South Shore - Playground Parking Area to Armadillo Ridge Figure 8
User:
MikeHikes - 4/25/2021
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 10.90 Miles
Duration: 4 hours, 20 minutes
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.
North Shore - Bell's Trailhead to Ghost Camp Loop #2
User:
MikeHikes - 4/18/2021
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 4.70 Miles
Duration: 2 hours, 30 minutes
Same info as my last hike - just another day and with not as many detours. Only thing noteworthy - the first Lace Cactus bloom of 2021 was spotted (photo attached).
North Shore - Bell's Trailhead to Ghost Camp Loop
User:
MikeHikes - 4/8/2021
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 5.70 Miles
Duration: 3 hours
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.
North Shore - Bell's Trailhead to River Bend Campground Loop
User:
MikeHikes - 4/3/2021
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 4.20 Miles
Duration: 2 hours
Leg 1 - Bell's Trailhead > Shady Trail > Trailhead to Trailhead (S) > North Scenic Loop > Trailhead to Trailhead (S) > South Slick Rock > Lower Ghost Camp > River Bend Campground 1.9 miles
Leg 2 - River Bend Campground > park road (WSW) > Badlands > service road (WNW) > Dinosaur (N) > Upper Big Hill > Rocky Creek > Trailhead to Trailhead (N) > Bell's Trailhead 2.3 miles
Temp started at 50, ended at 54. Overcast, light wind.
A short hike on an overcast day. Large number of tent campers at the Equestrian camping area and the River Bend Campgrounds. All trails dry and easy to traverse. Saw a few bats and a few fish while on the Shady Trail. As for the rest of the hike, there were no animals and very few birds spotted - very minimal activity of wildlife during the entire hike. I spotted a group of Turkey Vultures on a tree and that was about it. It was a quiet and peaceful stroll along the trails so there were no complaints from me.
NOTES
Info kiosk and a bicycle repair station at Bell's Trailhead. Water, shade and toilets in the nearby campground.
Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets available at the River Bend Campground.
South Shore - Playground parking area to Isabel Harte and back
User:
MikeHikes - 3/31/2021
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 5.50 Miles
Duration: 3 hours
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.
Park Mid-Section - Burkett Park to 5 Points Junction and back
User:
MikeHikes - 3/24/2021
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 8.30 Miles
Duration: 3 hours, 15 minutes
Leg 1 - Burkett Park > Burkett Trail > Potts Creek > Playground > Bell's Point > Playground > Flintstone > 5 Points Junction 3.9 miles
Leg 2 - 5 Points Junction > Turkey Creek > Potts Creek (W) > West Potts Creek > Rollercoaster > WS to LL Connector > Burkett Park 4.4 miles
Temp started at 52, ended at 60. Overcast with fairly steady 10-15 ENE wind.
A quiet hike today along dry and easy to see trails. A few deer and a javalina were spotted when I first came to the park but no animals were seen while hiking. Birds were quiet. I saw about six quail and a few Turkey Vultures in addition to the male Ladderback woodpecker (photo attached), a few dove and a mocker or two - that was it. I don't know if the severe weather we experienced a few weeks ago had anything to do with the lack of wildlife or if I was just at the wrong place at the wrong time when I hiked today.
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.
that was not easy to see
South Shore - Isabel Harte to Armadillo Ridge Figure 8
User:
MikeHikes - 3/16/2021
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 11.00 Miles
Duration: 4 hours, 30 minutes
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.
North Shore - Bell's Trailhead to Cougar Overlook and back
User:
MikeHikes - 3/10/2021
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 10.60 Miles
Duration: 4 hours, 15 minutes
Leg 1 - Bell's Trailhead > Dinosaur Trail > Upper Big Hill > Dinosaur Trail (S) > Dinosaur Tracks Viewing Area > Dinosaur Trail (S) > service road (W up hill) > Badlands > River Bend > service road (N) > Cougar Overlook 6.8 miles
Leg 2 - Cougar Overlook > Javalina Trail > River Bend (straight to end) > service road (N) > 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 3.8 miles
Temp started at 60, ended at 68. Overcast skies with a steady, 10-15mph SW wind.
A quiet hike along dry, easy to see and traverse trails. I had the trails to myself with the exception of one other hiker I passed as I was on my return leg.
I saw about 20-25 white tail deer as I drove in but only a few were spotted while hiking. Bird activity was very lacking; there were only a few birds visible and only a few birds were heard except for a male Cardinal and a Cactus Wren at different points of the hike. It was a quiet, peaceful hike with nothing going on except I picked up an exceptional amount of trash - two bags stuffed and overflowing with debris found on, and along, the trails.
NOTES
Info kiosk and a bicycle repair station available at Bell's Trailhead. Water, shade and restrooms are available at the nearby campground area.
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 River Bend Campground.
