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Cracked Springs Canyon Trail

Take the rough pasture road north from the headquarters area along the new eastern fence, for one mile (one way) to a large and historically noteworthy canyon.  Dramatic long distance views of up to 10 miles into the Llano River valley may be seen to the east on this hike.  The key destination for this journey is the confluence of three smaller canyons into one and how it forms a critical water source for a large environmental area.  For this reason, it was one of the first locations of development when this ranch was purchased in 1909.  There are several items of early ranching significance in the canyon.  There is an old rock dam just to the west of our trail crossing.  There is an eight decade-old picket fence corral on the north side of the main canyon.  There is a hand-chiseled rock spring that provided the original source of consistent water for livestock in the canyon.  There are the original water troughs and concrete tank poured on flat rock bottoms. Now, there is a solar-powered submersible pump that provides water from a well 280 feet deep.  This modern device is quite a contrast to the hand-dug rock hole that poured out fresh spring water, from beneath layers of limestone in this canyon, for most of the twentieth century.  Most historically significant, of all in this canyon, is the large Indian mound lying between the rock dam and the present-day, store-bought deer feeder.  Without fanfare, it signals who was here first.  The present ranch headquarters, which was developed a quarter of a century later than were the ranch improvements in this canyon, lies one mile south up a very rocky pasture road.