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San Angelo State Park

Name: San Angelo State Park
Rating: 4.28

Type: Trail

Length: 50.00 Miles

Elevation Gain: N/A

Cost: $4.00

Rating:

(4.28)393

Difficulty: 1star

(1.02)

Solitude:

(4.64)

ADA Accessible: N/A

Bikes Allowed: Yes

Dogs Allowed: N/A

Interpretive Guide: N/A

City: San Angelo

County: Tom Green

More Information: More Info

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Photos

First one spotted for 2021. (Photo by MikeHikes)

Not a very popular bird but nonetheless, a very commonly sighted one. No other birds were building nests yet so they may have to wait awhile before laying their eggs. (Photo by MikeHikes)

This group of Turkey Vultures was the largest gathering of any kind of wildlife spotted today. (Photo by MikeHikes)

These three Turkey Vultures were resting as they waited for the strong winds to abate. (Photo by MikeHikes)

The red cap was easily visible and caught my eye when he flew to this tree. I got a few photos and then he was off! (Photo by MikeHikes)

Robins used to be a common sight year-round at the North Shore before they disappeared some years back. I'm glad to have spotted two Robins near Burkett Park this morning. (Photo by MikeHikes)

The river is still there but definitely needs more water. Look closely and you'll see a Great Blue Heron . (Photo by MikeHikes)

After the intense cold a few weeks ago, I was concerned about the park's wildlife. This grey fox appears to be healthy! (Photo by MikeHikes)

There was almost no bird activity so this Kestrel might go hungry for awhile. (Photo by MikeHikes)

A Curve-billed Thrasher resting on the barbed wire fence who just has that kind of look. (Photo by MikeHikes)

Officially, we're not in a drought but ..... (Photo by MikeHikes)

No matter how small the item is, trash is trash. It's not good to look at on the trails or for the wildlife. Don't know what animal ingested this green string but if it had become entangled in the intestines ...... NOT GOOD! (Photo by MikeHikes)

Only showing last 12 photos. View All Photos

Log Entries

North Shore - Bell's Trailhead to Ghost Camp Loop #2
By MikeHikes on 4/18/2021
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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
By MikeHikes on 4/8/2021
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Difficulty:

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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
By MikeHikes on 4/3/2021
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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
By MikeHikes on 3/31/2021
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Difficulty:

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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
By MikeHikes on 3/24/2021
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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
By MikeHikes on 3/16/2021
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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
By MikeHikes on 3/10/2021
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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
By MikeHikes on 3/3/2021
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
By MikeHikes on 2/27/2021
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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
By MikeHikes on 2/8/2021
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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.

Only showing last 10 log entries. View All Log Entries