Enchantment Rock State Natural Area opens its gates at 8am. We had planned to arrive at 7:30 to beat the Spring Break crowds, but we received a timely warning that earlier would be safer, so we set our alarm for 4am and got there by 6.
Google Maps has the entrance marked a bit farther down the road than it actually is; we missed it at first and had to turn around. There was already a car parked outside the gate when we drove past. We did a U-turn as soon as it was safe and got back to the entrance like two minutes later, and by then we were third in line. More cars immediately lined up behind us. By 7:30, when the sky was light enough to let me take this photo, the line stretched out of sight down the road.
Enchanted Rock as seen from the driveway: basically a granite dome 425 feet high.
When the gate was opened we paid our entry fee, parked the car and headed up the rock. At the bottom there are trails, but pretty soon it’s all just granite.
It’s steep enough to be a workout, but still more of a walk than a climb.
In the background of the next photo you can see the endless line of cars full of people hoping to be let into the park. Only a certain number of visitors are allowed in at a time.
We felt very thankful to be up on the rock instead of sitting in line!
It took us maybe 10 or 15 minutes to reach the summit…
…and find the USGS benchmark.
Being out in the wild climbing again felt amazing, and the views were great.
There’s a cave entrance near the summit with an exit about halfway down the back face. I guess you could climb up through it from the other direction, but it would be harder. Even doing it downhill, the experience was more intense than I had expected. Here is the entrance:
Once you go in, it gets pitch black fast. We had planned to explore the cave and brought our trusty little camp lantern with us as a flashlight.
Most of the pics I took inside the cave came out blurry, since I couldn’t manually focus in the dark and my camera’s autofocus usually grabbed the wrong subject during the moment of flash.
The most important thing is to follow the arrows. They keep you going in the right direction.
It was super fun, but I wouldn’t say it was easy.
There were some really tight spots. A larger person wouldn’t physically be able to make it all the way through this cave.
You practically have to be a contortionist to get through some spaces. That’s my shoe in the bottom left of the next photo.
Speaking of which, I can’t say enough good things about those shoes. I used them hard for four days straight, and my feet felt as fresh and comfortable at the end of the fourth day as they did the morning of the first day. Ariat Terrain H2O waterproof shoes, designed for endurance riders. Easily the best hiking shoes I’ve ever worn. They’re really durable, too. We bought the non-waterproof versions back in 2011 for our trip to the Grand Canyon, and Elizabeth’s pair is still going strong.
I’m not getting paid or anything, I just love the shoes.
Here is the exit. This is not a cave for claustrophobes.
Once we made it out, we just chilled on the side of the rock and watched the turkey vultures circle for a while.
If you click on the next photo to open the full-size image, and zoom in on the red arrow, you can see a little flash of blue from a creek.
I wanted to see the creek close-up, so we made the descent.
Getting down the back face wasn’t as easy as it looked, but we made it to the bottom.
And we found the creek!
We had received a trail map when we arrived, so we plotted the shortest course around the base of the rock and back to our car.
That whole day was so restorative and relaxing. Just tremendously good for the soul.
Google Maps took us home by the scenic route, winding through the hill country on farm-to-market roads, and I enjoyed every mile of it. So much nicer than dealing with I-35.
A few days after we got back, Luke decided it was haircut time again. I think short hair suits him.
So that was this year’s road trip. Elizabeth turned 20 on the third day, but we were all too sugared-out for cake, so her celebration was postponed.
We’re looking forward to the move, and we’re grateful for everything that living in DFW has taught us.
A new chapter of our lives is about to begin, and we’re eager to turn the page.
An Invincible Summer 