Bastrop State Park is located in Central Texas about 30 miles East of Austin. I observed only acres and acres of pine forest and Oak woodlands within rolling hills. The rain front 4 days prior must have helped in bringing out the new bright lighter green pine needles on the trees, the color new and magnificent, the needles soft at my touch. The ecology of the soil, they say, is made up of two types of sandstone which act as a giant sponge, holding water in an otherwise very dry habitat. I noticed the red and yellow color in the rocks, soil, and in the pools of water.. an indication of iron in the soil.
From the overlook point(a shelter made out of sandstone), Ariana, Aja, and I looked out at the vast endless tops of pine and oak trees, while the big white clouds sped by, trying to figure out shapes and animals out of the cloud formations.
Our nature trail hike was short, but we identified various wildflowers, berries and trees, all so very new to us. Identified were the Bracted Sida (salmon colored), lots of holly and farkleberry bushes. The abundant growth of vines everywhere were of interest to me, so wild that we couldn't go further down the trail as I had Aja in my backpack, which made it difficult to pass without her getting swapped by the vine twine. We looked for the Houston Toad, endangered species Bufo Houstonensis, but couldn't find any near the reddish brown still ponds through our hike.
Nearby was a small lake where we snacked and fed the ducks crumbs (Yes, I know this is not really appropriate to their natural diet)... surprisingly they were fairly aggressive; an indication that it must be quite a popular park and that they've met more than a few humans.
The little girls and I enjoyed our new adventure in our new environment, and continue to look forward to more.
Hike Rating (out of 5 stars):
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