Government Road Series LbNA #76784
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Nearby Boxes
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Add Location| Owner: | Silver Eagle    |
|---|---|
| Plant date: | Jan 13, 2024 |
| Location: | |
| City: | ??? |
| County: | Mystery |
| State: | Texas |
| Boxes: | 5 |
| Found by: | Not yet found! |
|---|---|
| Last found: | N/A |
| Last edited: | Jan 13, 2024 |
Terrain Difficulty: moderate (slight slope, 6.5 miles RT)
In the early 1850s, government surveyors laid out a military supply route through this area to western forts. Military personnel from Fort Sam Houston blazed the road, which was named the Joe Johnston Road, and it ran from San Antonio to Bandera. The local nickname for the project was the “government road”, and this series will take you to some of the sites along it.
Directions:
Go to the park with the same first name as this series and park in lot A or B near Visitor Center. Pay fee and get a trail map. NOTE: the park is only open Fr-Mo and trails are closed sometimes after rain, so check status before coming.
Box 1: Wildcat Canyon Ranch - there used to be a working ranch in this area, including a barn.
Walk to the Visitor Center and go right along the entrance road across a bridge to the Backcountry Trailhead on the left. Go on the Joe Johnston Route Trail to jct with Wildcat Canyon Trail at marker #7. Go left off trail 33 steps to a multi-trunk cedar tree at edge of woods. LB is at back base under a rock & needles.
Box 2: Army Wagon - wagons would have been used on this road to supply the forts.
Continue on Joe Johnston Trail to jct with Twin Oaks Trail at marker #14 and go right on it 17 steps (passing a bench on left). Go right off trail 10 steps to a medium oak tree with a small oak next to it. LB is at back base under a rock & leaves.
Box 3: Dinosaur Tracks - around 110 million years ago two kinds of dinosaurs left their tracks on what was a beach, sauropods and three-toed theropods.
Continue on Joe Johnston Trail past the dinosaur tracks and across the creek to a sign on left saying "A Story Silenced". Continue another 75 steps to a large oak tree leaning toward the trail 8 steps away on the right. LB is at back base under a rock & leaves.
Box 4: Zizelmann House - a family of German bakers named Zizelmann built this house in 1882.
Continue on Joe Johnston Trail to the Zizelmann House on the right and a jct with the Overlook Trail on the left at marker #20. Go left on the Overlook Trail to marker #8 in a gully. Continue 22 steps to a small stump on right side of trail and go right off trail 20 steps up to a rocky bluff with four medium oak trees in a line. LB is at back base of the third one to the left under a rock & leaves.
Box 5: Overlook - enjoy the view above the dinosaur tracks from this overlook.
Continue on Overlook Trail to the Overlook just past marker #4. Continue a short way to marker #3 on left leaning against a cedar tree (it is about 30 steps before marker #2 in a clearing). Go behind the marker 3 steps to a small cedar tree with LB containing the log at back base under rocks & leaves. Continue to jct with Caroline's Trail, go left to jct with Joe Johnston Trail and go right back to the trailhead.
In the early 1850s, government surveyors laid out a military supply route through this area to western forts. Military personnel from Fort Sam Houston blazed the road, which was named the Joe Johnston Road, and it ran from San Antonio to Bandera. The local nickname for the project was the “government road”, and this series will take you to some of the sites along it.
Directions:
Go to the park with the same first name as this series and park in lot A or B near Visitor Center. Pay fee and get a trail map. NOTE: the park is only open Fr-Mo and trails are closed sometimes after rain, so check status before coming.
Box 1: Wildcat Canyon Ranch - there used to be a working ranch in this area, including a barn.
Walk to the Visitor Center and go right along the entrance road across a bridge to the Backcountry Trailhead on the left. Go on the Joe Johnston Route Trail to jct with Wildcat Canyon Trail at marker #7. Go left off trail 33 steps to a multi-trunk cedar tree at edge of woods. LB is at back base under a rock & needles.
Box 2: Army Wagon - wagons would have been used on this road to supply the forts.
Continue on Joe Johnston Trail to jct with Twin Oaks Trail at marker #14 and go right on it 17 steps (passing a bench on left). Go right off trail 10 steps to a medium oak tree with a small oak next to it. LB is at back base under a rock & leaves.
Box 3: Dinosaur Tracks - around 110 million years ago two kinds of dinosaurs left their tracks on what was a beach, sauropods and three-toed theropods.
Continue on Joe Johnston Trail past the dinosaur tracks and across the creek to a sign on left saying "A Story Silenced". Continue another 75 steps to a large oak tree leaning toward the trail 8 steps away on the right. LB is at back base under a rock & leaves.
Box 4: Zizelmann House - a family of German bakers named Zizelmann built this house in 1882.
Continue on Joe Johnston Trail to the Zizelmann House on the right and a jct with the Overlook Trail on the left at marker #20. Go left on the Overlook Trail to marker #8 in a gully. Continue 22 steps to a small stump on right side of trail and go right off trail 20 steps up to a rocky bluff with four medium oak trees in a line. LB is at back base of the third one to the left under a rock & leaves.
Box 5: Overlook - enjoy the view above the dinosaur tracks from this overlook.
Continue on Overlook Trail to the Overlook just past marker #4. Continue a short way to marker #3 on left leaning against a cedar tree (it is about 30 steps before marker #2 in a clearing). Go behind the marker 3 steps to a small cedar tree with LB containing the log at back base under rocks & leaves. Continue to jct with Caroline's Trail, go left to jct with Joe Johnston Trail and go right back to the trailhead.