JUNE 201 4 SUNRAYS | 63
ONLINE:
SCTXCA.ORG
Editor’s Note: This is the first in a series
of articles highlighting nearby locations
that could make for a fun day trip. With
summer upon us, resident writer Sandy
Nielsen will take us to sites throughout
Central Texas worth visiting. Have a
happy summer and safe travels—wher-
ever you go!
C
aptain Jack Hays, surveyor and
legendary Texas Ranger, was un-
der attack by Indians. Cut off
from his men, a desperate Hays climbed
the giant pink granite dome behind him,
seeking cover. Finding a depression in
the rock, he flattened himself and man-
aged to hold off his attackers for three
hours until his men could reach him and
chase away the Indians.
The year was 1841 at what is now En-
chanted Rock State Park, about 90 miles
from Sun City Texas and 18 miles north
of Fredericksburg.
Rising 425 feet above the base elevation
of the park and covering more than 640
acres, the rock has long been a focus of
local myth and legend. Its creaks and
groans as the temperatures change made
nearby Native Americans uneasy. They
told the tale of an Indian maiden who
threw herself off the rock to prevent
capture by an enemy, and whose spirit
remained to haunt the site.
More than 250,000 people visit the park
each year, to catch their breath over the
360-degree views of the surrounding hill
country, and to hike the surrounding
trails. Climbing the rock, a feat accom-
plished recently by members of the Sun
City Texas Hiking Club, is similar to
climbing the stairs of a 30- to 40-story
building.
The park is open daily from 8 a.m. to 10
p.m., and offers opportunities for hiking,
picnicking, camping, bird-watching, geo-
caching and stargazing. Entrance fees at
Enchanted Rock State Park are $6 each
for those under 65, $3 with a Bluebonnet
Pass (indicating a senior citizen) or free
for those born before August 31, 1930, or
with a State Park pass. For more infor-
mation, visit the Texas Parks &Wildlife
website at
or call
the park at 830-685-3636.
Source: Texas Parks & Wildlife
Enchanted Rock:
Magical, Haunting, Breath-taking
By Sandy Nielsen
Sun City Texas Hiking Club members pose for a “summit” photo on Enchanted Rock.
Photos submitted by Sandy Nielsen
