Noble Road Trail in George Bush Park offers suburban wilderness experience

Noble Road Trail is at least one degree wilder than TerryHershey Trail or the former Barker-Clodine Road that runs North-South through George Bush Park and is now closed to motorized traffic inside the reservoir. Both of the latter are paved, and are great for biking, but Noble Road Trail is best explored on foot. It offers a much closer encounter with wetlands wilderness than the open trails, and offers a rich tapestry of bright colors and hues, even after the large-scale bush fire a little more than a year ago transformed the landscape into mere shades of ashen gray and charcoal black. 

Light at the end of the green foliage tunnel
Noble Road Trail near the lakes close to Barker Dam on a late afternoon

Part of this road which used to run across what is now the Barker Reservoir may still qualify as a gravel road, but some stretches are pure hiking (or dirt-biking) trail covered with tall grass and other vegetation, and puddles of water can be encountered along the way even days after a good downpour. The greenery can get pretty high -- especially in summer and fall - and ditches running alongside some sections of the trail fill with water after heavy rainfall any time of the year. It may remain there stagnant for weeks and end up being covered by a coating of green algae or other water-borne vegetation.

Green surface at water hole lined by trees

A large area South of the segment of Nobel Road Trail that runs East-West is a designated wetlands restoration area.

This grasslands habitat was devastated by wildfire in 2011, but the vegetation is back and flourishing amidst the blackened remnants of what were stands of small trees. 

Charred trunks of larger trees now host fungi. It's nature running its course. Decomposing the dead organic matter, and again turning the erstwhile wasteland into a sea of lush green, dotted on the edges by plentiful blooms. 

Noble Road Trail brings you at least one step closer to nature. A sign at the trail head ominously warns of unspecified dangers of the wilderness, while offering zero hints as to how to guard against the hazards of leaving the paved roads and civilization behind.

No mention of poisonous snakes, spiders, or wild hogs. Hike at your own risk – and better still -- research the risk beforehand. 

Well, the boy scouts have been there and have left evidence of their commitment to community service in the form of benches inviting the occasional hiker to linger in the midst of the wilderness for a bit, to observe, and  to reflect.

So if this is suburban boy scouts’ territory, it can’t be too bad. Right? But be prepared to see snakes along the way, at least in wet conditions around the puddles.

These critters will come out and coil up right on the trail and you are running the risk of stepping on them, especially if you have your head titled upward looking at birds aloft in the sky or sitting in a tree, or you are busy scanning the thicket for movement and unusual colors.Watch your step. 

Heron in the Thicket

Small bird on a twig on the edge of a wooded area

Noble Road Trail is great for bird watching as are the banks of the waterways in the area, and dragonflies and butterflies are also abundant at least part of the year. Commonly seen: Gulf fritillary, migrating monarchs, and – less commonly -- swallowtails. 

Monarch butterfly on green leaves

Some butterflies and specimen of the ubiquitous common whitetail will even share the trail path with you, four wings more than you that could take them anywhere else in the reservoir notwithstanding. 

Common Whitetail Dragonfly

Admiral

Buckeye

While the variety of wildlife is rich and diverse, it also varies over the course of the year. As do the colors of the landscape and flowers dotting it. 

Images of the flora in the Fall:

Summer and Spring Flora