Texas Hill Country is home to a large number of unique restaurants, scenic roads, and towns gleaming with character, including Mason. A little over an hour west of Austin, Mason is home to Katemcy Rocks off-road park. What makes this park so intriguing is the fact that it contains large specimens of the geological phenomenon known as the Llano Uplift. In a concentrated area of the Hill Country, the large pinkish granite Precambrian rock is exposed above ground. The largest pieces of the Llano Uplift are the giant granite domes at nearby Enchanted Rock State Park.
At Katemcy Rocks, the varying sizes and shapes of the granite provide sections of varying off-road difficulty levels. The Easter Egg section is a trail of smaller rounded granite rocks, whereas Smokin’ Butthole is a near vertical ascent ideal for crawlers, and somewhere in-between are the slabs with inviting crevices and shelf structures. Tires tend to grip the granite much better than other types of stone, but the granite is unforgiving when undercarriage parts come in contact.
On Saturday morning, Chris Smith led a large group of trucks across multiple trails that were accessible even for stock rigs. The final destination was the parking area surrounding Smokin’ Butthole for the purpose of spectating as crawlers lined up for their shot at the complex ascent.
The Dallas-based Lone Star Land Cruisers club puts on this event with the intent of drawing all levels of off-roaders. One of the event highlights is participating in the organized daytime overland run through a scenic 60-mile dirt road loop. The Friday trip included dining at a small restaurant in a very small town (London, TX), stopping to see a large bluff decorated with bat mud houses, and experiencing multiple water crossings.
Another highlight is the Texas-style BBQ featuring smoked brisket, pork, sausage, and chicken. This is followed by the Saturday night raffle. Before the adults get their chance at off-roading goodies, the kids’ raffle takes place and doesn’t end until each kid walks away with a prize and a smile.
If you haven’t made it to a Texas off-road event, consider adding Round Up to your bucket list. The laid back atmosphere of the event fits in perfectly with this area of Texas. Seeing the many classic Land Cruisers is an added bonus, as is engaging in jovial Toyota truck discussions with owners of the varying types of rigs.
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