Moss Lake Area — Enchanted Rock State Natural Area

of course i had to pick hiking as an activity for my bday!! out of all trails i picked a GIANT PINK GRANITE to hike over and get to the summit. getting to top was such breath taker LITERALLY because i went there in mid winter😅 (bday is in jan). WALKING AND FIGHTING AGAINST THE WIND up near the summit was actually funnn hahahah omg

We didn't camp but checked out the camping areas

There is plenty to see and do here on multiple hiking trails. The Summit Trail to the top is a leg-burner at times but well worth the half-mile effort. Take your time to enjoy the views and the rock formation itself and you'll be able to make it.

We also did the Loop Trail, which is about 4.6 miles around the outside of the Granite Dome and it offers various views of the dome from different angles, which was neat to see.

Several other trails offer different experiences, too, but we'll have to check those out another day. This is a park we'll go back to. Note that you need reservations for timed entry and weekends are way busier than weekdays.

There is rustic camping available both near the parking lot and off of the hiking trails. The ones near the parking lot are just in a grassy area off the asphalt, so not peaceful at all. We thought Moss Lake Camping Area would be nice because you're tenting in clear view of the granite dome the whole time. Also nice that all the hike-in camping areas have vault toilets available.

Bring plenty of water because there is little shade anywhere. Do watch for snakes, we had a rattler on the Loop Trail when we went.

Plenty of parking but RVs would have a tough time maneuvering to anything but the half-dozen spots in the RV lot. And note that RVs cannot camp here. It is tent only, even in the parking lot camping area.

Also note the closest gas is about 18 miles away in Fredericksburg, and there is little to no cell service in much of the park (for Verizon and T-Mobile). If you need a strong signal, you'll have to make the climb up Summit Trail!

I went with a buddy and we had a great time. The sites are clean and spread out. We were in site 9 and it was great. We parked about 70 yards from our site and walked out gear in. The hiking was pretty easy and very nice. We hiked the loop trail and the summit trail to the top of the rock. They were on a water restriction so we had to bring in our own water, but they did have shower and toilets on site for use.

30 minutes out from downtown Fredericksburg for those not doing overnight stay. Prior to enter park there are many flashing signs stating you must have a reservation before entry. When entering park you can stay all day but come at designated entry time. Due to the popularity of the park and time of entry you could be required to park further away. The map is great reference to type of hiking/trails available but also to consider the weather because there is minimum to protect your from the elements. Also, if hiking in the summer I would be cautious hiking midday. I made back down before it hit 90 degrees but even going down I was using my water back. I saw several with toddlers go up part the summit but did not finish the hike. One person was not successful with their child in a hiking backpacks due to steepness of area and heat. If you are a expert hiker with children this is for you I consider this too difficult for toddlers without several breaks. The top really does have stunning views with cooler on this at the top with nice breezes.

Two things I liked:

1. The map is spot on and they have several warnings about considering hiking the summit.

2. The views are breath taking in beauty and exercise.

One thing I didn’t love:

1. It was really crowded in the more rocky areas which for short bit make it a potential ankle twister.

This is a nice park. The rock formation is amazing and has great hiking trails.

There are two different backcountry options in Enchanted Rock State Park. Moss Lake sites are very near to the... wait for it... Moss Lake! The sites are the most remote and away from the more crowded and reservable drive-in section of the park. You have to carry your gear (all water and food) 2 miles in. The trail is fairly level with just some rocky sections but nothing terribly steep or difficult. Walnut Springs is just a little shorter of a hike at 1.5 miles from the parking area. Both are easy to navigate and very well marked.

They’re very scenic back country sites and the grounds themselves are soft sand clearings, some more shaded than others. As I mentioned, you must pack in all supplies including water and remember to pack everything out. The plus is that there are composting toilets near the entrance to both grounds.

It’s $14/night plus a $10 entrance fee per person to the park. The annual Texas State Park Pass will waive that fee and you can possibly get discounts on camping.

The grounds are on the back side of enchanted rock so you’ll have excellent proximity to make the climb in the morning before the crowds arrive! It’s scenic and quiet and so worth the short hike on the loop trail to access these grounds.

There are some great spots out there and you can choose several trails to get to your spot. great views and decent trails and far enough from the other sites to feel isolated and private.

Enchanted Rock State Natural Area is an excellent park to visit for the day or to camp for a few days. It is family friendly with some easy trails, great views and lots of areas to scramble over rock surfaces.

Book a reservation for a day pass for an overnight stay at least a week in advance or it is very likely that there will be not space and you will be turned away at the gate. Yes, even day passes routinely sell out 3 to 4 days in advance.