Park Mid-Section - Burkett Park to Cougar Overlook and Back
User:
MikeHikes - 3/3/2021
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 8.80 Miles
Duration: 4 hours
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.
South Shore - Playground Parking Area to Burkett Park
User:
MikeHikes - 2/27/2021
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 7.50 Miles
Duration: 3 hours
Out - Playground parking area > Horny Toad > Tasajilla Flats > Nature Trail > Lankey Lackey > WS to LL Connector > Burkett park 4.0 miles
Return - Burkett PArk > Winding Snake > Chaparral > Red Dam Loop > Chaparral > Playground parking area 3.5 miles
Temp started at 50, ended at 60. Foggy with light wind from SW.
Easy hike along dry to damp trails. Bird activity was almost non-existent - probably due to the recent bitterly cold weather and snow but there were a few birds out (photo attached). Saw a few mountain bikers, hikers and a trail runner; otherwise, it was quiet. Nothing else to report.
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 - 2/8/2021
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 9.90 Miles
Duration: 4 hours, 10 minutes
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.
South Shore - Playground Parking Area to Armadillo Ridge Figure 8
User:
MikeHikes - 2/4/2021
[View Log Page]
Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 10.70 Miles
Duration: 4 hours, 20 minutes
Leg 1 - Playground parking area > Tasajilla Flats > Nature Trail > Lanky Lackey > WS to LL Connector > Burkett Park 3.9 miles
Leg 2 - Burkett Park > Burkett Trail > Potts Trail > West Potts Creek > Roller Coaster > WS to LL Connector > Burkett Park 3.9 miles
Leg 3 - Burkett Park > Winding Snake > Chaparral > Playground parking area 2.9 miles
Temps started at 57, ended at 68. SW winds at 10-15mph shifting to NW 20-25mph. Partly cloudy.
A pleasant but uneventful hike along dry and easy to see and traverse trails. Warmer weather for a few days so there were more peopl on the trails than usual. NO animals of any kind were spotted. I could hear birds singing but the vast majority of them were staying very low. Nothing else to report.
NOTES
Water, shade, info kiosk, toilets and a bicycle repair station on Playground parking area.
Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets available Burkett Park.
Park Mid-Section - Burkett Park to Cougar Overlook and Back
User:
MikeHikes - 1/29/2021
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 9.00 Miles
Duration: 3 hours, 45 minutes
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.
South Shore - Playground parking area to Burkett Park and back
User:
MikeHikes - 1/15/2021
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 7.00 Miles
Duration: 2 hours, 50 minutes
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 > Horny Toad > Talley Valley > Chaparral > Playground parking area 3.5 miles
Temp started at 31, ended at 50. Sunny, no clouds with NW wind increasing from 5mph to 15mph.
Temperatures gradually warmed above freezing which caused the change in trail conditions so the trails were frozen when I started and muddy when I finished the hike. I spotted a number of whitetail deer and a lone javalina. Also seen were a couple of red tailed hawks as well as numerous smaller birds. Nobody else was on the trail so it was a solitary, pleasant, and peaceful 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 - 1/9/2021
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 10.20 Miles
Duration: 5 hours
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.
Park Mid-Section Burkett Park to 5 Points Junction Figure 8
User:
MikeHikes - 1/5/2021
[View Log Page]
Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 8.90 Miles
Duration: 3 hours, 40 minutes
Out - Burkett park > WS to LL Connector > Roller Coaster > West Potts Creek > Potts Creek > Playground > Bell's Point > Playground > Flintstone > 5 Points Junction 5.0 miles
Return - 5 Points Junction > Turkey Creek > Potts Creek > Burkett Trail > Burkett Park 3.9 miles
Temp started at 32 and ended at 50. Sunny with little to no wind.
Uneventful hike along frosty and damp trails. After the scheduled weekend hunt, the animals were pretty scare. I saw a lone doe as I drove in then spotted a small herd of five deer about two hours later - when the herd saw me from a distance, they went running! Later, a lone javalina burst from the brush about 20 yards in front of me and quickly disappeared. I saw a few birds here and there but it was just the usual suspects.
The trails were easy to see and traverse so although there wasn't much wildlife about, it was still a good way to stretch the legs for my first hike of 2021!
Total miles hiked (prior to this hike) - 3038.1.
Total hikes logged (prior to this hike) - 380
Average distance (prior to this hike) - 8.0 miles
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 Roadrunner Loop and Playground to Isabel Harte and Back
User:
MikeHikes - 12/18/2020
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Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 7.50 Miles
Duration: 3 hours
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.
North Shore Bell's Trailhead to River Bend Campground Figure 8
User:
MikeHikes - 12/12/2020
[View Log Page]
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
[View Log Page]
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
[View Log Page]
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
[View Log Page]
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
[View Log Page]
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.