| Enchanted Rock State Natural Area | |
|---|---|
 Enchanted Rock and surrounding area | |
   | |
| Location | Gillespie County,Texas;Llano County,Texas |
| Nearest city | Fredericksburg, Texas |
| Coordinates | 30°29′46″N98°49′12″W / 30.49611°N 98.82000°W /30.49611; -98.82000 |
| Area | 5,388 acres (2,180 ha) |
| Created | 1978 |
| Visitors | 306,302 (in 2025)[1] |
| Governing body | Texas Parks and Wildlife Department |
| Website | Official site |
| Enchanted Rock State Natural Area | |
|---|---|
 Map of Enchanted Rock's original boundaries (red), the August 2024 expansion (green), the January 2025 expansion (blue) and the May 2022 expansion (gray). The black line is the boundary between Llano (north) and Gillespie (south) Counties and the jagged blue line is the route of Sandy Creek |
Enchanted Rock State Natural Area is a 5,388 acres (2,180 ha)nature reserve inGillespie andLlano counties,Texas, United States. It opened in 1984 and is managed by theTexas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD).Enchanted Rock, a 425-foot-high pink granitebatholith, is the main feature of the park.[2][3]
Enchanted Rock was held privately for over a century.The Nature Conservancy purchased 1,640.5 acres (664 ha) including Enchanted Rock for $1.3 million to prevent private development. The Nature Conservancy transferred the land to TPWD, and the state purchased an additional 3 acres (1 ha).[4] After building out facilities, Enchanted Rock State Natural Area opened in 1984. In May 2022 TPWD approved the purchase of 41 acres due south of the original boundaries of Enchanted Rock State Natural Area[5] TPWD added 630 acres (255 ha) in September 2024 and formally announced a 3,073 acres (1,244 ha) acquisition on January 13, 2025.[6] The funds for the last two purchases came from the $1 billion Centennial Parks Conservation Fund, which was created in 2023 during the88th Texas Legislature with the passage of Texas Senate Joint Resolution 74 (SJR 74).[7] and voter approval of an amendment to theConstitution of Texas.
Wildlife in Enchanted Rock State Natural Area includeswhite-tailed deer,ringtail,nine-banded armadillo,rock andfox squirrel,eastern cottontail, andred harvester ants. A wide variety of lizards, including theTexas horned lizard, also make the Enchanted Rock area their home.Vernal pools on the rock contain fragile invertebratefairy shrimp.
Designated a key bird watching site,[8] bird enthusiasts can observe many species includingwild turkey,greater roadrunner,golden-fronted woodpecker,Woodhouse's scrub jay,canyon towhee,rufous-crowned sparrow,black-throated sparrow,lesser goldfinch,common poorwill,chuck-will's-widow,black-chinned hummingbird,vermilion flycatcher,scissor-tailed flycatcher,Bell's vireo,yellow-throated vireo,blue grosbeak,painted bunting,orchard oriole,vesper sparrow,fox sparrow,Harris's sparrow,northern cardinal,canyon wren, andlark sparrow.
More than 500 species of plants,[9] from four chiefplant communities; open oak woodland, mesquite grassland,floodplain, and granite rock community are found in the reserve. Specific species includeplateau live oak,Texas beargrass,prickly pear cactus, andsideoats grama.
Hiking the Summit Trail is the most popular activity in the park. Other activities includecamping,picnicking,rock climbing,bouldering,caving, primitivebackpacking,birdwatching,geocaching andnature study.[10][11][12]
TheGranite Gripper is an annualrock climbing competition that acts as a fundraiser for park conservation through the Friends of Enchanted Rock.[13] Emphasis is placed on activity safety and ecological preservation.
Stargazing is available as Enchanted Rock State Natural Area is anInternational Dark Sky Park, certified byDarkSky International.[14] The park monitors sky brightness with asky quality meter, and offers nighttime events like star parties. On new moon nights, the park hasBortle 3 skies; the milky way is fully visible,meteors are common, and the human eye can see more than 6000 stars.[15]
