Copyright The Austin Chronicle
Enchanted Rock State Natural Area outside of Fredericksburg nearly tripled in size with the purchase in January 2025 of 3,073 acres on the northern edge of the park. The section is in addition to a 630-acre tract adjacent to the south side of the natural area purchased in September 2024. The latest addition is a former cattle, exotic animal, and hunting ranch. Funding for the purchases came primarily from the Centennial Parks Conservation Fund approved by voters in 2023. If previous park acquisitions are a guide, it will be years before the public is allowed unfettered access to the additions. Currently the only way to visit the new sections is on a once-a-month guided tour with the park’s Interpretive Ranger. The 1.6-mile ranger-led hike follows an old pipeline road to a small lake built by the previous owner. The first thing you notice about the north section is the thick layer of grass. Lush and about knee-high, the green carpet looks like a cattleman’s dream. Surrounding the meadows are trees of all sizes and descriptions casting welcoming shade. The healthy ecosystem of the section is testament to good land management before it was added to the state inventory of special places. Everywhere you look there are outcroppings of the famous pink granite. Some of the rock formations look smooth and rounded. Other formations are large boulders placed haphazardly as splashes of color on a field of green. One of the state’s most popular parks, Enchanted Rock attracts 250,000 visitors a year to hike the 460-foot granite dome. Popular with rock climbers, the park is a state natural area with limited amenities. What TPWD decides to offer on the expanded property is to be decided. Enchanted Rock State Natural Area is about 18 miles north of Fredericksburg. Hikes to the north section are scheduled for November 20 and December 18. 1,777th in a series. Everywhere is a day trip from somewhere. Follow “Day Trips & Beyond,” a travel blog, at austinchronicle.com/day-trips. This article appears in October 24 • 2025.
