FREDERICKSBURG, Texas — A popular Central Texas hiking and camping destination is getting even bigger.
Enchanted Rock State Natural Area will add an extra 630 acres of land in Gillespie County, bringing the total size of the park to 1,980 acres.
The payment was approved by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) in August during a meeting in Austin, though the exact cost of the transaction is unclear.
"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."
In a release Tuesday morning, TPWD said it was first made aware of the available land when local park staff alerted the department about a "for sale" sign. TPWD then engaged its official nonprofit partner, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, to help secure the property from Comanche Rock Acquisitions, LLC.
"This land purchase would not have been possible without the help of our partners and the people of Texas," Franklin said. "By passing Proposition 5 in 2019, TPWD was able to use Sporting Goods Sales Tax funding made available for strategic land acquisitions in conjunction with federal Land and Water Conservation Fund dollars to conserve this property for public use."
Enchanted Rock currently sits at roughly 1,644 acres and includes almost 11 miles of trails, with a maximum elevation of 1,825 feet. Located roughly 96 miles from Austin, Enchanted Rock also includes spaces for camping, fishing, backpacking and more starting at $8 a day for visitors.
TPWD and Enchanted Rock's superintendent say the added property will allow for a "more expansive experience" for visitors by adding to the protection of resources and the recreational opportunities in the area.
Now that the property sale has been finalized, TPWD will gather input from the public to develop a plan to determine what those recreational opportunities will be. The department said the plan may take "many months" to complete, but it will keep Texans informed of any upcoming milestones, including when the new property may be open to the public.