Cafe's, Grills, & Places to Chill (part III) Enchanted Rock State Park - Texas

 

Well, hello again!!! I hope that everyone out there in cyber-land is doing well. It has been a while since my last post. I have no excuse other than I have just been SUPER BUSY checking places out to write about! (Hey, I am a poet and didn’t know it. Actually, that’s a lie. I did know it. I just thought I would start with a little humor). Anyways, this particular post is going to be kind of a series because there is a lot to talk about. We, (and by “We” I mean my wife and I), recently took a day trip in the hill country of Central Texas. We went to Enchanted Rock, which I will talk about in this post, and then we went to Fredericksburg, (which will be the rest of the aforementioned ‘series’).  So, let me just dive right in.

If you are unfamiliar with Enchanted Rock, then this part is for you… “Once Upon a Time…”, (ha-ha, gotcha). Seriously, a very long time ago, (Wikipedia says 1 billion years ago but I personally do not believe the earth is that old. That is a post for another time), there were various pools of hot liquid magma just under the surface of the Central Texas region. At that time, this entire area was under water. (Continental shift and all that). Anyways, these pools of hot magma pushed up in various places causing dome like protrusions on the surface. These magma pools slowly cooled over time and the material became what we know today as granite. It is a pinkish hue and my Geology Professor in college said in a lecture once that 90% of the commercial/residential granite that is sold in Texas comes from this area.

Enchanted rock is now a tourist attraction and yes you can hike to the top. When you reach the top, you have a full unobstructed view of nearly the entire hill country region of Texas, and you will see there are numerous “granite domes” just like enchanted rock all around. None of the others though are nearly as high or as famous as Enchanted Rock. Enchanted rock’s peak is 425 feet above the base elevation of the park, and at its highest point, is 1825 feet above sea level. It is snuggly nestled within the borders of Enchanted Rock State Park in Llano County and is approximately 17-20 miles north of Fredericksburg. It sits just of FM-965 in a very picturesque area of the Central Texas Hill Country. Because of the large number of Tourists that visit Enchanted Rock, as well as the limited parking, an appointment is necessary to visit the park. I promise though that it is WELL WORTH the visit.

Once you arrive you park in the “check in” parking area and go into the office to check in, pay your entrance fee, and maybe pick up a brochure or souvenir, (Bring Water!!!), if you forget water there are water bottles available for purchase in the park office. You will then be instructed to move your vehicle to the day parking area where you can begin your exploration of the park. The big attraction with Enchanted Rock, (and what nearly all visitors strive for), is to hike to the very top. I promise it is possible. On the day we went, I saw people of all ages, sizes, ethnicities, and so on slowly making their trek to the peak of this beautiful pink dome of Granite. The idea is to follow a zig-zag pattern as you make your way to the top. This will help to prevent total exhaustion, (I promise you are going to get tired, but you will make it). Once you get to the top, the views are incredible. I took lots of pictures which I have shared with you at the bottom of this post. (And YES, the picture at the top of this post of the Handsome Stud in the “America” tank-top with his hands on his hips is none other than ME at the top of Enchanted Rock)

If you decide that you want to take a day trip, and you find yourself in the Hill Country of Central Texas, I highly recommend a stop at Enchanted Rock State Park. I promise you won’t regret it. You may even give yourself a huge self confidence boost and earn a very well-deserved sense of personal accomplishment when you reach the peak and see the amazing views from the top.