Enchanted Rock is a huge monolithic granite rock. Most people simply hike up the rock along the main trail. If you take the main route you will likely be following a line of other hikers until you reach the top. However, if you are a little more adventurous, I recommend that you hike along the Echo Canyon Trail until you see the BIG ROCK - you'll know it when you see it. Then cut through the brush and hike up the steep back side of the rock. You'll be rewarded with a more independent and secluded hike.

Of course the view from the top of the rock is why most people visit the park - it is great. You'll have a 360 degree view of the surrounding area. 

At the top of the rock venture toward the collection of boulders. You can scramble on top of the boulders, slide in between the boulders and if you can find the cave, you can immerse yourself within the boulders. You can find the cave by asking someone or looking for the X. Once you find the X you will need to drop down a crevice about 8 feet to enter the depth of the cave. Once you drop down into the crevice you are pretty much committed, because it is a little difficult to exit the crevice. The cave stretches for about 100 yards and takes 30 to 40 minutes to pass through. Once you walk about 20 feet, you’ll be in complete darkness without a light. I recommend that you only enter the cave if you have a headlamp and you secure all of your valuables in a zipped pocket within a backpack. There are sections in the cave where if you drop your light, keys or phone you will not be able to retrieve them. Other than that, have fun walking, crawling and sliding through the cave.

There are walk up campsites on a big open field. On this occasion we stayed at the Moss Lake Primitive Campground. The campsite is nestled amongst a forest. There is plenty of trees and shade to hang a hammock and relax. Texas State Parks require 2 inch tree hugging straps to hang a hammock. There are not facilities at this site, so Leave No Trace principles should be practiced.

This hike was very tiring but also very exciting. At some places on the rock, it did get steep but it eventually became a bit more leveled out. The higher you get, the more you can see the gorgeous landscape. There is limited shade, so lots of water will help from all the sun. Overall, this was a great experience. Definitely would recommend to anyone.

It’s good to know I ✔️it off my bucket list. The energy is serine, the hike up is fairly easy although I would not recommend doing it with very young children.

Gorgeous, well kept trails, primitive camping w/composting toilets, covered close in camping for families, high points to catch a great view or have lunch, lakes, streams, climbing and a park store. The parking lot fills quickly so plan accordingly. With all the rocky terrain and little shade on most trails it’s sure to be hot! BRING H20! A great winter camp ground, warm days and cool nights. No fires in the primitive sites for obvious reasons. A great place to run. Lots of photo ops.

This is a beautiful campground, with so much to explore and do. They have all kinds of campsites to fit your skill set or needs. Had a great time visiting the near by town of Hendrickson and Austin.

While rather difficult to get a campsite here, you won't regret taking the extra effort. The campsites are nestled right along Crabapple Creek at the base of Little Rock, providing astonighing views from all directions. This paired with the classic state park faciltiy access makes it amoung the best in Texas.

you can camp, hike and rock climb here, beautiful

Beautiful place but you'll definitely want to get here early during the summer as it's hot with little shade. If you time your trip right, you'll be able to see vernal pools at the top of the rock - small bodies of water that contain fairy shrimp, among other creatures! They come and go with the wet/dry seasons & are a really cool bit of nature that aren't always so easy to find!

We camped at site 23 and it was really nice! Tree-lined, cozy and semi-private. The tent pads are really hard so bring hammers. The campgrounds closest to the rock have a trail to lead you up to the main trails. Most of the trails have good markers but maps are recommended as some trails are unmarkedice

I go camping here every year! Its pretty hard to get a walk in tent site on the weekends so book way in advance. The sites are always clean the bathrooms are great. The walk in sites have easy access to the small dome for an easy evening hike.

This is one of my favorite places to camp with the wife cause it’s not to harsh and gives some of the best views in Texas. The rock itself is a good climb depending on the route you take, and plenty of hiking surrounding the rock. But at the top you can see the beautiful hill country of Texas and as night rolls in every star in the sky becomes visible. Definitely worth taking a telescope if you have one. They do have restrooms and showers and drinking water is available.

Enchanted Rock State Natural Area is about 1:30 to 1:45 hours west of Austin and just 25 minutes south of Llano. This park gets lots visitors year round. If you are just visiting for the day, arrive early before 9am because the park limits the number of daily visitors. If you have camping reservations you will be granted admission. Make your camping reservations as early as possible because the spots fill up early. If you are not able to reserve a campsite, check out the nearby private campground called Oxford Ranch. The park is known for the Enchanted Rock which is a monolithic granite rock that juts out of the ground. The hike to the top of the rock is less than a mile, but it is a sharp incline. You'll be walking on solid granite. During the summer the temperatures rise sharply and there is limited shade to rest under on the summit. At the top of the rock obscured within a grouping of boulders there is a cave. The cave runs about 600 feet and takes about 30 minutes to walk, crawl and shimmy through. X marks the spot. WARNING: Only enter the cave if you have a headlamp. You will need both hands free to crawl in some areas. If you drop a flashlight or cell phone it will slide away from you and you will not be able to retrieve it and you will be stuck in the cave because it is pitch black. Empty all your pockets of keys, cameras, water bottles, pens, snacks, etc. before you enter the cave and place them securely inside a zipped pocket in your backpack (not in a water bottle pocket). Once again, if or when they fall out you will not be able to retrieve them. And they become trash to future spelunkers. Other than climbing the summit and exploring the cave, there are a series of loop trails from 1 to 4 miles in length. There are a number of hoodoo rock formations, boulders, small ponds in the area. Take at least a liter of water if you plan to hike the loop. The campgrounds are nicely equipped with a sun shade cover, picnic table, fire ring and food hanging post. They are adequately spaced apart, but you will have neighbors. There are critters like squirrels, raccoons and skunks that scavenge food regularly from the campsites, so take adequate precautions and hang your food or garbage.

