Enchanted Rock A billion years in the past, a giant pool of magma, located as much as 11 km (7 mi) b

Enchanted RockA billion years in the past, a giant pool of magma, located as much as 11 km (7 mi) below the surface of what is now central Texas, pushed up into the rock above it and gradually cooled into granite. Time passed, shallow sea formed and receded, and the soil and sedimentary rock above it eroded away, leaving behind a series of exfoliated (layered) domes. Like icebergs, the greater part of this batholith remains unseen, stretching some 161 km (62 sq. mi) beneath the ground. The largest of these domes is known as Enchanted Rock.Rising 137 m (450 ft.) above the basin of the Llano Uplift and covering 2.6 sq. km (640 acres), Enchanted Rock contains archeological sites from as far back as 12,000 yrs. The creaking and groaning of the dome’s onion-like layers as heating and cooling caused them to be shed caused the local Comanche and Tonkawa tribes to believe it haunted and a portal to another world. It became known as “Spirit Song Rock”. After a rain, the glittering of feldspar in the granite is now believed to be the source of the “ghost lights” they saw. The legends of Enchanted Rock include Indian princesses and warriors, Spanish Conquistadors, and the verified tale of John C. Hays, a Texas Ranger who backed himself into a hollow in the rock and single-handedly held off Comanche warriors for hours until rescued by the remainder of his troop.Opened to the public in 1978, Enchanted Rock State Natural History Area is designated as a National Natural Landmark and as a protected Archeological District by the National Register of Historic Places. Enchanted Rock and its smaller companion domes attract more than 250,000 visitors per year, including hikers, campers, cavers, and on clear Texas nights: stargazers.CWImages:http://bit.ly/1jDe2pISources:http://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/enchanted-rock/nature https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/lxe01 http://www.tpwmagazine.com/archive/2008/dec/ed_2/ http://bit.ly/1MWb22U https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enchanted_Rock l -- source link

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