Enchanted Rock Photo courtesy of Jurgen Hulst

General description: A 42-mile paved highway through the Central Texas mineral region, including Enchanted Rock, to the historic German town of Fredericksburg.

Special attractions: Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, Admiral Nimitz State Historical Park, Fredericksburg, hiking, camping, scenic views, wildflowers, rockhounding, rock climbing.

Location: Central Texas. The drive starts in Llano, about 75 miles northwest of Austin.

Drive route number: TX 16, RM 965.

Travel season: All year. Summers are hot, making fall and spring the most pleasant times. Wildflowers are usually abundant in April and May.

Camping: Enchanted Rock State Natural Area maintains drive-in and primitive camping, but no RV sites.

Services: All services are available in Llano and Fredericksburg.

Nearby attractions: Inks Lake State Park, Longhorn Cavern State Park, Lake Buchanan, LBJ State and National historical parks, Colorado Bend State Park.

Hill Country Drives: • Enchanted Rock • The Lost Pines

For more information:

Enchanted Rock State Natural Area
Route 4, Box 170, Fredericksburg, TX 78624
(915) 247-3903.

Admiral Nimitz State Historical Park
P.O. Box 777, Fredericksburg, TX 78624
(210) 997-4379.

Fredericksburg Chamber of Commerce
106 N. Adams, Fredericksburg, TX 78624
(210) 997-6523.

Llano Chamber of Commerce
700 Bessemer, Llano, TX 78643
(915) 247-5354.

The drive: This drive passes through one of the most scenic parts of Central Texas, interesting not only to sightseers but also to geologists. Over the years a vast array of minerals have been found in the Llano area, including gold, silver, asbestos, marble, serpentine, fluorite, molybdenum, and iron. At one time a mine near Burnet was the nation's largest graphite producer. Large quantities of topaz have been produced in adjoining Mason County, mostly by amateur rockhounds. The largest gem-quality topaz in North America was found there and weighed an incredible 1,298 carats or 2 pounds, 13.7 ounces. Granite is by far the most important mineral resource produced in the Llano area. It has been used in everything from the Texas State Capitol building in Austin to navigation jetties along the Gulf Coast. The attractive, colorful granite has been exported far beyond Texas--it appears in buildings from Asia to Europe.

One interesting mineral, llanite, is unique to the area and was named, appropriately enough, for the town and county. The rock is a striking form of granite with crystals of pink feldspar and bluish quartz floating in a dark background matrix. The rock can be found in a road-cut about nine miles north of Llano on Texas Highway 16 where the road crosses an igneous dike of llanite just before a roadside picnic area on the left. The llanite formed about 1.1 billion years ago when molten magma squeezed into vertical cracks and hardened within an older rock known as Packsaddle schist.

Much of the early growth of the town of Llano, at the start of this drive, was fueled by mineral speculation in the late 1800s. Before that time Llano was a raw, frontier ranching and farming town. It was founded in 1855 on the banks of the Llano River and soon became the county seat after a hotly contested election. The town name is ironic in this hilly country, because llano means "plain" in Spanish.

Comanche attacks were common in the area, particularly during the Civil War when troops were fighting far away. The Indian conflict did not finally end until after the Battle of Packsaddle Mountain in August 1873. Rustlers and bandits also commonly preyed on travelers and settlers during the town's early years.

In the 1880s deposits of magnetite, a type of iron ore, were discovered near Llano, precipitating a mining boom. Little iron was ever produced, however, in large part because of the lack of nearby coal deposits for use in smelting the ore. In 1894 the speculative boom ended and Llano suffered through bankruptcies, fires, and even a tornado. Spurred by the building of the State Capitol building, granite began to be quarried in the Llano and Marble Falls areas. The granite industry peaked in the 1930s, but large quantities of granite are still removed from the area today.

