Enchanted Rock | A Stone’s Throw from The Clearing

Enchanted Rock is a spectacularly massive, pink granite batholith in the Texas Hill Country.

It’s also a mere stone’s throw from The Clearing (an imagined place in the just as fictitious Texas county of Comanche, and the setting for AZURE Death in the Texas Hill Country).

Postcards from Enchanted Rock

I used the occasion of my birthday to shame my family into climbing Enchanted Rock with me.

<<< Should I go ahead and mention that my post-millennial daughters took issue with this picture of “This is me upon reaching the summit of Enchanted Rock”? They informed me, my use of a bitmoji of myself is not how things are done, especially on social media. I nodded, in a way they assumed was agreement, then snapchatted this photo to both of them. Followed by three more. Bam.

It was a spectacular day, midweek, early June, and surprisingly, not all that crowded or hot out.

My motive, besides the quality family time, was to shoot some video footage for my AZURE Death in the Texas Hill Country book trailer.

As impressive as that sounds, please keep in mind I have no idea how to make a video book trailer. I read somewhere it’s something I’m supposed to do for my novel. Please anticipate the release of what will most likely be more of a blooper reel.

I did, however, get about a hundred snapshots.

Information You Can Actually Use

Enchanted Rock is a State Natural Area within the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. You can download the trail map here.

 

It is best to check the park’s website before you go because there is a limit to how many people are admitted. The day we visited there was abundant parking and almost no hikers.

Our trek around Enchanted Rock State Natural Area took about three hours. We hiked directly to the summit (Summit Trail is marked with a lime green dotted line on the map), had a good look around then took a less travel route down (we ended up on the Echo Canyon Trail, the red dotted line). Afterwards we sat at a picnic table to cool down and enjoyed some ice cold waters from the cooler we had left in the car.

The park entrance is located 18 curvy, yet scenic, miles north of Fredericksburg on Ranch Road 965.

If you’ve never been to Enchanted Rock, I’d encourage an outing.

It’s breathtaking, the scenery and the hike. Just be sure to bring good walking shoes, a camera and a bottle of water.

 

Have you visited Enchanted Rock?

I’d love to hear your travel tips!