Enchanted Rock Summit
Destinations,  Texas,  United States

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
Enchanted Rock Epic Loop

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.

Enchanted Rock Trail Descriptions

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.

Enchanted Rock

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?

Follow along the adventures on:

Instagram @gusontherun or Twitter @gusontherun

10 Comments

  • Emma

    This looks like a great hike, and really nice views. And this is definitely the year for exploring closer to home. I’ve been finding good hikes and activities near me that I wouldn’t have really considered in the past for wanting to go further away.

    • Gus

      Thanks! Definitely excited to see what else there is to explore in the U.S. going to be taking advantage of road trips big time this year!

  • Sarah

    That looks like a fantastic hike with lots of good Photography options. I also love that they mark the difficulty and describe all the different routes as that is so useful when deciding which trail to take!

    • Justine

      Thanks for sharing this detailed guide! I’ve never heard of this national park or hike before but the views look awesome!

  • Riana Ang-Canning

    I haven’t been to Enchanted Rock before but it looks super cool! I’m not a big hiker so I’d probably have to start with some of the easier trails. Though the Epic Loop does sound like it’d be a great way to see the scenery.

  • Renee

    Nothing beats a local hiking spot where you can spend a few hours in nature. I would take your advice and do the Enchanted Rock Epic Loop – how can you not with a name like that!

  • Steph

    Looks like a fun hike! I love the you decided to make a loop out of the most popular hikes of Enchanted Rock. Love the photo of Echo Canyon Trail.

  • Dominika

    Such a thorough post! I love hiking and this looks like such a scenic route! The boulders look particularly amazing as it’s the kind of landscape we don’t really get here in Europe.

  • Brooklyn

    I’ve never heard of this park, but it looks excellent for hiking! I love how much information you included in this post, that makes it so helpful for if I ever go!

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