South Shore - Playground Parking Area to Burkett Park Loop

Leg 1 -  Playground parking Area > Chaparral > Red Dam Loop > Chaparal > Winding Snake > Burkett Park     3.2 miles

Leg 2 -  Burkett Park > WS to LL Connector > Lanky Lackey > Nature Trail > Tasajilla Flats > Playground parking area  3.8 miles

Temp started at 78, ended at 95.  Sunny with high clouds and a slight SW breeze.

An easy hike along well groomed, easy to traverse trails.  The drought is still here and has affected everything.  No flowers were visible, few insects were out and the birds were not abundant.  I spotted a pair of cottontails, a lone Jack Rabbit, a pair of Mexican Ground Squirrels (photo attached) and some deer.  

I discovered that a Horned Lizard's "horns" are pretty sharp!  When I drove out of the park, I spotted a Horned Lizard on the road so I stopped to get him safely off the road.  He ran under my car and I couldn't find him until I looked at the passenger side rear tire - he had wedged himself partly under it!  I tried pulling him but he wouldn't move so when I went to grab his head, I discoverd his horns were sharp like a mesquite tree thorn.  I eventually got him off the tire and carried him some distance away where he scampered safely into the brush.

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.