A number of historic buildings in Llano are of interest. The attractive, tree-shaded courthouse dominates the town square on the south side of the river. This ornate building was completed in 1893, making it one of the oldest county courthouses in Texas. Unlike many courthouses it was not torn down and replaced or added to over the years, so it still retains its architectural integrity. Across the river on the north side of town on TX 71 is the Llano County Museum and the Badu House. The Badu House was owned by Professor N.J. Badu, one of Llano's most ardent mineral prospectors and speculators. Today the brick and granite home is an attractive bed and breakfast and restaurant, noted for its bar made of polished slabs of llanite.

Before beginning this drive consider trying some of Llano's excellent barbecue at Cooper's, Inman Kitchen, or Laird's. I've eaten most recently at Cooper's and was pleased with both the quality and price.

Start the drive at the courthouse and head south on combined TX 16 and TX 71. TX 71 soon splits off to the left; continue south on TX 16. The road quickly leaves town and passes through granite hills and scattered ranches dotted with oaks and mesquites. After about fifteen miles, turn right on RM 965, toward Enchanted Rock State Natural Area. RM 965 is narrow and at times crosses open range, so watch for cattle, especially at night. After a little less than three miles watch for the first glimpse of the massive granite dome of Enchanted Rock in the distance ahead.

A small store on the left has gas and snacks about 4.4 miles from the highway junction. Rockhounds will want to stop at a low road-cut on the right about 5.8 miles from the junction. I have found what appeared to my unpracticed eye to be asbestos ore (don't grind it up and inhale it!) and soapstone, a soft, soapy-feeling rock.

Enchanted Rock looms large when you reach the state natural area entrance on the right after about three more miles. Be sure to stop; it's one of the highlights of the entire Hill Country. Legends surround Enchanted Rock, the huge granite dome towering over the entrance road. Early settlers, including Stephen F. Austin, told of Indian ceremonies being held at Enchanted Rock because it was considered sacred. Many Indians feared the rock, believing it to be haunted, and would not climb to its summit. Tales were even told of human sacrifices made by the Comanches, and pioneers reported odd noises emanating from the rock and strange fires on its summit. The many stories swirling around the dome led to it being named Enchanted Rock early in the 1800s.

In 1978 the site came under Texas Parks and Wildlife Department stewardship. The natural area contains Enchanted Rock, an enormous curving dome of pinkish granite that towers 445 feet above Sandy Creek. Several smaller peaks and domes surround the main rock within the natural area, including Little Rock, Turkey Peak, Freshman Mountain, and Buzzard's Roost.

The domes within the natural area are but a small part of the Enchanted Rock batholith that is exposed to the surface in an area of more than sixty square miles. The batholith formed when a huge mass of molten rock, or magma, intruded into the Packsaddle schist below the surface and cooled slowly, crystallizing into granite. Over time the area was uplifted and erosion removed the concealing layers of rock, exposing the batholith to the surface. The granite is ancient, approximately a billion years old, and has been buried by new rock layers and reexposed more than once as seas have come and gone in past geologic ages.

Once the batholith was exposed to the surface, erosion shaped it into its present form. Geologists call Enchanted Rock an exfoliation dome because of the way plates of rock break off the dome, or exfoliate, in thin curving layers, similar to the layers of an onion. The granite formed deep underground under tremendous pressure. As the rock overburden was eroded away the pressure lessened and the rock expanded a tiny amount, causing it to fracture in thin curving sheets. Freezing and thawing water also helped split the rocks of the dome. The strange noises reported at Enchanted Rock may be nothing more than creaks made as the rock heats and cools with temperature changes between day and night.

Other granite outcrops in the area have been heavily quarried for beautiful stone similar to that making up Enchanted Rock. Fortunately Enchanted Rock, the largest granite dome in Texas and second largest in the United States, escaped such a fate. Since pioneers moved into the Hill Country it has been an important landmark and tourist attraction. As a state natural area it continues to increase in popularity.

