San Angelo State Park

Out -     Burkett Park > WS to LL Connector > Roller Coaster > West Potts Creek > Armadillo > Turkey Creek > 5 Points JUnction    4.0 miles

Return - 5 Points Junction > Flintstone (S) > Playground > Bell's Point > Playground > Armadillo > East Potts Creek > Burkett Trail > Burkett Park    3.5 miles

Temps started at 62 and overcast with light wind.  Finished with temp at 43, heavy overcast, and strong north winds.

A quiet stroll through the park's mid-section before the park for hunting the remainder of this week.  I saw four 4, 6 and 8 point bucks, three does and four fawns at various times during the hike.  I saw some birds but not many due to the dropping temperatures and strngthening winds; especially when the north winds gustily signaled that an anticipated cold front had arrived.

All trails were easy to see and traverse.  Even with the sudden temperature drop and stong, cold winds, it was a very nice hike!

NOTES -

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

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

Water and shade available at Bell's Point. 

Out      Playground parking area > Chaparral > Red Dam Loop > Chaparral > Winding Snake > Burkett park       3.9 miles

Return  Burkett park > WS to LL Connector > Lanky Lackey > Nature Loop > Horny Toad > Talley Vally > Chaparral > Playground parking area   3.6 miles

Temp started at 45, ended at 73.  Sunny, light wind, low humidity.

Slow, leisurely hike on well defined and groomed trails.  Saw a few deer - no bucks, only does and larger fawns.  Birds were somewhat active at first but then stayed in the brush or much higher up. We saw Turkey Vultures, Black Buzzards, a few raptors as well as an American Kestrel and a Loggerhead Shrike.  Saw a few Orange Crowned Warblers (photo attached).  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.

Out -     Burkett Park > WS to LL Connector > Roller Coaster > West Potts Creek > Armadill > Turkey Creek > 5 Points Junction       4.3 miles

Return - 5 Points Junction > Flintstone (S) > Playground Trail > Bells Point > Playground Trail > Armadillo > East Potts Creek > Burkett Trail > Burkett Park     3.6 miles

Temp started at 74, ended at 89.  Partly cloudy and steady s wind at 10-15 mph.

Pleasant hike along dry, easy to see trails.  Only a few portions of the hike had vegetation issues and they weren't severe.  There wasn't much wildlife or bird activity except right at the beginning when I spotted three Axis deer with some White tail deer.  Otherwise, the wind kept most of the birds low to the ground. 

There were quite a few grasshoppers still out.  Purple thistle as well as a few wild flowers were being occupied by various insects.

All in all, a nice, quiet, relaxing hike with a cooling wind blowing constantly.

NOTES

Water, Shade, Info kiosk and dry toilets available at Burkett Park.

Water, shade, info kiosk available at 5 Points Junction

Water, shade, info kiosk available at Bell's Point.

Leg 1 -  Playground parking area > Chaparral > Red Dam Loop > Chaparral > Winding SNake > Burkett Park      3.4 miles

Leg 2 -  Burkett Park > WS to LL Connector > Lanky Lackey > Nature Loop > Horny Toad > Tasajilla Flats > Playground parking area     3.2 miles

Leg 3 -  Playground parking area > Roadrunner Loop > Playground parking area       3.1 miles

Temp started at 71, ended at 90.  Humid, overcast with none-to-light wind.

An unusually cooler day which means time to hike!  All trails except portions of Roadrunner Loop were dry, groomed and easy to traverse.  Portions of Roadrunner Loop are in need of grooming but can still be traverse easily enough. 

Today I saw the smallest snake I'd ever seen!  On Winding Snake Trail, I saw what looked like a piece of a black shoelace laying on the trail about three feet in front of me.  When I moved forward, the "string" moved!  It was a Ringneck Snake - jet black with a yellow ring-like collar (photo attached).  The snake was only 4-5 inches in length and extremely thin - literally as thick as a shoe lace.  He quickly slithered away into the brush.  No animals except for a few white tail deer were spotted and bird activity was surprisingly minimal.  Later, while on Roadrunner Loop, I spotted a much larger coachwhip snake. 

Hiking Edition LPT (Life Pro Tip) - if you have the foresight to bring TP in case "Nature calls", stow it in a Zip-loc bag (or two).  This keeps the paper dry, easily accessible and also gives you an easy and sanitary way to dispose of the used paper.  Do your business, then put the used paper in the Zip-loc, pack it out and safely dispose of the bag.  Although the waste, as well as the paper, is biodegradeable and will eventually disappear, it's rather rude to leave a pile of used paper somewhat near the trail where it can be seen by others.  Be courteous to your fellow park users and pack out what you bring in. Thank you!

NOTES

Water, shade, info kiosk and toilets available at Playground parking area.

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

Water and shade available at various campsites along Roadrunner Loop.  There is a toilet located near the mid-point of the Loop.

Leg 1 -  Burkett Park > WS to LL Connector > Rollercoaster > West Potts Creek > Armadillo > Turkey Creek > 5 Points Junction         4.3 miles

Leg 2 -  5 Points Junction > Flintstone (N) > Cougar Overlook > service road (WNW) > River Bend (S) > 5 Points Junction       2.7 miles

Leg 3 -  5 Points Junction > Flintstone (S) > Playground > Bell's Point > Playground > Armadillo > East Potts Creek > Burkett Trail > Burkett Park    3.6 miles

Temps started at 74 and ended at 96.  Sunny with light then a steady breeze .

Since we've had no rain for almost two months and have had almost a month of 100+ temps, the trails are dry, easy to see and traverse BUT the same weather conditions have caused the soil to become so dry and loose, it is easier to lose your footing on the rocky portions of the trails.  Surprisingly, the majority of the park, for the most part, is still green!  There were a few portions of the Playground and Armadillo trails that could use some grooming but overall, the trails were very good!

Perhaps due to the heat or the time of the year, the bird activity is minimal.  What birds that were out were mostly making short flights from bush to bush or down to the ground - there were very few in the tree tops singing or trying to draw attention to themselves. 

I saw a fox (photo attached) which is becoming a normal event. In the past, seeing a fox was rare - for the last few hikes, I've seen at least one each time.  Don't know if the population is increasing or they are hungry and looking for food when I happen to be out. 

I saw and learned something about the longhorns today.  The park is divided in sections by barbed wire fences and cattleguards so they can run the cattle in different locations.  Well, while on Flintstone heading to Cougar Overlook, I saw three young longhorns by a cattle guard and fence.  Two of the calves spooked and ran away from me down the fence line.  The third, a slightly larger calf, ran toward the cattleguard and jumped over the cattleguard while simultaneously ducking under the poles supporting the cattleguard and fence thereby joining the rest of the herd on the other side of the barbed wire fence!

I was told some of the larger longhorns jump over the cattleguard with no problem - I learn something new every day!

NOTES -

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

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

Info kiosk, shade and a bicycle repair station available at Cougar Overlook.

Water and shade available at Bell's Point.