Cedar Ridge Preserve
| Link | Audubon Dallas website |
| Location | Dallas, TX |
| Date hiked | September 26, 2004 |
| Pictures | http://mpickering.homeip.net/gallery/cedarridge |
GPS files
- Aerial map of hike
- Topo map of hike
- Track file in gpspoint format
- Track file in gpstrans format
- Waypoint file in gpspoint format
- Waypoint file in gpstrans format
- Waypoint file of pictures taken in gpspoint format
- CAR is the parking area
- CDRBRK is where the trail splits at Cedar Break (see the map)
- FOSSIL is the Fossil Trail
- OBS is the observation tower
- POND is Cattail Pond
This was a lot of fun. I was already going to be in Dallas on business, and with Hurricane Jeanne approaching Florida, I decided to leave day early, and go hiking.
There were lots of differences between hiking in Florida and in Texas, the elevation changes probably being the biggest one. The topographical map shows that there are several ups-and-downs along this hike, and while there was no serious climbing involved, it did make it interesting.
There are rocks along many parts of this trail, and I have pictures several spots in the trail that illustrate this. The soil is finer and dustier than you normally see in Florida, and I get the feeling that when it does rain, the water isn't absorbed into the ground as readily. There was a lot of erosion evident, especially on steeper parts of the trail. Some of the pictures show trees with a good portion of their root structure visible.
This preserve is near a residential neighborhood, which I wandered into near the observation tower. The trail diverged and opened into an empty field behind the neighborhood. I walked along the field for a little bit, wondering if the path might lead back into the preserve, but it never did.
There were lots of flowers out, which you don't often see in Florida. There were few pine trees, and lots of cedar. The trail reminded me a lot of Fort Clinch; maybe the sandiness of Fort Clinch results in more cedar trees and cacti, like at Cedar Ridge.