From a distance much of the rock appears bare and devoid of life. Closer inspection reveals plant communities thriving in pockets of soil eroded from the dome. Colorful lichens grow on the rock itself, while mosses, grasses, ferns, and flowers blanket small pockets of soil. In deeper soils prickly pear cacti and even oak trees find a toehold. Some moist, shady crevices hold rare plants, such as the rock quillwort, basin bellflower, and even a tropical fern. Around the base, cedar elms, mesquites, pecans, hickories, and oaks grow in deep soils.

The strong, well-consolidated granite of Enchanted Rock draws rock climbers from all over Texas. Only Hueco Tanks State Historical Park in far West Texas offers as good a climbing area. On a pleasant spring or fall weekend climbers tackle everything from boulders at the base of the rock to the high cliffs on the northwest side of the main dome. A trail system circles Enchanted Rock and some of the smaller domes, also leading to several primitive backpacking campsites. A cave near the summit is also a popular site with park visitors. It was formed when boulders roofed over a deep crack in the dome.

Most people visit simply to make the irresistible climb to the summit, a short but steep walk. Lie back on the smooth granite and enjoy the 360-degree view, one of the best in the Hill Country. Gentle, cooling breezes greet hikers on the bare summit. Vultures circle high overhead, attracted by rising thermals and good roosting sites. As the sun sets to the west and darkness descends, listen for the sounds of the rock and imagine the ancient Indian ceremonies once held here.

The park is very busy on nice spring and fall weekends; try to arrive early at those times or come on weekdays. Be sure to keep an eye on children near cliffs. Climbers must first register at park headquarters. No bolts, pitons, or other rock-damaging equipment are allowed.

From Enchanted Rock continue south toward Fredericksburg. In about three miles the road climbs out of the valley surrounding the rock onto a limestone ridge and then drops into another valley. Several historic buildings can be found around the old settlement of Crabapple on a county road on the left.

The road continues south, crossing ridges and valleys with scattered farms and ranches. A little more than thirteen miles from Enchanted Rock, another granite outcrop, Bear Mountain, appears on the left side of the road, complete with rock quarries. At one time a short trail led from the small rest area at the base of the mountain to a balanced granite rock. Unfortunately vandals dynamited the formation a number of years ago, leaving only rubble.

After a few more miles the road drops off a ridge and into the valley containing the town of Fredericksburg. The town was settled by Germans in 1846 after the Republic of Texas had caught the interest of a number of German noblemen. These noblemen established a society, called the Adelsverein, to obtain land in Texas for colonizing. Between 1845 and 1847 thousands of German immigrants landed on the Texas shores and moved inland. Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels founded New Braunfels in March 1845 but soon returned to Germany, leaving Baron Ottfried Hans Von Meusebach as head of the Adelsverein in Texas. To fit into the new land the baron quickly dropped his title and became John O. Meusebach.

Meusebach purchased ten thousand acres of land near the Pedernales River and started his colonists on their way to the tract in late April 1846. Arrival in the untamed wilderness that was then central Texas must have been a shock to the newly arrived Germans. Although the new settlers were inexperienced in survival on the frontier, they quickly set to work planting crops and laying out the town of Fredericksburg. Hardship and disease made life difficult, but the colonists and subsequent settlers persevered. In the following year a group of Mormons settled nearby and established the community of Zodiac. The Mormons were more experienced at frontier life and helped the greenhorn Germans. Unlike many Texas settlers, Meusebach negotiated a peace treaty with the Comanches, alleviating one of the major threats to frontier life.

In 1848 the military opened Fort Martin Scott on the east side of town to protect the road west to El Paso and California. Because of Meusebach's treaty, the fort was little needed for the town's protection, but it did supply hard currency to the town's businesses. Waves of Forty-Niners passing through on their way to California brought prosperity to the growing town but also deadly epidemics of cholera and typhoid.

The German settlers of Fredericksburg were conservative and opposed the secession of Texas from the Union at the start of the Civil War. Although the townspeople did not own slaves and most disliked slavery, they believed that a solution could be found to the practice without going to war. There was strong Union sentiment in Fredericksburg and surrounding Gillespie County; 96 percent of the county's electorate voted against secession.

