Epic Enchanted Rock Hiking

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If you think Enchanted Rock hiking in Fredericksburg is not epic, then you must argue with my son. Haha…

Seriously though. When you ask people about best hiking trails in Texas, hiking at Enchanted Rock State Natural Area will be one of them. There are 8 trails at the park, and the famous one is Summit Trail where you will hike to the top of the rock.

Where is Enchanted Rock?

Just 18 miles north of Fredericksburg, there raised a massive pink granite dome called Enchanted Rock that said has drawn people for thousands of years.

Fredericksburg is a small town in the Texas Hill Country that is rich in German heritage. People from Austin and San Antonio and as far as Dallas and Houston are frequenting this town for a weekend getaway. People come for its history, shopping, food, wineries, and of course, exploring its beautiful natures like Enchanted Rock. In fact, Enchanted Rock is the number one outdoor activities in town as well as one of the first things to do when you visit Fredericksburg.   

Distance from big cities in Texas to Enchanted Rock

– Austin : 96.4 mi / 1h 45m

– San Antonio: 87.8 mi  / 1h 30m

– Dallas: 247 m / 4h

– Houston: 256 m / 4 h

– Fort Worth: 213 mi / 3h 30m

My family and I live in the south of Fort Worth, and we like to take the back road instead of the highway when we go to Fredericksburg. The driving time is only five to ten minutes different, but there are so many things to see along the way. A nice quick stops between Fort Worth and Fredericksburg.

Address: 16710 Ranch Road 965, Fredericksburg, TX 78624.

Epic Enchanted Rock Hiking

After several visits to Fredericksburg, we finally made the Enchanted Rock hiking during one spring break. One of their busiest time of year. September through May is their busiest time since weather in Texas is cooler. Doesn’t mean you can’t do the Enchanted Rock hiking in summertime, but you must start early in the morning. 

In our first attempt to get into the park, we had to turn around because the gate was closed and the wait line was about a mile long. The sign said the park would be open again in about 2-3 hours. There’s no way we would wait that long.

Then we came back 2 days later, after we talked with the lady who camped with her children next to us at the Lady Bird Johnson Municipal Park. She said we needed to leave early in the morning to make sure we could get in. They were pretty busy during spring break.

We arrived slightly before 8 a.m. and there wasn’t a line to the entrance at all. The weather was nice and the crisp air welcoming us at the base of the dome. We saw people in a distance, hiking almost to the top of the Enchanted Rock already. We also saw a lady who was on her way down. What time did she start? I wonder.

We hiked Summit Trail to the top (1,823 ft.), which was the most famous trail in Enchanted Rock. Our 9 year old son zoomed ahead of us and I had to warn him to slow down when I saw good spots for pictures because there was plenty of interesting rock formations on the way to the top.

The distance to the summit was .67 mi with difficulty challenging. It would take around 45 minutes to do the Summit Trail Enchanted Rock hiking, but we did it around 30 minutes. I think because that was the first activity we did for the day, and we were so excited that we finally made it there.

I have to warn you that climbing the rock from this trail is like climbing the stairs of a 30- or 40-story building. So, you better plan on doing it in the early morning, and have a good breakfast.

When we reached the summit, we filled up ourselves with water and snacks then started exploring the area. We saw several vernal pools that developed into microhabitats, home to a unique group of plants and animals. We looked for fairy shrimp, a tiny translucent freshwater shrimp that live in this pool but we couldn’t see any. Also, we could see part of Fredericksburg from the top! Epic!

Our son had a blast here; climbing and crawling in a huge open area. He found a cave like between the rocks and followed it to the other end. There was another boy in front of him and they both tried to find the way out together. I couldn’t fit in there, so I met my son at the other end from above.

When I got to the end, a father and his son were standing there, and told my son and the other boy to crawl carefully because there were cactus along the opening. The son told the father to stop giving them direction. Apparently, he came out from there fast without thinking and… yes, he fell on the cactus and he still had thorns on his bottom. And the boy who was crawling in front of my son was his younger brother. He wanted his brother fell on the cactus, too. Oh, boy!

Lots of family and young children at the summit, as well as teenagers and adults. Everyone was happy and exploring around excitedly. During school years, it’s not rare to see groups of school field trip at the park.

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After spending about an hour at the top, we hiked down from a different side that took us to Echo Canyon Trail. It was way easier but our son made his own trail, choosing the steeper one.

The difficulty of Echo Canyon Trail was moderate-challenging. I think it’s because part of the trail is full of big rocks and you must scramble through them. We also screamed to hear our echo but we didn’t hear anything. Too many people??

Echo Canyon ended at Moss Lake but we didn’t go that far. We stopped around the massive boulders, watching someone learning to repel.

On the way back, I saw these elderly couples from the summit. I couldn’t help myself for not asking the man his age because he still looked healthy and fresh. Well, he was 87 and would turn 88 in 2 months! Wow!

Other Trails at Enchanted Rock

1. Interpretive Loop; 0.5 mi; 45 min; easy; this short trail provides an up-close look at many special animals and plants that live near the base of the Little Rock.

2. Loop Trail; 4.6 mi; 2.5 h; moderate-difficult; the longest trail that treks around the perimeter of the park. The granite pathway leads you to incredible views of the natural area. Bring plenty of water. This is also the only trail that pets are allowed.

3. Turkey Pass Trail; 0.7 mi; 45 min; moderate; a shortcut that gives you great view of Enchanted Rock on one side with Turkey Peak and Freshman Mountain on the other.

4. Base Trail; 0.9 mi; 30 min; moderate; from the intersection of Turkey Pass Trail or Echo Canyon Trail, take this trail around the back side of the Rock for a different perspective.

5. Scenic View Trail; 0.1 mi; 45 min; moderate; starting from the south end of the Loop Trail, this short hike will bring you to a scenic view of the surrounding Hill Country landscape.

6. Frontside Trail; 0.3 mi; 20 min; easy; from the base of Enchanted Rock, take this trail through shaded oak trees and connect to Turkey Pass.

Enchanted Rock is an exfoliation dome

Besides Enchanted Rock, there are Little Dome, Turkey Peak, and others that look like a dome as well in the same location. The domes are a small and visible part of a huge underground area of granite called a batholith. The Enchanted Rock Batholith stretches 62 squares miles and most of it is underground.

When you pay a close attention, you will see that the surface of the Enchanted Rock has layers like an onion. It appears to be solid and durable, but it continues to change and erode until today.

After the rock and soil on top wore away, the granite expanded slightly because there was less weight bearing down on it. The expansion caused the dome to split into curved sections. As the outer layer of rock breaks into smaller pieces and slides off, the next layer begins to peel away from the dome. That’s why they call Enchanted Rock an exfoliation dome, as are the other domes there.

I would say a trip to Fredericksburg is not complete without visiting Enchanted Rock State Natural Area and do the Enchanted Rock hiking to the summit.

Have you been there? Tell me your experience by leaving a comment below.

Tips:

– September through May is their busy season. Call ahead if the park is full or not.

– You can make online reservation (521) 389-8900 or take a tour bus from the city.

– Entrance fee: $8/adult; free for kids 12 and under.

– Open daily from 6.30 a.m. – 10 p.m. The park gate is open daily from 8.30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

– May close in wet weather.

– You can camp, rock climb, picnic, study nature, bird watch, geocache, and stargaze as well.

–  Summit Trail may look easy but the hiking difficulty is in challenging category. You might take Echo Canyon Trail then climb to the top at the connecting trail. From the top you can go down through the Summit Trail. It will be easier.

– Arrive early. 8 a.m. is the right time to make sure you get in.

Note: for more information about the park, click here.