This week, the Trail Mommas crew swapped our usual trail mileage goals for a different kind of outdoor adventure — one that had us thinking like wildlife detectives.

We joined the Animal Track program at Lake Crabtree County Park, where our guide introduced us to the many ways animals leave their mark on the world — not just with footprints, but with a variety of clues hidden in plain sight.

We started off by doing rubbings of different animal prints, pressing crayons over textured track templates to capture the shapes of deer hooves, raccoon paws, and bird feet. It was a creative way to get the kids thinking about the differences in size and shape between species.

Then came the crowd favorite: Who’s Scat is That? This hands-on (well… not too hands-on!) game had us using visual clues, size, shape, and a few hints from our instructor to identify which animal had left the scat behind. The kids were surprisingly quick to guess correctly — and more than a little delighted by the gross factor.

We also learned about other animal signs we might see on the trail, like chewed pinecones, tree bark rubbed smooth by deer antlers, feathers, and even hollowed-out nutshells. Each sign told a different part of the story of life in the park.

To wrap up the program, we headed out on a quick walk to look for real-life animal signs. With our new skills, the kids spotted tracks, nibbled leaves, and a few well-placed feathers that we might have otherwise walked right past.

We left Lake Crabtree with sharper eyes, better tracking skills, and an appreciation for how much wildlife is all around us — even if we can’t always see it directly.

Tip for fellow Trail Mommas: If you do this program, bring a small notebook. Your kids will love jotting down clues like real nature detectives.