Enchanted Rock State Natural Area

It’s a bit of a haul to get to Enchanted Rock from Austin, but totally worth it. It’s truly beautiful out there. Seeing the sun set on the back of the rocks is breathtaking! I’ve been out there a couple of times. The trails are so nice and fairly flat. Don’t get me wrong though, you might find yourself going up a steep incline here and there. Pack a meal and spend the whole day here. It’s a cheap entry and you won’t regret the day trip.

This is a wonderful place to scale rocks, rappelle, hike, fly kites. My close friend and I took his dogs and we were scaling the rock faces without any gear. This is the kind of place that I will take my children to when they are old enough.

We’re not very fit, but it was such a beautiful day that we decided to give Enchanted Rock a try. This was a fantastic hike and we made it just fine. The scenery was beautiful, the hike wasn’t too exhausting and just overall fun. There was a line to get in to the park and quit a few people there, but still very enjoyable. Highly recommend!

What a wonderful gift I gave myself to finally visit Enchanted Rock.
I was in need to connect with nature, and with the glorious weather we’ve experienced in Texas this winter, at hike at Enchanted Rock is exactly what I needed.
The line to get in was long — and it didn’t move fast — but don’t let those frustrations get to you. You pay about $ 7 a person, grab a trail map, park and off you go. We opted for the 4-​mile hike around and then up the summit. It was the path less taken, as we didn’t see many folks a long the way, and we got a lost a few times. But who cares when there’s so much to see: wetlands, plants, and beautiful rocks … yes, I even hugged a massive rock that was calling my name. :)
Take water, even snacks like nuts or a protein bar. Once you make it to the top, you’re gonna want to hang out, soak up your surroundings and just be. I also rec wearing proper hiking shoes with grips. Regular sneakers are fine, but walking on smooth granite, proper hiking shoes will certainly help you out. The park is pet-​friendly — keep your dog on the leash — and don’t forget snacks/​drinks for your fur baby. There were a ton of dogs at the top of the summit (it looked like a mini dog park.) …Can’t wait to take Sexie Texie on my next hike.
And def camping overnight. I bet the sunset and stargazing are phenomenal.

Close to home, scenic beauty and lovely hiking trails… what is not to like about this place. Waiting in line to enter the park can be a pain in the butt, but I am glad that they do require registration as it keeps down on an abundance of litter that seems to accumulate so quickly at most of Texas’ free entrance parks.

Came today for the first time around 2pm. The line to get into the park is long. We waited about 15 min. Not a big deal for us. But maybe they can have more than one teller when it gets busy. The place is clean, except!!! for the restroom!!! Yuck!!! It stinks!!! No handsoap!!! I mean if people pay $ 7/​person, we expect a little better restroom. The rest area restrooms r so much better. Please fix the restrooms!!! We took the summit trail. Beautiful scenery. I’m not very active so it took me 3 stops to get to the summit. Make sure to bring lots of water and some good shoes! Overall, I enjoyed it. It was a good stress reliever!

I decided that I was ready to hike Enchanted Rock after losing a bit of weight and becoming more active. Let me start off by saying I was smart enough to not actually try the whole thing and not the actually rock. Not quite ready for that. But we did hike the left side of the Loop Trail up to the Scenic View. It was about a mile there and a mile back. For someone who is not in shape, at all, and used to living at sea level this was hard. The elevation and climb killed me. But I made it. I survived and it was totally worth it. There are plenty of places to stop and rest, catch your breath.
I felt like it was important to come here and post a review for people who are not in shape to understand its not some leisurely flat stroll around a park, but I am a short fat woman and I did it. Know your limits. Next year’s goal — don’t die! lol
But seriously, it’s beautiful. We went for the sunset and unfortunately I was a little slow so we didn’t quite make it to the look out point before the sunset but it’s still beautiful. And wow is it dark out there once the sun is down.

I’ve made it out to E-​rock twice now. Once in the middle of summer (f’n hot as h*ll man)!! And once this past fall. We enjoyed both trips and each one was unique.
The summer trip was not the best idea, but we planned ahead and brought lots of water and sun screen! I can’t stress the LOTS OF WATER enough — not only to drink, but also to dump on yourselves. It was hot and we hiked the left side of the loop trail. It reminded me of hiking through the dessert! There were thankfully lots of places to stop and grab some shade to cool off.
This fall, we came back and hiked the right side of the park. Now that was beautiful! Even in the fall there were lots of flowers and fauna to see! Lots of cool shady areas and plenty of water running through the streams! We did this during the weekday and it wasn’t crowded at all. Was even able to let the well behaved hiking pooches off since there wasn’t a soul in sight.
There were some climbers out on the back slab that day too. Looked like some fun climbing to go back and try out! We have yet to hike up to the top yet — it doesn’t seem as appealing as the rest of the park, but guess I’ll have to do it one day!

Stunning views! Nice day trip from Austin and not far from Fredricksburg and the wineries on the way in.

