Enchanted Rock State Natural Area

The Tonkawa Indians who once lived here believed they saw ghosts fires on top of the batholith; there is no known explanation for whatever they saw. Geologists do explain the mysterious groaning and cracking sounds heard by the Tonkawa as being caused by the rock’s contractions as it cooled at night. The Tonkawa did not know what caused the sounds, but they did believe the rock was enchanted by the “pale man swallowed by” the great pink rock. A conquistador once did lose himself in the batholith as he escaped the Tonkawa who held him captive, but he managed to find his way to freedom. While the Tonkawa believed that he somehow enchanted the place, he believed that other spirits enchanted it, and that as he wandered lost among the rocks he joined them for a while.

We hope you don’t get swallowed by the rock, but we also hope you spend some time there. There is great hiking and rock climbing, and the area has many interesting historical artifacts and geological features. It is a real gem in the Hill Country of Texas.