![]() | Ray Roberts Lake A Walk Through Time - Guide to Randy Bell Scenic Trail |
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Southwestern
Tablelands
Central
Great Plains
Texas
Blackland
Prairies
Cross Timbers
(Post Oak
Savannah)
Edwards Plateau
East Central
Texas Plains
(Post Oak
Savannah)
Western
Gulf Coastal
Plain
(Piney
Woods)
Gulf Coast
Prairies and
Marshes
Southern
Texas Plains
Blue Water Leaf
Ray Roberts Lake State Park
Isle du Bois Unit
100 PW 4137
Pilot Point, Texas 76258
(940) 686–2148
For more information, visit
www.tpwd.texas.gov/rayrobertslake
B I G B E N D R A N C H S TAT E P A R K
A Walk
T hrough Time
RayRobertsLakeStatePark
Ray Roberts Lake State Park
is located in the Cross Timbers, a subregion
of the Post Oak Savannah ecoregion. This
2.2-mile trail takes you through some of the
finest examples of habitat in the Post Oak
Savannah ecoregion. The land under the
lake might have looked like this before the
lake was constructed in the 1980s, covering
the area with water. As you hike along the
trail you will see dense woodlands and
playful, open prairies. Follow along with
this trail guide to learn more about the
communities of the Cross Timbers and
the Post Oak Savannah and take a walk
through time.
@RayRobertsLake
Cover photo and photo above courtesy of “Nature’s Stage,”
a contributor to the Ray Roberts Lake photo contest on Flickr.
RAY ROBERTS LAKE STATE PARK
4200 Smith School Road, Austin, Texas 78744
www.tpwd.texas.gov
© 2014 Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
PWD BR P4503-0137Y (10/14)
In accordance with Texas State Depository Law, this publication is available at the
Texas State Publications Clearinghouse and/or Texas Depository Libraries.
TPWD receives federal assistance from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other federal agencies
and is subject to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973,
Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, Title IX of the
Education Amendments of 1972, and state anti-discrimination laws which prohibit discrimination the
basis of race, color, national origin, age, sex or disability. If you believe that you have been discriminated against in any TPWD program, activity or facility, or need more information, please contact Office
of Diversity and Inclusive Workforce Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 5275 Leesburg Pike,
Falls Church VA 22041.
Explore the woodlands and
prairies as they were before
Ray Roberts Lake was
developed, and experience
the many stories the Randy
Bell Scenic Trail has to share.
1
Precious Prairie
Pocket prairies like the one you see here were once
common features of the Post Oak Savannah. Travelers
would often use prairie openings like this one to
stop and rest. In 1716, Capitan don Domingo Ramón
wrote, “We advanced seven leagues with great
difficulty, arriving in the afternoon in an open spot
that God had placed there for us to rest after such
a painful journey.”
Besides providing a good stopping place, these
prairies support insects, birds and mammals. The
native grasses that grow here are tough and hardy.
Some have roots extending 16 feet deep into the
soil, helping them survive even the worst drought.
2
Monte Grande
5
Irving wrote about his adventures exploring the
west including a stay in the Cross Timbers. “After
a tedious ride of several miles, we came out upon
an open tract of hill and dale, interspersed with
woodland. Here we were roused by the cry, Buffalo!
Buffalo! Three or four of those enormous animals
were visible to our right[,] grazing on the slope of a
distant hill.”
4
As you look around, you will notice that this part of
the trail crosses dense woodlands. The dominant
trees are primarily oaks and elms, common for the
Post Oak Savannah. The earliest written descriptions
of this region came from Spanish explorers.
They called it Monte Grande, which
means “large forest.” “We crossed
the Monte Grande. The name fits
it, since it is necessary to bring a
guide in order to go through it, because
it is so wooded and entangled,” wrote
Fray Francisco Céliz in 1718.
3
Days Gone Bye
Wildlife such as deer, armadillos and
roadrunners are often observed
from the Randy Bell Scenic Trail.
Would you believe that bison
and bear used to live here,
too? In his 1832 bestselling book, A Tour on the
Prairies, Washington
Like a Thousand Tiny Crystals
Little Bluestem grass (Schizachyrium scoparium)
is one of the “big four” tallgrass prairie species
common to this region. Bunch grasses like Little
Bluestem, Big Bluestem, Indiangrass and Switchgrass once grew abundantly in the Post Oak
Savannah ecoregion. There are many accounts of
settlers and travelers having to stand on their
horses to gain a view above the tall grasses. Little
Bluestem gets its name from the bluish color of the
stems in spring. As summer turns to fall, the grass
will take on a deep rusty color. The white, fuzzy
flowers of the Little Bluestem stay on the grass over
the winter months, the seeds providing vital food
for birds. When lit by the sunshine, a prairie of Little
Bluestem grass in full bloom takes on the appearance of thousands of tiny crystals shining in the light.
Beautiful Tree
The Latin name for oaks,
Quercus, comes from
the Celtic word quer
meaning beautiful
and cuez meaning tree.
Post Oak trees like the one you
see here are certainly “beautiful
trees.” Post Oak is the dominant tree found
in the woodlands of the Post Oak Savannah. It
was used extensively by early settlers for constructing cabins, sheds and barns. The heartwood is
especially resistant to decay and insects. You can
identify the Post Oak by its leaves that have a
cross-like shape.
6
Tree of Life
Eastern Red Cedar has long been used by various
Native Americans. Many Indians revered the cedar
tree as a “tree of life.” In certain Comanche rituals
there was a “cedar man” who would place the
twigs of the cedar tree on hot coals, which
would produce smoke. The Kiowa and
other Plains Indians used Eastern Red
Cedar in purification and cleansing
ceremonies.
Cedar wood is well known for its pleasant
smell and attractive red coloring. The wood
can retain its odor and color for years and it is
still used today to repel insects. Wood from the
Eastern Red Cedar like you see here was popular
with settlers as a building material for furniture,
closets and chests.
7
What’s Your Story?
The last section of the Randy Bell Scenic Trail will
take you through a hilly, wooded portion of the park.
You can easily imagine how difficult it might have
been to traverse this landscape for weary travelers
in the 1800s. This is also a great portion of the trail
to listen to the sounds of nature and reflect on the
changing landscape around us. You are a part of the
stories of the Post Oak Savannah ecoregion just as
those who came before us.