Texas Parks and Wildlife Acquires 630 Acres Near Enchanted Rock

This past summer, I made my first trip to Enchanted Rock State Natural Area located near Fredericksburg, Texas. It was a definite bucket list adventure for me and I challenged myself to make the climb to the summit.

The view from the summit was spectacular.

According to a recent media release, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), recently acquired 630 acres adjacent to Enchanted Rock State Natural Area. The property, which had the potential to hold a subdivision with hundreds of new homes, will now become a part of Enchanted Rock’s iconic park, offering new recreational opportunities at one of the most popular and visited sites in the state.

“We are so excited that we were able to acquire this property and that we will be able to give the hundreds of thousands of Enchanted Rock patrons new opportunities to recreate in this part of the state,” said Rodney Franklin, Director of Texas State Parks. “This addition is the latest win for Texas State Parks as we work towards enhancing some of our existing sites and continuing our gold medal-winning stewardship to the people of Texas.”

TPWD was first made aware of the available land when local park staff noticed a for-sale sign and relayed the information. TPWD reviews potential opportunities all over the state to determine feasibility. In this case, TPWD engaged our official nonprofit partner, Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, to help secure this important piece of property.

This property will provide an expansion to recreational opportunities at the park while also protecting the delicate natural and cultural resources near Enchanted Rock, including the night sky and Sandy Creek. Additionally, this could help ensure the view of the hill country from on top of the rock remains beautiful and expansive.

Now that the sale has been finalized, TPWD will develop a plan with input from the public to determine what the recreational opportunities for the property will be. This plan may take many months to complete, but the public will be kept informed of any upcoming milestones including a potential opening date.