San Angelo SP

A short drive from Junction to San Angelo SP, again fighting a 20 mph, and gusting, Alvin was glad we were not traveling too far, only 107 Miles.
The draught is clearly evident along Hwy 87

 I did spot a few green spots with "cloth of  gold" down in some low-lying areas where the sparse rain tends to pool.












A few small patches of Blue Bonnet were also scattered in the lower areas of barrow ditches and medians.

We took the Loop around the south to avoid the traffic light at every intersection on Hwy 87 and approached the park from the south. We prefer the north entrance at the Bald Eagle Creek unit over the south entrance. We camp under towering pecan trees, even though they're just putting out the first catkins of spring, the bare branches still provide a modicum of shade. The sites in the south unit all have covered picnic tables but they are perched up on a windy hill overlooking the bone dry lake, while the Bald Eagle Creek unit is nestled along the edge of the North Concho River, which surprisingly has several wet spots. I'm thinking spring fed oases.

Deep Pool

Boat Ramp

Trail Head

Turtle Pond

One other spot near the restrooms that I didn't photo (???) had Blue-winged Teal and Northern Shoveler along with Great Blue Heron.


At the end of our walk, we were surprised by this very tired Sage Thrasher...

I think he had just arrived after a long night of migration and was just too tired to worry about our presence.














Love the variety of trees from location to location...

These two just seemed to speak to me full of personality...

one to talk

 while the other listened.

Next day we explored the amazing synapsid track of the Permian Period located in a dry ravine. Ranger Pat was kind enough to show us the location and give us a map to the area which is normally only open to guided tours. 

Walking amid those track of creatures that lived 280 million years ago was an amazing experience. I could feel the earth tremble with their passing.

Several sizes and varieties of tracks were easy to see and follow. 

Eryops obviously left the larger more widely spaced tracks. Would love to have more knowledge about these ancient animals that predated the dinosaurs. 

Lake OC Fisher, constructed in the 1950'ws by the Army Corps of Engineers, sadly is totally dry...

Becoming a state park in the 1990's, this was a favorite weekend boating and fishing destination for many west Texan's.

The park is currently inhabited by many oilfield workers who have portable septic systems serviced weekly in order to stay in limited service sites for extended periods. 

On the drive to the Highland Range Scenic Overlook we discovered a blue water pond with nesting Pied-billed Grebe

Maybe there is hope for this highly endangered park after all.