San Angelo State Park

Leg 1 -  Playground parking area > Tasajilla Flats > Nature Loop > park road (NNE) to Isabel Harte > Chaparral Trailhead     3.0 miles

Leg 2 -  Chaparral Trail > Red Dam Loop > Chaparral Trail > Playground parking area     2.0 miles

Leg 3 -  Playground parking area > Roadrunner Loop > Playground parking area    3.0 miles

Temp started at 37, ended at 50.  Partly cloudy then sunny.  Little to no wind.

Trails on legs 1 & 2 were damp but easy to hike on.  Numerous deer were out in small and large groups - in one herd, I counted 12 deer.  There were few birds out and the ones that were, stayed fairly low to the ground or in the brush.  When I hiked on Roadrunner Loop, the trail was much wetter; numerous times, I stopped to knock off clumps of mud that stuck to my hiking boots.  On this part of the hike, there was no animal or bird activity.

Overall, the hike was uneventful but relaxing. 

NOTES

Water, shade, info kiosk, toilets and a bicycle repair station are available at Playground Parking Area.

Water and shade are available at various campsites parallel to Roadrunner Loop.  Toilets available at two locations alongside the the trail as well.

Out -      Burkett Park > Burkett Trail > service road (ENE Trailhead to Trailhead Trail) > Cougar Overlook    3.0 miles

Return -  Cougar Overlook > service road (SSW) > River Bend (S) > 5 Points Junction > Turkey Creek > Armadillo (W) > West Potts Creek > Roller Coaster > WS to LL Connector > Burkett Park     5.4 miles

Temps started at 64, ended at 54.  Sunny with high wispy clouds, light wind.

Last hike for 2019!  The route out was very easy since the majority of it was on the service road.  I watched two fairly large hawks chase after birds - the birds escaped and the hawks went hungry.  The return leg was almost as easy, the trails were dry except for a few places where there was mud from rains we had a few days ago.  Longhorns were out wandering in groups of six or less; some of the groups had young calves with them.

All in all, it was a nice, quiet hike and a good way to end the year.

STATS - Mileage at beginning of the year - 2324.5   Mileage at the end of the year -  2665.4     Total miles hiked -  340.9  Number of hikes this year - 40

NOTES

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

Shade, info kiosk and bicycle repair station at Cougar Overlook.

Water, shade, info kiosk available at 5 Points Junction.

Out  -      Bell's Trailhead > service road (.25 miles S) > Dinosaur Trail > DInosaur Viewing Area > Dinosaur Trail > Upper Big Hill > Badlands > River Bend > service road (NNE) > Cougar Overlook      5.7 miles

Return -   Cougar Overlook > Javalina Trail > River Bend (WNW) > service road (N) > Lower Ghost Camp Trail > River Bend Campground > Lower Ghost Camp Trail > South Slick Rock > service road (WNW) > Scenic Loop > service road (N) > Shady Trail > Bell's Trailhead      3.7 miles

Temps started at 44, ended at 70.  Sunny with no wind on the way out but a steady 10-15 mph NNW wind on the way back.

Hiked along damp and, in some places, muddy trails today.  Saw numerous turkeys, deer (bucks, does and fawns) and various birds including Kestrels, hawks, White Crowned Sparrows, and others. The North Concho River has water in places but there are a lot of parts of the river that are dry; easy to see this when you get to Cougar Overlook and view the river.  There is a large rock in the middle of the river that's a good gauge - when there is water in the river, the top of the rock is visible but when the water is low (like now), the entire rock is dry as well as the land around it.  We need rain and lots of it!

NOTES

Water and info kiosk available at Bell's Trailhead.

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

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

Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets available at River Bend Campground.  Be cautious when using the toilets

Out      -  Playground Parking Area > Tasajilla Flats > Nature Loop > Lanky Lackey > WS to LL Connector > Burkett Park      3.6 miles

Return  -  Burkett Park > Winding Snake > Chaparral > Red Dam Loop > Chaparral > Playground Parking Area      3.2 miles

Temps at start were 39, at end 71.  Sunny with high wispy clouds and little to no wind.

During last week's hike, the temperatures rapidly changed from warm to cold; this week, they went from cold to warm!  An easy hike along dry, groomed, easy to see and traverse trails. With the seasonal change and little to no rain, almost all of the vegetation has died back and dried up so the trails are very easy to see and hike on.  Animal and bird activity was pretty good - I saw white tail deer as well as quite a few birds including some migrating pelicans flying over the reservoir which is at 11% capacity (not a lot of water but some is better than none and it attracts the migrating birds).  A few grasshoppers and other insects were also spotted with a lone butterfly seen as well.

Not much else to report.

NOTES

Water, shade, info kiosk and toilets available at Playground Parking Area.

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

Route -  Burkett Park > Winding Snake > Chaparral > Red Dam Loop > Chaparral > Talley Valley > Horny Toad > Nature Loop > Lanky Lackey > WS to LL Connector > Burkett Park     6.1 miles

Temps started at 55, ended at 71.  Partly cloud with light, intermittent breezes.

Entire route was groomed, dry, easy to see and traverse.  Animals were out - I saw a family of 5-7 javelinas but could only get a photo of one that decided to sit still and not be seen.(photo attached). I also saw a whitetail doe and her two fawns leisurely eating as I watched.  Numerous birds were out such as a Kestrel, a Loggerhead Shrike, White Crowned Sparrows as well as others.  I also saw, for the first time in quite a while, a cotton rat as it scampered up the trail ahead of me before disappearing in the scrub. 

Not much else happened today!

NOTES

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