Enchanted Rock State Natural Area is more than doubling in size with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's January purchase of a 3,073-acre property. In September, the separate purchase of a 630-acre property increased the size of the 1,685-acre park to 2,315 acres. The most recent property acquisition will bring the size of the park to a grand total of 5,388 acres.

The park is known for the iconic pink granite dome that slopes above mesquite and grassland. It's a remnant of the Hill Country's volcanic past known as a batholith: a large igneous intrusion of granite created by the cooling and crystallization of magma beneath the Earth's surface.

The new acquisitions will complement this distinctive feature.

“I'm excited about protecting unencumbered viewsheds for people to come out here and not see houses, condominiums and lights,” says Doug Cochran, Enchanted Rock's superintendent. “Now you can see the great summit that we have from two different perspectives.”

Prior to TPWD's acquisition, the new property had primarily been used for hunting and other private recreational purposes. It also features a rock formation that provides a new scenic vantage point of Enchanted Rock.

Zach Spector, TPWD's chief of land and conservation initiatives, who helped manage the transaction on the agency's behalf, says some standout features on the new property include a large pond with the potential to be stocked with fish, land conducive to the expansion of a backcountry trail system and the opportunity to expand public hunting.

“What makes this special is that we're more than doubling the size of what's arguably the most iconic park in the state of Texas in an area that's quickly getting hemmed in by subdivisions and development,” Spector says, adding that the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, the state agency's nonprofit partner, also played a crucial role in the acquisition process. “This was an opportunity to buy over 3,000 acres on the northern boundary that will fundamentally alter the visitor experience because of the additional elbow room folks will have.”

The 630- and 3,073-acre properties are located, respectively, on the south and north ends of the original property. Prior to the recent acquisitions, the park's boundaries hardly expanded beyond the granite dome itself and the nearby rocky outcrops. According to Cochran, the expansion of the park protects more of the batholith that extends beyond original park boundaries and allows visitors to gain an enhanced perspective of the rock's place in the wider ecology and landscape of the region.

The $43 million purchase kicks off a big year for state park acquisitions. Funding for this purchase came from sales tax revenue on sporting goods and a one-time legislative appropriation. Later this year, TPWD seeks to buy its first property with use of the $1 billion, voter-approved Centennial Parks Conservation Fund that passed in fall of 2023. Rodney Franklin, TPWD's director of state parks, says the agency is especially interested in acquiring new park property near what's known as the “Texas triangle” between Houston, Austin-San Antonio and the DFW metroplex so that new parkland will be easily accessible from areas with the highest density of Texans.

“What we're prioritizing are parks within 90 minutes of major metroplexes and down in the Rio Grande Valley,” Spector says. “Of course, we're open to any property across Texas that would make a special state park.”

Cochran, the park superintendent, is excited that the state natural area's expansion will enable it to accommodate more visitors and offer different visitor experiences. Enchanted Rock is among the most popular destinations in the Texas state park system. During the spring and summer high seasons, overnight and day passes require reservations and usually sell out. In Texas, where less than 5 percent of land is publicly owned and population has grown about 50 percent since 2000, high demand for park access can lead to long lines and closed gates.

In spite of high visitation and development in Llano County, Robert Deming, former president of the state natural area's nonprofit partner, Friends of Enchanted Rock, says the park has managed to retain the dark skies and quiet solitude that he experienced on his first visit in 1984. In 2014, Enchanted Rock became one of the first two Texas state parks designated as International Dark Sky Parks by the International Dark-Sky Association. With the new acquisitions, Deming believes TPWD has increased the likelihood of preserving those experiences for future generations. “The possibilities are amazing,” Deming says. “I see the possibility of a multiday backpacking trail or mountain bike trail though the park. Those are rare in Texas. We don't have many opportunities for that on public land.”

---