Information: Enchanted Rock

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Enchanted Rock

Enchanted Rock (16710 Ranch Rd 965, Fredericksburg TX) is an enormous pink granite pluton rock formation located in the Llano Uplift approximately 15 miles (24 km) north of Fredericksburg, Texas, USA and 15 miles (24 km) south of Llano, Texas. Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, which includes Enchanted Rock and surrounding land, spans the border between Gillespie County and Llano County, south of the Llano River. Enchanted Rock covers approximately 640 acres (260 ha) and rises approximately 425 feet (130 m) above the surrounding terrain to elevation of 1,825 feet (556 m) above sea level. It is the largest such pink granite monadnock in the United States. Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, a part of the Texas state park system, includes 1,644 acres (665 ha).^[1]

1 Geology
2 History
3 Legends and Mysticism
4 Flora and fauna
5 Enchanted Rock State Natural Area and Conservation
6 Gallery
7 See also
8 References
9 External links

Geology

Geological exfoliation at Enchanted Rock State Natural Area

The prominent granite dome is visible for many miles in the surrounding basin of the Llano Uplift. The weathered dome is a monadnock. The rock is actually part of a segmented ridge, the surface expression of a large igneous batholith of middle Precambrian (1,082 ± 6 million years ago)^[2] material that intruded into earlier metamorphic schists and gneiss. The intrusive granite of the pluton was exposed by extensive erosion of the surrounding sedimentary rock (which is primarily limestone).

History

Timeline of Enchanted Rock History ^[3]^[4]
Date	Event
1838	March 16, Anavato and Maria Martinez issued headright grant ownership
1841	James Robinson, Texas politician, acquires property
1844	James W. Robinson sells to Samuel Maverick, lawyer, politician and a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence. Samuel Maverick has the land surveyed for minerals.
1880•1881	Samuel Maverick's widow sells to N. P. P. Browne
1886	N. P. P. Browne sells to John R. Moss John R. Moss sells to J. D. Slator
1895	J.D. Slator sells to two ranching brothers C. T. and A. F. Moss
1927	C.T. Moss's son Tate Moss inherits and opens to tourism
1946	Tate Moss sells to Albert Faltin, who later sells a half interest to Llano rancher Charles H. Moss, C. T.'s grandson
1970	Declared a National Natural Landmark.^[5]
1978	Charles H. and Ruth Moss, by then having full rights, decide to sell the rock. First offer goes to the Texas Parks and Wildlife who are unable to afford the asking price. March 1, The Nature Conservancy, a private concern based in Arlington, Virginia, at the behest of Lady Bird Johnson, acquires the property for $1.3 million, and agrees to act as interim owner until State of Texas can take over, thus guaranteeing that the area will not be open to private development. March 7, The Nature Conservancy, deeds the land to the State of Texas with the agreement that Moss will continue to operate it until June 1 of that year. United States Secretary of the Interior Cecil D. Andrus tells Governor Dolph Briscoe that a Federal land and water conservation grant will be made available for purchase of the area when matched by state funds.
1984	The State of Texas opens it as Enchanted Rock State Natural Area after adding facilities. Enchanted Rock added to the National Register of Historic Places

Archaeological evidence indicates human visitation at the rock going back at least 11,000 years.

According to the book ^[6] The Enchanted Rock published in 1999 by Ira Kennedy ^[7]^[8]

These hunter-gatherers had flint-tipped spears, fire, and stories. With these resources, some twelve thousand years ago, the first Texans became the wellspring of Plains Indian culture.On the basis of archaeological evicence human habitation at Enchanted Rock can be traced back at least 10,000 years. Paleo-Indian projectile points, or arrowheads, 11-12,000 years old have been found in the area upstream and downstream from The Rock. The oldest authenticated projectile point found within the present day park is a Plainview type, dating back 10,000 years.

The rock has been the subject of numerous geological surveys and paintings.

