Enchanted Rock - Is It Worth The Trip?

[case44]

Originally Posted by Marlow

You asked for stories....

I lived in Kerrville for several years in the 90's and it was a 45-minute drive to Enchanted Rock so I went frequently. One night in K'ville we had a beautiful, huge, full moon so I decided that I would go again the next night to watch the moon rise from the top of the rock. Well, being a ding-a-ling, I didn't realize that the moon rises later each night. I climbed to the top (about a 15 minute hike) and watched a lovely sunset and began to wait for the moon to rise. Waited and waited til it was pitch black and...no moon. Because I'm a ding-a-ling, I didn't have a flashlight. I did have my really wonderful dog with me and together we inched down the rock in inky darkness. I fluctuated between panic, embarrasment and amusement but didn't want to spend the night up there. Needless to say we made it down.

Not sure how far you are from it, but it's a wonderful state park and well worth a trip. There are both campsites with amenities and primitive campsites you can hike back to (or at least there were). Do check crowds and availability--during spring and summer the park can get so packed that they stop letting people in.

Good post, Marlow. I live in North Texas, so it would be about a three-to-four-hour trip if I go. And, no, you are not a ding-a-ling. You're just human. Things happen.

[OzzyRules]

Personally, I prefer regular hiking parks to a giant rock/dome. I went once and that was all I could take.

On the other hand, there are some people can't get enough of it. So it really all depends on what you like.

[Cowboybootnut]

I went backpacking there one time, about 12 years ago. It was fun, I stayed in a primitive camping area on the park. I did get woke up by a raccoon who somehow got into my backpack and stole the next day's breakfast. How he unzipped my pack, I don't know. When I woke up I tried everything to scare him away, but he didn't budge.

Since I am a geologist by degree, I love being around rocks. It is a neat geological area. There are some good trails, good scenery, especially during wildflower season. There are some small towns nearby, with hotels and good BBQ.

[Rick4Life]

I went there about a year and a half ago and had a great time. I would suggest going during the winter/spring time because as you know Texas can get very hot and it's an exhausting climb. The temperature inside the caves is very cool and comfortable.

I did not feel any fear when climbing the rock and did it quite quickly. I did not have any fear inside the caves (however there are some tricky wet spots). However, I did get a little nervous when I got out of the cave and had to hike back up to the top again from the other side of the "rock". There was one point where I had to take the gamble and "go for it" or else I would have fallen to my death. I remember the last breath before I started dashing for a rock to grab so I would not roll backwards down the rock. Now... after I made this decision I realized I could have gone a much safer way, which I did not realize at the time I made the choice. Any who, it is a great place to go. Especially on a clear night and having a camp set up. I suggest anyone to visit it at least once.