After the war, Fredericksburg competed heavily for a railroad with nearby Kerrville and lost (see Drives 15 and 17). The first train chugged into Kerrville in 1887; Fredericksburg had to wait until 1913 before trains rolled into town.

Today, Fredericksburg remains heavily influenced by its German heritage. Perhaps half of the residents are of German extraction, although very little German is spoken anymore. During World War II, the townsfolk stopped speaking German or teaching it to their children; after the war the practice never resumed. However, numerous German place names, business names, and family names remind visitors of the town's heritage.

The German settlers built durable, attractive homes and businesses out of locally quarried limestone and granite. The town today is a veritable treasure trove of immaculately maintained historic buildings. Numerous structures sport historic designation plaques; many others could. The second courthouse, now a library, on the west side of downtown is particularly attractive. It was built in 1882 in the Romanesque Revival style of limestone with intricate wrought-iron trim.

The main street through downtown is lined with interesting buildings, many of which host antique and gift shops and galleries. Bed and breakfast inns now occupy a number of the old historic homes. Many restaurants and shops specialize in German fare, including many different types of sausage.

Admiral Nimitz State Historical Park lies on the east side of downtown, housed in an odd-looking structure built to resemble the superstructure of a ship. The Steamboat Hotel, as it was known, was first established in 1852 by colonists Charles and Sophie Nimitz. Because of its location on the road west, it quickly grew and became a popular, prosperous place. Over the years, it hosted many famous guests, including Ulysses S. Grant, Robert E. Lee, and the notorious Jesse James.

On February 24, 1885, Chester Nimitz, Charles Nimitz's grandson, was born in a modest home in Fredericksburg. Chester's father died before he was born, and he spent many of his early years at the hotel, making Charles a very important influence in his life. Chester entered the Naval Academy and progressed up the military ladder, finally becoming an admiral. In December 1941, Admiral Nimitz became commander in chief in the Pacific after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Under his command were thousands of ships and planes and millions of people, more military power than had ever been assembled before under one man. With the skilled leadership of Nimitz and his staff, the United States fought and won a long, brutal war in the Pacific.

Using a strategy of island hopping, American forces led by Nimitz slowly pushed the Japanese back toward Japan, island by island. Massive sea battles such as Midway and Coral Sea, and bitter land battles such as Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima, and Saipan were extremely costly in lives and materials on both sides. Finally, by mid-1945, the Japanese had been driven back to their homeland but were unwilling to surrender. An invasion of well-defended Japan might have cost several million lives before the Japanese military was subdued. To end the war quickly, the agonizing decision to drop newly developed atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki was made. Five days after the bombs were dropped, the Japanese surrendered. Admiral Nimitz signed the Instrument of Surrender on the battleship Missouri in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945, formally ending World War II.

Today, the hotel hosts the Museum of the Pacific War, dedicated to all who served under Admiral Nimitz in the Pacific. It describes Nimitz's background along with the story of the Pacific war. The Nimitz Art Gallery is next to the hotel; it displays military art and photography.

Behind the hotel is the Garden of Peace, built using money raised by the people of Japan as a symbol of friendship between the United States and Japan. Within the classic garden is an exact replica of the study of Admiral Togo, the leader of the Japanese fleet. Although they were on opposite sides, Nimitz always had great admiration for Togo.

Two blocks from the hotel is the History Walk of the Pacific War. A trail winds through relics of the war and provides a historical narrative. Exhibits include planes, tanks, guns, parts of ships, and even a bomb casing identical to that of the atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki. The exhibits of the park chronicle the life of Chester Nimitz and the events in the Pacific theater of World War II, but the Garden of Peace symbolizes the hope of the people of the United States and Japan that such a bloody conflict never occurs again.

Look carefully before you leave Fredericksburg and you may notice the first letters of the cross streets heading east along Main Street from the center of town spell "ALL WELCOME." Heading west from the center of town, the letters spell "COME BACK." Fredericksburg and the other sites along this drive can easily occupy more than a day. Chances are, you probably will come back.