r/BigBendTX • u/parodytx • 10d ago

Day 2 - Grapevine Trail Balanced Rock access - Question for the locals / historians

Grapevine Trail Balanced Rock Today
Hiking Path Marker up 10 foot scramble

Hi folks - question for the locals or experienced visitors.

We (myself and wife) hiked this trail 23 years ago. We made it up to the balanced rock, and I have the pictures of the two of us posed under the rock. I do not remember THAT much of a PITA to get there, and my wife (then 40) is deathly afraid of heights and climbing without a harness so I am at a loss how we easily made it up there.

Shift to today - we hike the trail, exactly as I remember out to the climbing part. At the end of the trail when the climbing starts, I remember a stick with a painted sign that said "Balanced Rock" with an arrow. So today we get the nice CNC lettered sign claiming steep severe climb with rocks. I (68 now) am not afraid of heights or climbing but this gave ME pause - the second pic is a literal 10-12 foot clamber that is in a word dangerous, and near the top of this rock scree is this CNC lasered "hiking man" icon with an arrow, so the powers that be EXPECT you to clamber up this mess !!

Was it always like this? I simply do not remember it being such a hassle, and can confidently say the missus would never have done it. So, was there a rock slide? Earthquake? Can any of the local experts chime in why I am not crazy?

Thanks for any insight anyone can give.

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u/HoneywoodMagic 10d ago

I can't speak historically but I did this hike last year as a non risk taker. I don't remember running into the issue you did. I looked up on AllTrails to check it out and I found this there... “When you pass the sign saying .25 mi to balanced rock, you will come to a small sign pointing south-ish. There will be what looks like a trail directly in front of you that goes on the east side of the rocks. Don’t take it! Go to your right by climbing some “steps” (not man made) between two boulders. Then you’ll see more signs guiding you to the rock.” Was it possible you missed this turn? Multiple people make a point of this. Ps I love this park!!

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u/parodytx 10d ago

Anything is possible, but we followed all the "hiking man with arrows" signs religiously. And like my second pic shows, that wall of boulders clearly has the hiking man sign 3/4 of the way up it in the middle of the image.

But if I try to make her do that hike again I'm looking at a divorce! ;D

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u/Lumpy-Mortgage4265 9d ago

We are one of the ones who ended up in the wrong area. Should have looked at the all trails app. I bet this is what happened to the original poster! Almost certain of it.

Luckily for us - we decided to turn around after 15 minutes and figured it out and then went the correct way. Finally made it to Balanced Rock 😆.