South Shore - Playground parking area to Armadillo Ridge Figure 8
San Angelo State Park
[Hiking]
- 4/15/2024
[View Log Page]
Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 10.50 Miles
Duration: 6 hours
Leg 1 - Playground parking area > Chaparral > Red Dam Loop > Chaparral > Winding Snake > Burkett Park 3.2 miles
Leg 2 - Burkett Park > WS to LL Connector > Rollercoaster > West Potts Creek > Potts Creek > Burkett Trail > Burkett Park 3.9 miles
Leg 3 - Burkett Park > WS to LL Connector> Lanky Lackey > Nature Trail > Horny Toad > Talley Valley > Chaparral > Playground parking area 3.4 miles
Temps started at 68 and ended at 89. Overcast at first, gradually cleared to mostly cloudy. Winds started at SW 0-5mph increased to 10-15mph.
A very leisurely hike along dry, easy to see and traverse trails. LOTS of birds out singing for mates, gathering nest materials and just being visible. Numerous types of Sparrows, a solitary Roadrunner, Mockingbirds, Scissortail Flycatchers, Cardinals, Pyrrhuloxia and Quail were seen. Reptiles spotted were lizards and a "first of the season" Coachwhip. Deer and a solitary cotton rat as well as a Mexican ground squirrel were also seen.
Flowers continue to bloom and agarita berries (photo attached) are beginning to appear. Spring is here and the park is showing it.
NOTES -
Water, shade, info kiosk, toilets and a bicycle repair station are available at Playground parking area.
Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets are available at Burkett Park.
North Shore - Bell's Trailhead to Cougar Overlook Short Loop
San Angelo State Park
[Hiking]
- 3/30/2024
[View Log Page]
Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 8.10 Miles
Duration: 4 hours, 15 minutes
Leg 1 - Bell's Trailhead > Shady Trail > Trailhead to Trailhead (S) > Rocky Creek Trail > park service road (S) > North Scenic Loop > South Slick Rock > Lower Ghost Camp > River Bend Campground > Lower Ghost Camp (S) > Trailhead to Trailhead (S) > Cougar Overlook 3.4 miles
Leg 2 - Cougar Overlook > park service road (W) > River Bend (N) > Badlands > park service road (NW) > Big Hill > park service road (NW) > Dinosaur Trail (N) > Bell's Trailhead 4.7 miles
Temp started at 60, ended at 76. Overcast then mostly sunny. Winds 0-5mph at the start but incerased to 10-15mph SW breeze.
A leisure hike along dry, easy to see and traverse trails. I saw three Axis does near Shady Trail on the opposite bank. This seems to be a fairly consistent spot to see these runaway deer. At one time, there was a very large antlered Axis buck but I didn't see him today.
I also spotted a Great Horned Owl neat the Rocky CReek trailhead. I took a few photos and he moved closer so I got a few more and he decided that was enough and departed. There were numerous sparrows, Mockingbirds and a few others spotted as well. On the return leg, I saw a male Pyrrhuloxia singing for a mate (photo attached).
NOTES -
Info kiosk and a bicycle repair station are available at Bell's Trailhead. Water and shade available at nearby campsites.
Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets available at River Bend Campground.
Shade, info kiosk and a bicycle repair station available at Cougar Overlook.
South Shore - Playground parking area to Burkett Park Loop + Roadrunner Loop
San Angelo State Park
[Hiking]
- 3/22/2024
[View Log Page]
Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 10.50 Miles
Duration: 5 hours, 30 minutes
Leg 1 - Playground parking area > Horny Toad > park service road (W) > Tasajilla Flats (N) > Nature Trail > Lanky Lackey > WS to LL Connector > Burkett Park 4.0 miles
Leg 2 - Burkett park > Winding Snake > Chaparral > Red Dam Loop > Chaparral > Playghround parking area 3.4 miles
Leg 3 - Playground parking area > Roadrunner Loop > Playground parking area 3.1 miles
Temp started at 44, ended at 75. Intermittant NE breeze at 0-5mph. Sunny.
Easy hike along trails that were dry,e asy to see and traverse. More birds are out singing for mates, blue and purple flowers are making an appearance and I saw a few white flowers on the bee bush. I saw a Jack Rabbit and a few deer were spotted in the distance. It was a quiet and peaceful hike. Nothing unusual to report or caution about.
NOTES -
Water, shade , info kiosk, toilets and a bicycle repair station are availale at Playground parking area.
Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets available at Burkett Park.
Water and shade available at campsites along the Roadrunner Loop. Three toilets with water and info kiosk are located along the trail as well.
Park Mid-Section - Burkett Park to 5 Point Junction Loop
San Angelo State Park
[Hiking]
- 3/14/2024
[View Log Page]
Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 8.70 Miles
Duration: 4 hours, 15 minutes
Leg 1 - Burkett park > WS to LL Connector > Rollercoaster > West Potts Creek > Potts Creek (NE) > Playground Trail > Bell's Point > Playground Trail (N) > Flintstone > 5 Points Junction 4.0 miles
Leg 2 - 5 Points Junction > Turkey Creek > Potts Creek (NE) > Burkett Trail > Burkett Park 4.7 miles
Temp started at 60, ended at 76. Sunny with very light SW 0-5mph breeze.
Easy peaceful hike along dry, easy to see and traverse trails. Some birds have become more active now that Spring is in the air. Saw a couple of large flocks of birds heading North. Few animals were out though. More yellow flowers are blooming and some yuccas (?) as well with a center stalk of flowers (photo attached). All in all it was a very nice hike along familiar trails.
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.
South Shore - Playground parking area to Burkett Park Loop
San Angelo State Park
[Hiking]
- 3/6/2024
[View Log Page]
Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 8.10 Miles
Duration: 3 hours, 30 minutes
Leg 1 - Playground parking area > Tasajilla Flats > Nature Trail > Lanky Lackey > WS to LL Connector > Burkett Park 3.9 miles
Leg 2 - Burkett Park > WS to LL Connector > Lanky Lackey > Nature Trail > Tasajilla Flats > park service road (N) > Horny Toad > Talley Valley > Chaparral > Playground parking area 4.2 miles
Temp started at 44, ended at 58. Light N wind at 0-5mph. Cloudy.
An eventful hike. On my first leg I picked up a bag of trash and when I arrived at Burkett Park, discovered a folding knife I had attached to my belt, had come off. Decided to re-trace my steps and hopefully find the knife. I did so always watching both sides of the trail and found more trash AND found my knife lying in the middle of the trail about 2/3 of the way back. Great!
It must have been ordained that I would lose and later find, my knife because near the dropped knife was a previously unseen number of broken bottles and old cans which I picked up. A little later, the trail gods thanked me for my diligence because near the end of one trail segment, lying right in the middle of the dirt trail, was a small stone arrowhead!
Agaritas are in bloom and the air was fairly heavy with their scent of honey, mesquite wood smoke and dust - VERY pleasant.
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.