Leg 1 - River Bend Campground > South Slick Rock > Trailhead to Trailhead (N) > Dinosaur Trail > Dinosaur Tracks Viewing Area 2.9 miles
Leg 2 - Dinosaur Tracks Viewing Area > DInosaur Trail (S) > Upper Big Hill > Badlands > River Bend Trail > service road to Ghost Camp > Upper Ghost Camp Trail > River Bend Campground 3.4 miles
Temp started at 75, ended at 90. Sunny, no clouds, intermittent 5-10mph SSW breeze. Somewhat humid.
The park experienced torrential flooding rains on 4 July 2025 which completely destroyed Shady Trail, North Scenic Loop and the Lower Ghost Camp trails all of which were closest to the North Concho River that feed the O.C. Fisher reservoir in the park. Camping areas were also destroyed which resulted in the closure of the North Shore camping area and more importantly, the access gates are LOCKED and will remain so for the foreseeable future.
I accessed the River Bend Campground which was not destroyed via another entrance on FM2288 that is locked but will open with the gate code that is provided when you either check-in at the Suth Shore gate or when you register via the park website.
There was a brief rain event the night prior to my hike which meant the trails in parts were very muddy but more importantly, triggered a gnat resurgence. The gnats were ferocious and with little to no breeze, they were very annoying. Also of note, since the North Shore had been closed for some time, the spiders took advantage and stretched numerous webs across the open trails.
As for the hike, the trails that are still open are do-able but caution is advised for a number of reasons - the rains carved deep gulleys in some of the trails, the sun + warm temps + water = vegetation growth. Numerous places have high vegetation.
Lots of flood debris is visible in the areas closest to the river but otherwise everything is pretty much the same. No animals were spotted but there were some birds as well as lots of spiders.
Because of the closed trails as well as the remaining trails needing work, I won't return to the North Shore until late October. This should be enough time for the park personnel to repair and rehabilitate the trails.
NOTES -
Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets available at River Bend Campground.
Water, shade, and info kiosk are available at the Dinosaur Tracks Viewing Area.