If you know what you’re getting into, Enchanted Rock is great! It’s an easy hike to the summit and has nice views. It’s not really hiking-​boot-​hiking… very do-​able in tennis shoes. If I have to tell you not to wear flip flops, then you deserve what you get!
It gets crowded with day hikers from Austin and San Antonio being not very far away, so I recommend going early. They open at 8am to day use, but the office doesn’t open until 8:30am so make sure you bring exact change to leave in the envelope. Otherwise the change you need becomes a «donation» to the park. You can pay via credit card, but you have to call some number, if you even have cell service, and it just seems very inconvenient. Checks are also accepted, if you’re still living in the 20^th century and still carry a checkbook around with you.
Getting there early is not only great to beat the crowds, but also to beat the heat. It was over 90 degrees at noon in the middle of October. And it should go without saying to bring plenty of water… the Texas heat is brutal!
The caves are neat, but be prepared if you’re going to do them! A headlamp over a hand-​held flashlight is HIGHLY recommended. You’ll want your hands free to grab onto rocks where you can. The caves don’t seem to be well-​publicized. I couldn’t find any information on them on Enchanted Rock’s website, and had to google it and watch YouTube videos to know where to find them. There’s a lot of daddy-​long-​leg spiders, so it’s not for the squeamish. And a lot of small crevices to slide through and sketchy places to slide down and hope you land on good footing. It’s fairly well marked with arrows once you’re inside, though the arrow for the entrance has faded in the sun. I wonder if there’s more than one entrance because we didn’t see the clearly marked one that’s in a few other Unilocal pictures. I think there’s multiple exits and that maybe we exited too early. Where we came out was a sketchy part of the backside without a clear path to the trail. The cave did appear to keep going down where we exited, but there wasn’t an arrow and a lot of cob webs with active spiders crawling around so we decided to call it. I didn’t want to get stuck in some dead end hole and get bitten by an obscure spider. That wouldn’t be a good ending to the trip. Oh, and the caves were really hot… I guess because this cave is on the surface and not deep that it’s not cool like other caves.
The trails around the base of the backside of Enchanted Rock were not well marked… they would split off many times not like the map showed, which was confusing. There were also trails with different colored arrowhead markers on them, which we assumed to be for rock climbers because they appeared to go up straight to a steep section, but there wasn’t any info on the map to confirm that.
Moss Lake is pretty anti-​climactic, and I do NOT recommend the Loop Trail. It’s basically a gravelly road… there were literally off-​road mule vehicles driving around, and HOT. We walked by the «scenic overlook» on the map, which is a joke compared to the huge Enchanted Rock that is a scenic overlook.
If you stick to the trails, it’s family and dog friendly. I recommend the caves for the more adventurous. Enjoy and support your state parks!

Enchanted Rock had some beautiful scenery — I was expecting more of a mountain/​hike kind of feel, but the entire climb was literally hiking up a big rock. When we got to the top of the rock, we were able to see much of the city.
There are different areas to Enchanted Rock, depending on what you want to get out of the experience; there are areas for caving, and there is also a trail that you could take to get to a small lake. There are also different paths that you could explore. Personally, I feel like I was only able to see a fraction of Enchanted Rock when I went hiking, because there are definitely lots of activities.
This would be a great place to take family — it’s not too difficult of a hike. In the pay center, we saw that Enchanted Rock had programs for children. I’ve also seen some people bring their dogs to the park. It gets pretty hot during the summers, so I would bring sun screen!
At the end of the hike, my friends and I ended up exploring much of the town that was near Enchanted Rock. There were lots to see!
I definitely want to go caving sometime to get the full experience. Highly recommended.

This place is awesome! There are really not enough words to best describe the adventure of hiking Enchanted Rock. It was a great day trip! We arrived late morning and began our trek. Both taking in the top of the pink rock and living dangerously climbing through the cave it was all so much fun. Once we made it to the top, we sat and enjoyed a packed lunch. Surprisingly there were a lot of visitors this day. But that did not diminish the amazing view! I can’t wait to go back and hike some of the other trails

Great place for the family to spend in the beautiful outdoors, get TONS of exercise and see the most amazing views for miles!
1. Make sure you bring plenty of water and food (no restaurants for miles)
2. Wear sunscreen!
3. Take breathing breaks while walking up the hill if you feel winded (we saw 2 people pass out that thought they could push on).
4. Sit at the top and… Take it all in!
5. Explore the caves!
We love Enchanted Rock! I could just sit at the top for an hour and enjoy God’s beauty. BTW, it can get real windy on top so if you or your kids have very sensitive ears, bring earplugs.

In the Texas Hill Country resides the second-​biggest rock mass in the states, just after Atlanta’s Stone Mountain. Which therefore makes it the biggest rock mass that isn’t endorsed with divisive Confederate army men tattooed on it. Worth a visit, then.
Enchanted Rock got it’s name from Native Americans who were mystified with it. And it’s easy to see why — it’s pink, for starters. Snaggletooth pink. And it’s a great view when you encounter it in the distance for the first time. Even better, it’s an easy .6-​mile trek to the top of it for a nice view from all sides of the surrounding countryside. But even more than the view, I’ll remember the strong winds that lashed me the whole time I was there, not strong enough to be dangerous but enough to be exciting.
The place can apparently fill up the parking lot regularly, but when I arrived on a Saturday May afternoon I scored a space easily. Nevertheless, good to know. Enjoy and let this place enchant you one day.

