Field Trip: River Ranch County Park, Sunday, December 1, 2024

— by Sue Wiseman

  • What:   After Thanksgiving @ River Ranch County Park
  • When:  1:30 PM – 4:00 PM on Sunday, December 1, 2024
    • Meet at the Trailhead West Parking lot. (Follow the signs. It is past the Interpretive Center.)
  • Where:  194 Reveille Way, Liberty Hill, TX 78642
  • Our field trip is open to the public. Park day use fee $2-$4. (Ages 12 & under free.)

Please join us Sunday Dec 1 at River Ranch County Park from 1:30pm to 4:00pm. We will meet at the Trailhead West Parking lot. (Follow the signs. It is past the Interpretive Center.)

We will take a leisurely walk along the Overlook Trail where we will see a lot of fall grasses. The walk will be a little over a mile and is rated easy with few elevation changes. Feel free to bring your children and friends. Please wear appropriate clothing including long pants and closed toes shoes. Hats and sunscreen recommended. You might throw in a grass id book or notebook to help you with all the grasses.

If you have questions, please contact the Field Trip Committee (contact form here).

Escarpment Live Oak, Quercus fusiformis
Escarpment Live Oak, Quercus fusiformis. River Ranch County Park, August 2020.

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See photos from some of our previous field trips in our Field Trip Album.

Field Trip: Tree Walk at Rivery Park on June 29

  • What: Tree Walk with Gary Bowers at Rivery Park, Georgetown.
    • (This trip was originally planned to be at Old Settlers Park, Round Rock.)
  • When: Saturday, June 29, 2024, 8:00 am to 10:00 am.
  • Where: Meet at the Rivery Park parking lot, Georgetown, Texas.  
    • Google GPS location is 30.648088822636854, -97.68497180641552 or see this link.
    • If navigating with the what3words app, use ///mixture.blog.drill.

NPSOT field trips are free and open to the public.

Learn about local trees and enjoy a lovely walk along the San Gabriel River.  Please remember that even though it’s early, it’s still going to be very warm!  Bring water, snacks, a hat and sunscreen to protect yourself.  We’ll walk until it gets too hot, no more than a couple hours of easy strolling.

An Extra Invitation for You:   On June 27 at 7pm, just a couple days before the tree walk, Gary Bowers will present The Trees of Williamson County at Good Water Master Naturalists’ monthly meeting. Gary gives this talk to a number of groups and is very knowledgeable about his trees!  GWMN is extending an invitation to join their meeting by Zoom to hear Gary’s talk.

Gary’s presentation follows the business section of GWMN’s meeting agenda. It’s suggested that you join that evening no later than 6:55pm in order to hear Gary’s talk starting at 7pm. Register ahead of the meeting using this GWMN link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0tf-uprz0uE9Tp-98Lsb72PJiUsIbtLfR5#/registration

Live oak at Garey Park
Live oak


See photos from other NPSOT field trips in our album=>


Field Trip: Native Plant Hike at Russell Park

— by Gary Bowers

  • What:   Native Plant Hike at Russell Park
  • When:  8:30 AM – 11:00 AM, Saturday, May 11, 2024
    • Please plan on arriving 10-15 mins early. Once we have everyone signed in we’ll start hiking at 8:30 AM.
  • Where:  Good Water Loop Trailhead Parking at 2101 County Road 262, Georgetown, TX, 78633

Our field trip is free and open to the public.

This hike is a great opportunity to learn about some great native plants around Lake Georgetown while getting a bit of exercise. This hike will be an out and back with a total length of 3 miles. The expected duration is between 2 and 2.5 hours. We will start at the trailhead for the Good Water Loop and hike down to the small picnic/camping area southwest.

DistanceClimbing ElevationDifficultyTrail SurfaceNotes
3.0 mi266 ftModerateOut and back; natural path with rocks and rootsShady trail to start while navigating through cedar grove. Some inclines and declines before transitioning to a gravel path along lake.
Trail Summary

Who is this hike for?

If you enjoy a moderately paced hike with a few brief stops to learn more about native plants, this is the hike for you.

How difficult is this hike?

We will descend down to the lake and then back up. Most ascents and descents are fairly gradual but there are numerous limestone outcroppings and roots along the first half of the trail. We will be moving at a steady pace between stopping points and stops will be brief.

What should I bring on this hike?

Be prepared for exertion along a trail with unsure footing. We recommend the following for this hike:

  • Sturdy hiking boots
  • Hiking poles
  • Water
  • Insect spray
  • Sun protection
  • Snacks
Trailhead parking
Route for this hike


See photos from other field trips in our album=>