Enchanted Rock State Natural Area
Trail: Summit Trail
Last hiked May 30, 2022
Trail Type: Hiking
Distance We Hiked in January: 2.94 miles
Amount of Time it Took Us: 1 hr. 13 mins.
Our Elevation Gain: 572 ft.
Park Rating: challenging
Mike & Elaine’s Rating: challenging/difficult
Our Notes:
Enchanted Rock is a huge pink granite dome located in the Texas Hill Country. The summit of this geological wonder is at 1,823 feet, and you can hike it all the way to the top! There are a total of 11 miles of hiking trails to try in this park ranging from easy to difficult. The terrain here includes giant boulders, jagged rocks, awe-inspiring views, oak trees, mesquite grasslands, cactus and various other flora and fauna, vernal pools, and amazing geological formations. There is also interesting history, myths, and legends to read about at this incredible natural area. Be sure to make advance reservations before heading to the park, as they only allow a certain number of cars in at a time.
After some pretty tough hikes at Lost Maples the previous two days, we arrived at Enchanted Park on a whim on our way back home and did not intend to do much other than hike to the summit. The Summit Trail is only .8 miles to the top, but it is a climb and considered challenging. Actually, though, we didn’t consider it to be as difficult as some of the steep inclines we had previously conquered in the days before at Lost Maples. At least here, the ground is solid granite underneath your feet and not a lot of loose rock like what we had experienced on our previous days’ trails. The hike up the dome is incredible and as you go higher you can turn around and enjoy quite the view from various vantage points on the way up. Once on top we were rewarded with an amazing 360-degree view of the park and the Texas Hill Country. It had rained a few days before, so we were also lucky to see several vernal pools, or low spots where water collects and a little microhabitat is formed. Equally impressive were what looked to me like little “gardens” of plant life, yellow flowers, and cactus, all very beautiful. It was extremely windy on top of the dome so we definitely had to hold on to our hats. There is a lot of space up on top to roam and some boulders to climb on top of for that special view. We spent a bit of time wandering around, and then headed back down the hill.
On our way down we were rewarded with a close encounter from one of the long and slithery inhabitants of the park – a snake. It was at least six feet long. I had passed right by it, Mike right behind me, when Mike jumped a mile high as the snake moved across his path. It seemed pretty undisturbed by us but did draw a crowd of onlookers as it made its way into a rock pile on the other side of the trail. We could tell by the shape of its eyes and head that it was nonvenomous, so we weren’t too concerned. I have to say, it is one of the biggest snakes I have ever seen in person, so it was a cool experience.
We were pretty tired and hungry by the time we returned to the base of the dome, so we ate some lunch and pondered the map to see if we could do another short hike before heading home. We decided to try the Echo Canyon Trail, which led to Moss Lake, but after wandering around for a bit we simply couldn’t find the trailhead for it. We were pretty exhausted from several days of tough hiking anyway, so we decided to call it a day and head on down the road toward home. However, Enchanted Rock is definitely on the list for a return visit so we can hit more of the trails.
This was a great last-minute visit to an incredible park. I think I would even like to try camping there at some point and definitely try out more of the trails. This natural area is a popular destination, so plan for crowds, as well as possibly not having regular bathroom facilities to use. There was an extreme drought going on during the time we visited and a water shortage, so the only bathroom facilities available were port-o-lets. But hey, small price to pay for such an amazing experience!
Links to the state natural area and trails below:
https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/enchanted-rock
https://tpwd.texas.gov/publications/pwdpubs/media/park_maps/pwd_mp_p4507_119q.pdf