Out Chapparel > Winding Snake > Burkett Park 2.9 milesReturn Lankey Lackey> Nature Trail (shortcut) > Horny Toad > Talley Valley > gravel road shortcut to Chapparel > Playground parking lot 2.5 miles
The route begins at the South Shore Playground Parking Lot. You will follow the Chapparel Trail as it drifts ENE to the Isabel Harte Multiuse Area. The trail ends and you follow a gravel road directly in front of you for 20-30 meters to the Winding Snake Trail. This hard packed dirt trail goes NNW along the edge of the dried lake bed. You will pass a few abandoned picnic shelters about 2/3 of the way along the trail. The trail ends at Burkett Park where dry toilets, a few shaded picnic tables and water, for humans and horses, is available.
Walk East along the paved road from Burkett and turn left at the "T" in the road. Look left and you will see the signpost for Lankey Lackey Trail, a winding rocky trail. At the end of the trail you come to a paved road which will take you to the Isabel Harte Multiuse Area on your left. As mentioned in a previous log entry, avoid going near the stone sign - it has an active beehive within it.
If you look directly across the road, you'll see an archway for the Nature Loop, for this trip, I choose to go right along the road until I came to the second signpost for the Nature Loop. Follow the trail and you'll soon see on your left a trail heading straight South. If you continue on the original trail, you will make a small loop and end up at a junction where you can join this same trail - I hope that didn't confuse anyone!!
I took the straight South route and bypassed the small loop. In either event, follow the Nature Trail to the end and across the asphalt/gravel road, the signpost for Horny Toad is seen. The trail goes up along a ridgeline and switches back. At or near the top of the ridge, you'll see a signpost for Talley Valley Trail on the left. Follow Talley Valley as it takes you South. When you come to a gravel road, Talley Valley continues straight ahead - due to adverse weather, I turned left on the gravel road until I came to the Chapparel Trail on the right. A short distance later, less than a quarter mile, I was back at the playground parking lot.
