We left the Old Spanish Trail to follow former cattle drive trails in a northwesterly direction. Two Texas State Parks were our destination through this section of the Longhorn State: South Llano River State Park has one of the largest back country wilderness areas in the state park system; and San Angelo State Park contains Bison and Longhorn herds as well as trails to Prehistoric Tracks from the Permian Basin. The parks even offered us a few wildlife surprises along the way, too.
South Llano River State Park
Armadillos were clearly the honorary ambassadors of this park! They were everywhere… in the fields, on the trails, inside the bird sanctuary and throughout the camp. Watching them hoover along, oblivious to anything outside of what was at the end of their nose, was just joyful.
Here’s a short video of our encounter with two armadillos on the trail.
Like so many State Parks, South Llano was originally private property. Prior to his death, the owner, Walter Buck, Jr., gifted the land to the state to be maintained and used by the public. Part of the South Llano River borders the northern edge and over 2000 acres of wilderness stretch to the south. The variety of recreational activities available include tubing, canoeing and kayaking, fishing, bird watching, hiking, mountain biking, backpacking and camping.
We continued to hike early in the morning in order to avoid the triple digit heatwave the area was experiencing. The trails were well maintained and led through varied terrain, beautiful vistas, western plant life and some surprised rabbits.
The park is a popular with birdwatchers and has a dedicated Rio Grande turkey roost area. A large and comfortable bird-blind overlooking feeders and a fountain attracted many different species of birds for observation and photography. In addition, several other wildlife viewing stations are scattered around the park.
Due to the combination of drought and prolonged heatwave, burn bans have been in effect at every state park campground in Texas. Campfires and charcoal grills are strictly prohibited. The last time we were able to have a fire was in San Antonio when we tried out our little chiminea.
Instead of a campfire or charcoal grill, we have been using the Coleman camp stove for our outdoor cooking as well as using the electric rice cooker/steamer for our side dishes. The sunshine has been great for making sun-tea in camp.
San Angelo State Park
We left the hill country region and entered a land of grassland, chaparral, and canyons. San Angelo State Park is divided into North and South sections. Hiking, biking and equestrian trails are throughout the park with the horse camp and prehistoric sites in the north, and the lake in the south. The park is also home to the official Texas State Longhorn herd and an American Bison herd. Our campsite was located in the southern section and had a sweeping view of the arroyo (canyon) and chaparral. However, we did not have much of a lake view as the effects of the drought were apparent in the extremely low level of the nearby O.C. Fisher Lake.
One of the highlights of the visit was the Prehistoric Tracks trail. Located in the northern part of the park, this beautiful hike along the mesquites, junipers, cactus, and sage led us to the ancient site. It was our first encounter with an edge of the Permian Basin fossil bed and a thrill to be able to clearly see so many tracks left by the Dimetrodons and other early prehistoric and pre-dinosaur creatures.
Twenty-six trackways are visible in the Little Foot Draw. They are reported to be from the Permian Period and over 300 million years old, which is 90 million years before dinosaurs were on the earth. Only three or four other places in the world contain Permian Period track fossils. Tracks and trackways are formed when a footprint is made in mud or other wet soil and then filled with another layer of sedimentary soil as it hardens.
Along this trail I had my first rattlesnake sighting, too.
Saturday mornings are a great time to meet the Bison and Longhorns as the park wranglers place food at the edge of the the herds’ ranges on that day. For some reason, the day we were there, no one brought any food. However, that didn’t stop the buffalo and the cattle from gathering at the expected time and place. We wondered how the animals knew what day it was!
Back at the campsite, sunsets were long and lingering.
State Parks continue to delight us with their uniqueness and rugged beauty. They are our favorite campground experiences and the places we would most like to return for longer stays.
CAMPGROUND REVIEW: SAN ANGELO STATE PARK
We stayed at San Angelo State Park for three days in a pull-thru, water/electric site. Sites are gravel, level and spacious. Each site has a picnic table, pavilion, fire pit, and grill. The southern campground has views of the lake access to many hiking trails. The northern campground has equestrian campsites and access to hiking and horse trails. The facilities are clean but old, no air conditioning, one shower stall and two flush toilets. Besides hiking/cycling and equestrian activities, fishing, boating (limited by shallow lake level), birding, and wildlife viewing are enjoyed. The park rangers were friendly and helpful with information for trails and activities. We had moderate T-Mobile service. The park was quiet and peaceful with beautiful sunsets and stargazing.
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Next up…Texas – Goodbye, Hello again – Exploring Two National Parks
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