This is best done in the spring before it gets too hot. This massive slab of rose granite will hear up like a pizza stone in the summer!
It costs $ 7 per person to enter the parking lot and there is a line of cars waiting to enter the park at most times. You will want to wear athletic shoes and bring water and a windbreaker.
The rock is pretty steep but it has good texture so at least the footing isn’t treacherous. You will be warm by the time you reach half way up the rock and start stripping off the layers if you are wearing any.
The view from the top is great and the rock is pretty flat on top — next time I will bring a picnic and enjoy the view for a while.
The whole up and back down the rock can be accomplished in an hour so it is a nice quick activity.

This huge rock, out in the middle of the Hill Country is so out of this world! It’s really like being on a different planet.
The rock is called Enchanted Rock because it groans and moans during summer nights, when the sun heats it up during the day, causing it expand and contract at night.
Admission is a few dollars, which is completely worth it. I recommend getting out early to avoid the crowds, or show up in the late afternoon to catch the sunset at the summit.
Take the Summit Trail, it’s a great hike. It’s not terribly far or hard, but is a great way to get to the top. Be sure to check out the caves. They’re a bit on the cramped side, and you have to be a lil adventurous. But it’s totally worth it. Take hiking boots and a flashlight. Don’t go in flip flops.
The summit is quite beautiful, and there’s lots of great wildlife to see on the way up there.
You’ve got to have common sense when coming out here, as this is just a huge granite dome in the middle of nowhere.

We drove 2 hours from Austin, the way there we passed some very interesting little towns.
Something out of an old classic western movie.
Llano is very special, driving thru that strip of old western looking buildings you *double take* like omg just like in the movies.
Enchanted state park cost $ 7 per person which is well worth it.
You drive up to the park ranger booth thinking your ready to pay for entry and surprisingly you get greeted with the typical Texas hi y’all doing, please proceed and park ahead, go inside and pay, I’m like say what!
Seriously why post a park ranger at the booth just to tell you that your supposed to go in and pay. Maybe that’s one of Obama’s shovel ready jobs he was talking about, hey this is Texas.
So we go inside and pay, once that’s done you get back into your car and drive up to the parking lot.
You have two amazing trails you can choose to hike.
The loop and summit.
The summit trail is a bit more difficult going up steeper more direct and challenging hike.
The loop takes you around the mountain about 4 miles of beautiful trails and the scenic views just reminds you of gods creation.
The amount of cactus grown in that park they might as well change the name to cactus mountain.
We had a blast and took some awesome pictures.
FYI if the weather is 60’s or 70’s wear shorts and a tee shirt for comfort after all you won’t be getting any shade its like the dessert. Don’t forget water it’s hot hot, you’ll need it to keep yourself dehydrated on the 4 mile trek.

This place has a great view and nice incline up the dome but thought it was kind of ridiculous that the dogs need to be on the leash at all times. All in all, a beautiful spot. But get there early to avoid a long wait!

Very nice afternoon hike. Not the biggest rock/​mountain/​natural area I’ve ever hiked but a great spot to take in views of Texas Hill Country.
Take some photos and spend a few hours exploring! Bring water with you, and watch out for the wind at the top.
Take the time to go up to the summit, down the echo trail and around the turkey pass between rock and Turkey Point back to parking.

I was stoked to hike up the much mentioned Enchanted Rock. «Since you love hiking, you HAVE to check it out! It’s THE BEST hiking spot EVER!»…said so many people to me.
So off I went one Sunday with my husband & doggies. The drive from San Antonio was uneventful.
When we got to the rock around 9am, we were directed to wait in a LONG line of cars off the shoulder. I counted at least 25 cars ahead of us. The line snaked further into the parking area, but I couldn’t see how many cars there were beyond the gate.
After almost an hour, we made it into the parking area… or so we thought. But… not quite. We were directed to park, get out and go stand in YET ANOTHER LONG LINE in the ranger station to purchase a day permit — $ 7 per person. No fee for our dogs. So $ 14 total for hubs & me.
Then it was back to the car for us. Back to another long line of cars. Back to being directed & MISDIRECTED by rangers who seemed confused & overwhelmed by the amount of visitors. Was it everyone’s first day on the job???
The whole entrance set up was completely inconvenient & annoying.
As for the hike… best hike EVER? Not even close :/​Robert M. summed it up best in his review. The Rock is too well loved. Crowded… dogs off leash — charging towards & pouncing on us & our dogs (THIS MADE ME SEE RED!!!)…people not picking up after their pets… rambunctious teens/kids…FIRE ANTS! (EEKK…My pup & I are allergic!). MOST STRESSFUL HIKE EVER would be a more accurate description!
Obviously, I was NOT enchanted by Enchanted Rock. Way too busy for my taste. If I had the luxury to go on a weekday, I would have. I’m sure it’s less crowded & less annoying then. But alas, there’s that pesky thing called work that prevents weekday road trips.
So if you can tolerate crowds, by all means, come check it out. It’s nature. It’s beautiful. But I won’t be back.