Legends and Mysticism

Folklore of local Tonkawa, Apache and Comanche tribes ascribes magical and spiritual powers to the rock (hence the name 'Enchanted Rock'). While attempting to hide from Anglo settlers in the area, the Natives would hide on the top two tiers of the rock, since they were unable to be seen from the ground below. The first European to visit the area was probably Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca in 1536. The Tonkawa, who inhabited the area in the 16th century, believed that ghost fires flickered at the top of the dome. In particular they heard unexplained creaking and groaning, which geologists attribute to the rock's night-time contraction after being heated by the sun during the day. The name "Enchanted Rock" derives from Spanish and Anglo-Texan interpretations of such legends and related folklore; the name "Crying Rock" has also been given to the formation.

The following is on a plaque on Enchanted Rock^[9]

From its summit in 1841, Captain John C. Hays, while surrounded by Comanche Indians who cut him off from his ranging company repulsed the whole band and inflicted upon them such heavy losses that they fled. Marked by the State of Texas 1936

Other legends ^[10] ^[11] associated with Enchanted Rock are

Named “Spirit Song Rock” for native legends
Revered by native tribes as a holy portal to other worlds
Anyone spending the night on the rock becomes invisible
Spanish priest fled to the rock pursued by native tribes, disappeared, and returned to tell a mystic tale of falling into a cavern and being swallowed by the rock, encountering many spirits in the tunnels, eventually to be spit out two days later
Haunted by spirits of warriors of a now-extinct native American tribe who were slaughtered at Enchanted Rock by a rival tribe
Haunted by a native American princess who threw herself off the rock after witnessing the slaughter of her people
Alleged sacrifices at the rock by both Comanche and Tonkawa tribes
Believed to be a lost silver mine, or the lost El Dorado gold
Bad fortune and death will befall anyone who climbs the rock with bad intent
Footprint indentations on the rock of native American chief who sacrificed his daughter, condemned to walk Enchanted Rock forever
Woman’s screams at night are of a white woman who took refuge on Enchanted Rock after escaping a kidnapping by native Americans
Spanish soldier Don Jesús Navarro’s Enchanted Rock rescue of native maiden Rosa, daughter of Chief Tehuan, after her kidnap by Comanches intent on sacrificing her on the rock

Flora and fauna

Sedum growing on top of Enchanted Rock near a vernal pool.

More than 500 species of plants.^[12] Four chief Plant Communities - Open Oak Woodland, Mesquite Grassland, Floodplain, and Granite Rock Community.

Vernal pools, ecologically threatened depressions of flora and fauna adapted to harsh environments, contain fragile invertebrate fairy shrimp.

Wildlife includes bats, ringtails, squirrels, and fox. A wide variety of lizards, including the Texas Horned Lizard can also be found.

Designated a key bird watching site,^[13] includes Wild Turkey, Greater Roadrunner, Golden-fronted Woodpecker, Western Scrub-Jay, Pyrrhuloxia, Canyon Towhee, Rufous-crowned Sparrow and Black-throated Sparrow, Lesser Goldfinch, Common Poorwill, Chuck-will’s-widow, Black-chinned Hummingbird, Vermilion Flycatcher, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Bell's Vireo and Yellow-throated Vireo, Blue Grosbeak, Painted Bunting, Orchard Oriole. Vesper Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, and Harris's Sparrow

Enchanted Rock State Natural Area and Conservation

Park activities include caving,^[14] hiking, primitive backpack camping, rock climbing and picnicking. The Summit Trail^[15] is the most popular hiking path.

Emphasis is placed on activity safety and ecological preservation. Visitors are asked to keep human incursion at a minimum, not disturbing plants, animals or artifacts.^[16]

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department partners with Friends of Enchanted Rock,^[17] a volunteer-based nonprofit organization that works for the improvement and preservation of Enchanted Rock State Natural Area. Scheduled Summit Trail tours are the third Saturday of the month starting April, May, September, October, November, and December. Private tours are available for groups at other times.

