Did you guess correctly? The prints from Rush Ranch Open Space Preserve came from a raccoon! Raccoons are nocturnal and have excellent night vision. Since they are nocturnal, which means they usually come out at night that explains why we didn't see them, just their tracks. 

Raccoons have black fur around their eyes and a bushy striped tail. Also, did you know that raccoons can reach speeds of up to 15 mph and are excellent swimmers and climbers? I wonder if there are any raccoon tracks near where you live.

P.S. There are actually two different animal tracks here. Did you spot them? 
I bet you did! The larger tracks are from a raccoon, but I wonder what animal the smaller tracks are from. Do you have any guesses? I’ll give you a hint: we think it’s a type of bird.