Is it enchanted?
Enchanted Rock State Natural State Natural Area is beyond beautiful and perfect for a day out – or night. Located in Gillespie and Llano Counties – 18 miles near Fredericksburg, TX. There are many things that you can do while there. They offer camping, hiking, tours, stargazing, rock climbing, and bird watching. That doesn’t include what’s in Fredericksburg either. It is known that if you go to Enchanted Rock that you also visit Fredericksburg and vice-versa.
So what exactly is Enchanted Rock? It’s name is based on the pink granite rock that is dome shaped. That’s what most people go there for. It has fascinated many people for thousands of years. From Indians to Spaniards to Texas Rangers – it has a deep root in history. Still, what is so ‘enchanting’ about it? Many people claim they feel magic when they climb to the top of the dome. They feel at peace while overlooking the view. It’s also due to the color – pink granite. Very unique.
My boyfriend and I decided to take a day trip up there. It costs $6-$8 per person to just enter to area. And it caps off. So you have to plan your visit there. We went early – we started walking about 10:30am. It was a beautiful day – not that hot (Texas heat can be horrible). Nice breeze and sunny skies. It was PERFECT. In fact, it was a little chilly when you got to the top of the dome.
We went the difficult way. We didn’t mean to. It just sort of happened. We saw other people go up a way that has medium – big rocks that you have to climb over to get to the top of an area. It wasn’t too bad – not for little kids though. We started to walk up the dome. It doesn’t look like it would be difficult to walk up – but it is. At least for us. We had to keep stopping to catch our breath. We hadn’t really done something like that in awhile. For me, walking in everywhere in Europe was just as challenging.
We had finally made it to the top and picked an area to lay down and catch our breath and just relax. Honestly, it may have been a placebo effect, but I did feel at peace up there. I think it was the sense that I didn’t get to see or feel that often, so in a way, it was magical. After relaxing for about 10 minutes, we decided to walk around. It’s a pretty big area, so there was a lot of room to roam around. There was little pools of water with very tiny shrimp. Yes – shrimp. There was little areas of grass up there as well. The only downside and obvious one – it was super windy. So, I would not recommend if you hate wind.
After spending some time up there, we decide to descend the dome and explore another area. This area barely had people and we found an area inside a rock. It was starting to get a little warm, so the coolness in the rock was a nice break. On the other side, we find some people rock climbing.
After spending
5 hours in the park, we decide to visit Fredericksburg because why not? We were in the area anyways. We went to town and found the oldest brewery in Texas. Needless to say, we got a little drunk. The place is called “Fredericksburg Brewing Co.” on main street. We ended up drinking about 5-6 beers between us. It was really fun and delicious.
Fredericksburg deserves it’s own post/info. Just know that it’s great for drinking due to the brewery and local wineries. I would say it’s also a good place for kids because everyone is very friendly and they have a park nearby. We spent the whole day there just walking, talking, eating, and drinking. Honestly, it’s one of my favorite days that I’ve had in awhile.
So all in all, Enchanted Rock is very worth the drive and hike up the dome. Just watch the time you go and the weather because that will absolutely affect how it will be for your visit. I just wanted to share my experience with you all and hope that you go one day. Thanks for reading!
Knapp On The Go 