This trail is part of Buffalo Springs Lake. There is an entrance fee for Buffalo Springs Lake and it is per person, not per vehicle. Since the bridge over the river washed out, this trail needs to be accessed from two locations. The first is the official entrance on the south side of Buffalo Springs Lake. This entrance is on the south side of Comanche Drive just east of a lone house and is called the west trail entrance on the map. There may be portable toilets in this parking lot. The trail at this entrance is steep with loose gravel (sliding down part of the trail is the norm). Be careful. Once you get to the bottom of this hill and reach the road, cross it and the trail continues to the pool below the dam and along the river. Small birds are found in this section including Rock Wrens, sparrows, including Rufous-crowned Sparrows, and occasional Verdin and Black-crested Titmouse. A Black-chinned Sparrow was found here in 2020. 

The unofficial entrance to the other side of the river is just east of the dam on the south side of the road. There is a small jetty that serves as a dam overlook on the north side of the road just west of the dam. Park here and walk back to the other side of the dam to access this part of the trail. The beginning of trail is steep with loose gravel, too. Once you get down the hill, the trail is not generally challenging. This area is fairly extensive with lots to explore. There are some bottom woodlands, a small marshy area, and the stream. Great-horned Owls, warblers, marsh birds, and Northern Flickers (yellow-shafted, red-shafted, and hybrids) are highlights in this area. The east edge of this area backs up to the west side of Ransom Canyon.