Backpacking Enchanted Rock, Texas. October 2009This 4-day trip offered communion with living Earth, powerful nourishment to my soul. We hiked 3-miles to the primitive campsite at Moss Lake. Each day was an adventure: hiking, wild cave exploration, birding, watching rock climbers / "Granite Grippers" and just relaxing. See my Adventure Blog for details: web.me.com Enchanted Rock is a place like no other. Originally preserved as a state natural area for its unusual geologic forms, plant life and scenic beauty. It has become a favorite spot for hikers and climbers. Families on a picnic, bird-watchers, scouts - all enjoy the park in their own way. Last year alone, 350000 people visited the Rock, a number well above the visitation projected when the park was built. Archeological sites are abundant in the park, showing that prehistoic and historic peoples were attracted to this place, too, along with the many species of wildlife found here. The huge granite dome is pocked with shallow weathering pits, or vernal pools that fill with life during wet periods. The park staff must protect these important resources while making them available to the public. At this time, Enchanted Rock staff is monitoring the condition of the resources, and exploring ways to best protect them. Soils in the park can be unstable, and erosion in some areas has reached the critical state. Echo Canyon has lost as much as a foot of topsoil, and vegetation in many areas is showing the strain. It is important that action be taken now to make sure that ...