The campgrounds at Enchanhted Rock aren’t the best. They have nice space and a phenomenal night sky view but otherwise they’re regular joe campsites. But really we’re all coming to see the rock right? THATS why you camp at Enchanted and THATS what makes the mediocre campsites worth it!!!! If you’re wanting to stay overnight (or even get in) book early and come early!!!! This is one of the most popular parks and it regularly has to close due to capacity. However, Enchanted Rock is a MUST see for all true Texans. The summit is steep and hard on a hot day but can boast one of the best views of our great state from the top. Don’t miss it!

Rocky mountains and waterways to explore here, great TX scenery!

Yay: The campsites are well laid out and each has its own shade pavilion. Shower house is well used but clean. You can also do a short (under 5 mile) backpacking trip into the wilderness.

Nay: Busy campsites and trails, but worth it...and as usual the farther you get from the trailhead the more solitude you’ll find.

Surprise: really enjoyed summitting Enchanted Rock! We saw a ton of lizards and of course amazing Milky Way views. We did not see the caves but hope to return.

Been coming here consistently since I was a kid. A truly wonderful Texas treasure with lots of options for camping, hiking, climbing, and caving. Good sites with fire pits and tent pads, in addition to primitive camping.

I think this is one of my more favorite parks I've camped at in Texas. The rock is quite something to behold and it is one of the darker sky areas in central Texas. There is still plenty of light pollution from the nearby towns but you can see many stars. If you are adventurous see if you can find the "caves" at the top of the rock.

Pros: Pretty and cool during the fall/winter. Great trails, "splunking" available, nice campgrounds.

Cons: Small, there are not a LOT of trails, but if you are only hiking there is plenty still.

On my last trip to Enchanted Rock, we were only there for the day, but it was a beautiful day to be at the park since it had just rained the day before (as the rangers will warn you, though, the Rock is slippery when wet!!). I highly recommend camping over the weekend to fully appreciate all the trails at the park, and they have a variety of sites available. Enchanted Rock is also a good park for herp spotting when the weather is right. :)

Main attraction is a dome of rock that you can hike up and walk around freely on, surrounded by trees and water. Visited in the fall, weather was nice. Great for stargazing, lots of people rock climbing too. Nice primitive campsites, bring your own water! Some sites require up to 3 miles of easy hiking to get to the camp sites. No RV sites.

I love Enchanted Rock. I have day hiked here several times and only camped once. Camping was lovely but it comes with a tale of caution.

Very close friends of me were arrested at Enchanted Rock! They were drinking beers (out of cans!) and smoking cigarettes - while this is expressly not allowed, the Park Ranger coulda shoulda given them a warning. Instead of giving them a warning, they called the cops, and the cops came in and handcuffed my buddies. Not cool.

Long Story Short: Don't drink and smoke here or you could get in big trouble.

Short Story Short: Go here for a day hike and go stay in a fancy bed and breakfast in Fredricksburg :)

Spent a fun day trip to Enchanted Rock area. For Texas, it was a really great place to explore and enjoy a picnic and hiking. The area was a bit crowded, but there was certainly enough interest and area to explore to warrant a return trip. Be sure to look for the highest point marker at the top of the Summit Trail! Best time to visit is early spring or late fall when the leaves are changing and temps are cooler.

Enchanted Rock is a staple of the Texas Hill Country! The rock and area is truly unique and a fun experience. Most of the hikes are easy enough for anyone to climb and are all maintained well. I camped at the established campsite area and found all the campsites to be in good order. I feel as though there weren't enough bathrooms and showers for all the people but they were clean and in working order. Simply exploring the area around was fun. I also recommend going through the caves at the summit of the rock, it takes about an hour and isn't for the faint of heart but is a lot of fun! Also, make sure you get there early on busy days because the park fills up quick.

Great hiking and descent rock climbing. A few of the climbing spots have bolts and they are maintained. Great camping area as well. Enjoyed a weekend stay in the well kept area.