There exists a State Park near Fredericksburg, Texas that provides a fun place to spend a day hiking, climbing, picnicking, etc., and the name of it is Enchanted Rock.

One time back in March of 1991 my mother, niece and I were visiting my brother and sister-in-law who happened to live in the Hill Country of Texas.....Kerrville to be specific. My brother had taken the day off to drive us around and show us things that he thought might be of interest to us. He was very familiar with that area of the country and we got to enjoy sites that we probably would never have discovered on our own.

This hub will address the Enchanted Rock State Park which became a National Natural Landmark in 1970. Enchanted Rock was also added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984 which was the date of its being opened to the public as a State Park.

The actual location is north of Fredericksburg on 16710 Ranch Rd 965. One needs to get there early in the day if one wishes to be able to explore and enjoy the park because once the parking lot reaches maximum capacity, the park is closed to any further visitors until someone leaves making room for an additional car. Sometimes this happens as soon as mid to late morning. There are no guarantees as to the timing of it becoming filled so it is first come first served basis of being able to enter the park.

We got an early start and were driven there first so as to assure a look. Serious rock climbing was not on our agenda that day. We did do some walking but did not take any of the trails to get to the top of the pink granite dome.

The small amount of climbing that we did accomplish, considering that we were not prepared in advance, made it abundantly clear that this would be a wonderful outing and place in which to spend more time.

Enchanted Rock is labeled a batholith.

What is a batholith?

A batholith is described as being an underground rock formation that is uncovered by forces of erosion. Originally volcanic in origin there are many examples in North America. 

Enchanted Rock is certainly the largest batholith in the State of Texas and this part of the United States for that matter.

One billion years old are the granite rocks composing Enchanted Rock.   Indians used to reside in this area in the latter centuries and the Tonkawa Indians are credited with naming the outcropping of this notable rock formation.

The elevation is at 1825 feet and Enchanted Rock rises 425 feet high above the surrounding scenery and covers about 640 acres of land out of the 1643.5 acres of the park.

Enchanted Rock is a place in which to do the following activities:

Backpacking

Camping...There are 46 sites for tent camping only.

Hiking...There are 7 miles of hiking trails in total, some of them easier and others more challenging.

Picnicking

Star gazing

Bird watching

Rock climbing...There are 45 established rock climbing routes. One must check into park headquarters before engaging in any rock climbing activities. There is a 1,000 foot Enchanted Rock Fissure that is a challenging climb for enthusiasts.

Caving...One can go through one of the largest known granite caves if one is adventurous enough.  One is guided through these sometimes tight spaces with the only illumination being from hand-held flashlights and headlights worn on one's head.  One is self-directed through the cave by following arrows painted on the sides of the cave walls. 

This should have given you at least an introductory look at Enchanted Rock State Park in Texas and if you are ever in the mood to go exploring and are interested in hiking, climbing or having other types of fun, you now know where to head if you are ever in this part of the country.