Having first heard stories about the strange spooky noises at night, I finally saw Enchanted Rock for myself while on a field trip with my college geology class.
Geology
As our van rose over the ridge, I saw in the distance a massive pink granite mountain surrounded by the Texas Hill Country.
That pink dome is the batholith (inner lava chamber) of an old volcano, now exposed and dominating its surroundings. It’s in fact the largest of its kind in the United States.
At an elevation of 1825′ above sea level, the steep 430’ climb is a real thigh-burner.
Indians and early settlers to the area often heard strange spooky noises at night, which we now know is merely a result of the granite cooling after daytime heating.
There are lots of neat geological features to see, although I can’t find any names to describe them, like Garden of the Gods in Colorado does. I think I’ve seen names on trail maps, that I’ve since lost (I’m just now updating the pictures in 2024). So in the tradition of Garden of the Gods, which we had recently visited for our third time, I’m going to suggest names for these interesting rocks:
The exfoliation here is so amazing:
The views are as big as Texas:
Autumn Best time to Hike
November is absolutely a great time to visit. It’s often cooler and less humid, allowing for more comfort and opportunity for huge blue skies.
Although spring is also cool, it is more stormy, meaning tornado warnings are more prominent.
Also in November, it’s still green enough before winter really hits in December through January.
I first brought my kids for a geology trip in 2005, but now we were returning for the annual Awana Club Junior Varsity hike and picnic, thus a mix of pictures from our various trips.
To see more photos check my Flickr set.
