For my last day in the park I hiked around the trail at Split Rock and ended up crossing paths with a desert tortoise. I had been hoping to see one, knowing it was not likely, and then on the last hike of the visit I nearly stepped on one. He tucked into his shell, I backed off, and then waited. He poked his head out, we watched each other for a while, then he decided it was safe to come back out and head on his way down the trail. It's impossible to spend too long watching a tortoise. They are fantastic creatures, full of personality.