Gallery

Enchanted Rock in 1912, showing exfoliation of the granite parallel to the surface.^[18]

An aerial view in Sept. 2008.

A view from the top in July 2008. Rain clouds can be seen in the distance.

References

^ "State Natural Area, Enchanted Rock". Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept. http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/enchanted_rock/. Retrieved 6 May 2010. Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept
^ Walker, Nicholas, Middle Proterozoic geologic evolution of Llano uplift, Texas: Evidence from U-Pb zircon geochronometry, Geological Society of America Bulletin 1992;104;494-504
^ Kohout, Martin Donell: State Natural Area, Enchanted Rock from the Handbook of Texas Online. Retrieved 06 May 2010. Texas State Historical Association
^ "History, Enchanted Rock State Natural Area". Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept. http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/enchanted_rock/#hist. Retrieved 6 May 2010. Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept
^ "National Landmark, Enchanted Rock". National Parks Service. http://www.nature.nps.gov/nnl/Registry/USA_Map/States/Texas/NNL/ER/index.cfm. Retrieved 6 May 2010. National Parks Service
^ "History, The Enchanted Rock". TexFiles. http://www.texfiles.com/enchantedrocktexas/enchantedrockhistory/partone.htm. Retrieved 6 May 2010. TexFiles
^ "Kennedy, Ira - Bio". TexFiles. http://www.texfiles.com/irakennedy/index.htm. Retrieved 6 May 2010. TexFiles
^ "Kennedy, Ira - Articles". TexFiles. http://www.texfiles.com/irakennedy/articles.htm. Retrieved 6 May 2010. TexFiles
^ "Hays, John C. - Plaque". Alison Chains - Flickr. http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://farm1.static.flickr.com/171/424588254_875afef0ff.jpg%3Fv%3D0&imgrefurl=http://www.flickr.com/photos/alison_chains/424588254/&usg=__2Wyq3dEj_DYlBeYaKuo-ZlHN1qU=&h=334&w=500&sz=114&hl=en&start=8&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=z0hJEtAIS-AcoM:&tbnh=87&tbnw=130&prev=/images%3Fq%3Denchanted%2Brock%2Bplaque%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26tbs%3Disch:1. Retrieved 6 May 2010.
^ Kohout, Martin Donell: Legends, Enchanted Rock from the Handbook of Texas Online. Retrieved 06 May 2010. Texas State Historical Association
^ "Legends & History of Sacred Enchanted Rock". Scribd. http://www.scribd.com/doc/21751527/The-Legends-History-of-Sacred-Enchanted-Rock. Retrieved 6 May 2010. Texas Tourism Press
^ "Photo Experience and Plant Life, Enchanted Rock". Enchanted Rock State Natural Area. http://www.enchantedrockstatenaturalarea.com/enchanted-rock-photo-experience-and-plant-life/. Retrieved 6 May 2010. Enchanted Rock State Natural Area
^ "Bird Watching Sites, Enchanted Rock State Natural Area". Trails.com. http://www.trails.com/tcatalog_trail.aspx?trailid=XFA044-031. Retrieved 6 May 2010. Trails.com
^ "Caving at Enchanted Rock State Park (a video tour)". Morning Star Productions. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9LCapEbMt4. Retrieved 6 May 2010. Morning Star Productions
^ "Summit Trail, Enchanted Rock". Austin Explorer. http://www.austinexplorer.com/Locations/ShowLocation.aspx?LocationID=1712. Retrieved 6 May 2010. Barron, Robert
^ "Information Brochure, Enchanted Rock State Natural Area". Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept. http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/pwdpubs/media/pwd_br_p4507_0119l.pdf. Retrieved 6 May 2010. Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept
^ "Friends of Enchanted Rock". Friends of Enchanted Rock. http://www.friendsofenchantedrock.com/about/about.htm. Retrieved 6 May 2010.
^ Paige, S. 1912. Llano-Burnet folio, Texas. United States Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, Folios of the Geologic Atlas, No. 183, 16 pp. (See Plate 10)

External links

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