Enchanted Rock One Day Epic Loop
Enchanted Rock State Park is fast becoming one of my favorite State Parks in Texas for multiple reasons.
The first reason is just how centrally located it is to so many major cities in Texas and secondly for how much fun you can have by combining multiple trails for all levels of hiking fitness.
During my first trip to Enchanted Rock we combined the most popular trails to make a nice 4-5 mile loop that showcases the highlights of Enchanted Rock.
- Summit Trail
- Echo Canyon Trail
- Base Trail
- Turkey Pass Trail
- Frontside Trail
Summit Trail 1.6 Miles
The Summit Trail is the highlight of the park and for most people might be the only trail they actually do in the park. I recently wrote a post covering the trail HERE. This trail is of course a must do if you are visiting Enchanted Rock since it will give you the best views of the park and the surrounding Hill Country.
This hike while labeled as "challenging" according to the park map, I would mark it as "moderate" at most. While it may take some longer than others I do believe anyone is able to make it all the way up.
The trail takes an estimated 0.8 miles from the trailhead to the top of the massive granite rock.
Echo Canyon Trail .5 Miles
The loop that we took and I recommend most to follow if they are short on time but want to see the entire park is the Echo Canyon Trail.
Now connecting to this trail is rather tricky since when you descend from the Summit Trail it is easy to miss the connection that takes you to Echo Canyon. Keep a look out for yellow arrow markings that will point you the correct way.
You will know you are on the right trail when you hike by some major boulders next to map boards showing the trails around the main granite rock.
Once you connect from Summit Trail to Echo Canyon Trail you are looking at about half a mile hike through rocky terrain until you hit a junction for your next section.
Base Trail .7 miles
After leaving the Echo Canyon Trail you will connect to the Base Trail which will circle around the main granite rock in the center of the park.
This part of the loop is rather nice with flat terrain and not a lot of trees to block the amazing view of the sky high massive rock.
Turkey Pass Trail . 7 miles
This connection is a bit hard to find depending on how much construction there is on the trail when you visit. During my time in the park we ran into a lot of blocked areas due to trail restoration projects which blocked access to some of the far loops.
This part of the trail reinforced why I push everyone to have a plan and carry a map on these trails at all times. We ran into a couple who seemed to have been out here quite some time and could not figure out how to get back to the main trail head.
We where able to direct them the right way and pretty much told them to follow us on the way out.
Frontside Trail .3 miles
The final push of the loop around Enchanted Rock is the Frontside Trail which at .3 miles is just a quick connection back to the Summit Trail and on your way home!
Enchanted Rock Epic Loop
This loop of Enchanted Rock is my recommendation for any first time visitor to the park and someone who wants to be able to see the highlights of the park in one visit.
This loop offers a nice variety and scenic views that no single trail in the park will offer. My next visit to the park will definitely include the entire Loop Trail which is around 4.6 miles and goes around the entire edge of the park. This trail really intrigued me but my priority for my first visit and for most people will be reaching the top of the granite rock and seeing a variety of scenic overlooks around the park.
The mileage of this Epic Loop will vary to everyone who does it but should not stray over 5 miles unless you encounter some major closed trails along the way.
Have you been to Enchanted Rock? What was your favorite part of the park?
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