North Slick Rock > Lower Ghost Camp > River Bend Campground > Lower Ghost Camp > Trailhead to Trailhead (S) > Cougar Overlook 3.7 miles
Return - Cougar Overlook > service road (WSW) > River Bend > Badlands > service road (E) > Upper Big Hill > Rocky Creek > Trailhead to Trailhead (N) > Bell's Trailhead 4.7 miles
Temp started at 68, ended at 78. Sunny very light breeze.
All trails were easy to see and traverse except for portions of North Slick Rock which could use some vegetation cutting. For many years, along the Shady Trail bordering the North Concho River, there have been trees felled by beavers but I never saw a beaver ... until today. As I hiked along the trail, I saw a "V" cutting along the pool of water in the riverbed (the water has not been flowing for some time now). I watched and saw a fairly large beaver glide along back and forth, seemingly unconcerned I was watching and taking photos. After three minutes of swimming back and forth, he decided he had enough and disappeared under the water. A bit further down the trail, I saw a Summer Tanager - not considered "rare" but definitely uncommon.
The rest of the hike was simply hiking along, listening to the birds and seeing deer bound away. A good hike!
NOTES
Info kiosk and a bicycle repair station are at Bell's Trailhead. Water and shade are available in the nearby campground.
Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets are available at the River Bend Campground.
Shade, info kiosk and a bicycle repair station are available at Cougar Overlook.
Park Mid-Section Burkett Park to Cougar Overlook Loop
User:
MikeHikes - 8/21/2020
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 9.10 Miles
Duration: 3 hours, 45 minutes
Out - Burkett Park > WS to LL Connector > Roller Coaster > West Potts Creek > Potts Creek > Turkey Creek > 5 Points Junction > River Bend (N) > service road (NE) > Cougar Overlook 5.8 miles
Return - Cougar Overlook > Flintstone > Trailhead to Trailhead (S) > Burkett Trail > Burkett Park 3.3 miles
Temp started at 68, ended at 89. Sunny with high, thin, overcast clouds. Light SE breeze.
All trails were dry and easy to traverse. Animals spotted were deer, longhorns and one monstrously large Jack Rabbit (no photo). There were a few birds out this morning - Mockingbirds, Doves and various sparrows as well as a lone Scissortail Flycatcher. The North Concho River has all but disappeared - there are patches of water but not much is visible (photo attached) - RAIN IS NEEDED !!!!!
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.
South Shore Playground Parking Area to Burkett Park Loop
User:
MikeHikes - 8/15/2020
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 7.30 Miles
Duration: 2 hours, 45 minutes
Out - Playground parking area > Chaparral > Red Dam Loop > Chaparral > Winding Snake > Burkett Park 3.7 miles
Return - Burkett Park > WS to LL Connector > Lanky Lackey > Nature Trail > Tasajilla Flats > Playground Parking Area 3.6 miles
Temps started at 82 and ended at 89. Mostly cloudy with light breeze.
A very uneventful hike. All trails were dry and easy to traverse. There were a few people on the trails but I observed no animals and only a few birds. Even though the hike was uneventful, it's always better to spend the morning hiking at the park rather than sitting at home in front of the TV or computer.
NOTES
Water, shade, info kiosk, toilets and a bicycle repair station at Playground parking area.
Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets available at Burkett Park.
North Shore Parking Area to Ghost Camp Loop
User:
MikeHikes - 8/11/2020
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 8.80 Miles
Duration: 3 hours, 45 minutes
Out - parking area > Bell's Trailhead > Dinosaur Trail > Dinosaur Tracks Viewing Area > Dinosaur Trail > Lower Big Hill > Trailhead to Trailhead (S) > North Scenic Loop > Trailhead to Trailhead (S) > Badlands > River Bend Trail > service road to Ghost Camp 5.7 miles
Return - Ghost Camp > Lower Ghost Camp Trail > River Bend Campground > Lower Ghost Camp Trail > South Slick Rock Trail > Trailhead to Trailhead (N) > Shady Trail > park road to parking area 3.1 miles
Temp started at 77, ended at 92. Sunny with few clouds, 10 mph Southerly breeze.
A good hike today! Trails were dry, easy to see and traverse which is not unusual but what made the hike memorable, was the variety of animals spotted. I saw an armadillo, a skunk, a porcupine, lots of deer and a few birds. Specifically, I observed and photographed, a "white" deer which I'd heard about for years but never saw until today (photo attached). Of course the deer was extremely spooky so the photo is not the best quality due to the distance involved, nonetheless, the deer is clearly visible and its easy to see, it's coloring is not that of an ordinary deer!
NOTES
Water, shade, info kiosk and a bicycle repair station available on or near Bell's Trailhead.
Water, shade, and info kiosk available at the Dinosaur Tracks Viewing Area.
Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets available at River Bend Campground.
Park Mid-Section Burkett Park to 5 Points Junction and back
User:
MikeHikes - 8/8/2020
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 8.30 Miles
Duration: 3 hours, 45 minutes
Out - Burkett Park > Burkett Trail > Potts Creek > Playground > Bell's Point > Playground > Flintstone > 5 Points Junction 3.7 miles
Return - 5 Points Junction > Turkey Creek > Potts Creek (W) > West Potts Creek > Roller Coaster > WS to LL Connector > Burkett Park 4.6 miles
Temp Started at 77, ended at 93. Sunny with a few clouds and light SW breeze.
All trails were easy to see and traverse. There were more people on the trails than I am used to seeing (due to today being Saturday). Javalinas, deer and some birds were out but once again, the birds were not as numerous as I had expected them to be. It was an easy, but uneventful, hike.
NOTES
Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets available at Burkett Park.
Water, shade and info kiosk available at Bell's Point.
Water, shade, and info kiosk available at 5 Points Junction.
South Shore Playground parking area to Isabel Harte + Roadrunner Loop
User:
MikeHikes - 8/4/2020
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 8.50 Miles
Duration: 3 hours, 30 minutes
Leg 1 - Playground parking area > Horny Toad > Tasajilla Flats > Nature Trail > Park road to Isabel Harte 2.7 miles
Leg 2 - Park road to Isabel Harte > Chaparral > Red Dam Loop > Chaparral > playground parking area 2.5 miles
Leg 3 - Playground parking area > Roadrunner Loop > Playground parking area 3.3 miles
Temp started at 70, ended at 95. Sunny with light, steady breeze.
Slow and easy hike along dry, easy to traverse trails. Deer were out as were some birds but nothing spectacular. Lots of green vegetation still but no wildflowers to speak of although there were a few sunflowers out.
NOTES
Water, shade, info kiosk, bicycle repair station and toilets at Playground parking area.
Water and shade at various campsites parallel to Roadrunner Loop. A toilet is available at the mid-point.
Make Up Entry
User:
MikeHikes - 7/30/2020
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 9.60 Miles
Duration: N/A
recording mileage
Make Up Entry
User:
MikeHikes - 7/21/2020
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 6.90 Miles
Duration: N/A
recording mileage
Make Up Entry
User:
MikeHikes - 7/15/2020
[View Log Page]
Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 8.40 Miles
Duration: N/A
recording mileage