Boulder Park - Loop A - (Dallas, TX)

2013.05.04 - Boulder Park is located just south of Dallas Executive Airport near Duncanville, Texas west of highway US 67. To get to the trail head parking exit on West Red Bird Lane going West and turn South on Pastor Bailey Drive, there is parking on the East side. Once parked the trail head is marked by a good size trail map.

'May the 4th Be With You' was a nice day for a hike. It was not as unseasonable cold as the past couple of days, yet a bit cooler than most years.

I took the opportunity to try out my new Osprey Mantra 20 day pack. It holds a 3 liter reservoir with enough room for snacks and whatever else I need for a day hike. Today I filled it with two liters as I knew I wouldn't be out long. As it turned out, it fit perfectly and I didn't feel the extra weight the entire hike.

Following Loop A, we were welcomed with a canopy of tree cover that shielded us from the bright sun. The dirt trail was wide enough for hikers or mountain bikers, but definitely not wide enough for both. We often heard noises and looked back to see if a biker was behind us, sometimes it was just the scattering of an animal under leaf cover. We voted on them being mice, since we didn't want a bad snake encounter at the beginning of summer. When there was a biker we were surprised they didn't announce their presence as I thought it was a common courtesy. A point of consideration for DORBA (Dallas Off Road Bicycle Association) and for its members, being that this park is frequented and co-maintained by them and Dallas Parks.

Markers for Loop A can be found in two colors, red and blue. We followed the blue markers for most the trail, but a couple of times deviated. The good thing is that every trailed loops back, appropriate for customizing every hike taken. On one extra looper, the trail dips and raises under a fallen tree that one has to duck or get knocked in the head or off their bike. On two feet it was neat going up and down the dirt hill, bet it is far more thrilling on two wheels.

A section of the trail went along Boulder Branch Creek. Definitely adds to the ambiance of the hike, but the fall to water could be hurtful if not careful. At a couple of places, the water line on the white rock displayed how high the creek rose at times. It also alerted the hiker of its steepness and danger of one false step.

Along the creek side, we ran into a few geocaching friends. There were a few geocaches in the park and they went for them all. I admire them because they were all women and they were all older than me. I hope I will be in as good a shape as them when I get there. As it turned out, we also found a few caches as well. It was fun considering I hadn't done it for a while, but I must admit, I don't see me geocaching off the trail. I have been infected by the hiker's bug and don't want a remedy.

We hiked 3.7 miles in 1:53:25. The terrain was pretty flat as we averaged a pace of 30:57 per mile. There are a few more loops to do here, so I plan on returning after a while. Next time, I fear it won't be as perfect.

Trail Miles Blogged: 9.9 miles.