The Backcountry, which is planned to house fishing, birdwatching, hiking, and camping sites, currently features loose trails with limited shade to be used by hikers while development of the area continues. Operating hours for the area are 8 a.m.- 6 p.m. A map of the new trails can be found online.
No parking will be available near the expansion until a later date. Those interested in hiking the Backcountry area in the meantime may park at the headquarters building, located at 16710 RM 965 in Fredericksburg, and hike approximately two miles to reach the entry gate of the expansion.
“This first wave of development will be a good fit for true adventurers who want a more rugged experience than what they’ve been currently experiencing at Enchanted Rock,” Park Superintendent Doug Cochran said in a press release. “Future phases will see closer parking so people of other experience levels can enjoy the beauty of the Backcountry.”
The Backcountry addition is part of a larger, roughly 3,700-acre expansion at Enchanted Rock that has been ongoing for several years, made possible by purchases like the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission’s 630-acre land acquisition in 2024.
According to the Enchanted Rock expansion page, new parklands must open for limited public use within 18 months, and full public use within 48 months. So long as development progresses smoothly, that would earmark an opening date in January 2029.
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Burnet residents are invited to sign up for new email notifications to keep them updated on city happenings.
The city’s new online home page now includes a “Notify Me” button where residents can select from different categories of notifications to receive email updates about.
These categories range from basic city communications and meeting agendas, to calendar updates and job postings.
“You can subscribe to receive email notifications about the topics that matter most to you,” reads a city Facebook post. “Categories include City communications, facilities and operations, streets and traffic, trash and recycling, job opportunities, bid postings, meeting calendars, community events, agendas, alerts, and City news.”
The city’s Facebook post noted that notifications are currently only available by email, and that its website provider would be looking to add text-based notifications in the future.
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A Burnet man, Nicholas Anthony Farris, 36, was found guilty of online solicitation of a minor under 14 years old and sentenced to 20 years in prison on June 30.
The case was tried in the 424th Judicial District Court with Judge Evan Stubbs presiding. The sentence is the maximum penalty for the offense, and Farris will be required to register as a sex offender.
According to prosecutors, evidence at trial showed Farris communicated in a sexually explicit manner with a person he believed to be a 13-year-old girl. He was instead communicating with an adult working with a private organization that identifies potential child predators. Investigators said Farris requested sexual activity and explicit photographs and sent an explicit photograph of himself.
The Burnet County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case with assistance from the Burnet and Marble Falls police departments.
During the punishment phase, jurors heard evidence that Farris had previously been arrested for a similar offense and reviewed evidence from his cellphone that included explicit images and videos depicting underage girls.
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The Marble Falls Area Volunteer Fire Department and the Cow Creek-area community gathered Sunday, July 5, to honor former Fire Chief Michael Phillips on the one-year anniversary of his disappearance while responding to a rescue call.
The event featured a picnic and a commemorative walk celebrating Phillips’ life and service.
“He was a good man and he is missed, especially by his family,” area resident Becky Turner told DailyTrib.
Phillips was swept away on July 5, 2025, while responding to a distress call east of Marble Falls. Authorities believe he and his vehicle were caught in turbulent floodwaters while attempting to cross Cow Creek. His vehicle was recovered, but his body was never found despite extensive searches.
Since his death, the community has honored Phillips in several ways. Burnet County Emergency Services District No. 6 dedicated its new fire station in his name, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Valor by the Texas Fire Chiefs Association, the Cow Creek-area Community Park was renamed in his honor, and hundreds attended his memorial service at Marble Falls High School.
Phillips served the Marble Falls Area Volunteer Fire Department for 30 years and worked for more than 20 years with Marble Falls Independent School District.
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A collection of government officials and community leaders gathered on the grounds of the Burnet County Courthouse at 7 a.m. on Thursday, July 2, to read aloud the document that set the stage for 250 years of American history.
Below is an excerpt of that document, the Declaration of Independence, which was adopted by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776 in Philadelphia by 56 delegates from the original 13 states of the union– New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.
“When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
“That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.”
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Marble Falls just awarded a total of $83,000 in grants to a handful of applicants who plan on upping the appeal of the city to visitors, and hopefully getting them to spend more dollars while they are here.
The Marble Falls Hotel Motel Tax Advisory Committee gave out 11 total grants during its regular meeting on June 25, partially funding a variety of projects including multiple music events, art shows, a fishing tournament, a national swimming competition, a Marble Falls Oktoberfest, and more.
“The idea is to make sure that the agencies that are getting funding are putting heads in beds and bringing prosperity to the town,” said Christian Fletcher, a member of the HOT Advisory Committee and the executive director of the Marble Falls Economic Development Corporation, in an interview with DailyTrib. “From an economic standpoint, Marble Falls is heavily dependent on people who don’t live here.”
“HOT” money refers to the dollars collected by the city through a 7-percent sales tax on overnight stays in the city, at businesses like hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts, and short-term rental properties.
HOT money can only be used to help put more “heads in beds” and attract overnight tourists or to support nine different categories within the city:
Convention and visitor centers
Convention delegate registration
Advertising and promotional programs
Promotion of the arts
Historical restoration and preservation
Sporting events
Enhancing or upgrading existing sports facilities
Tourist transportation systems
Signage directing the public to attractions
Every year, the Marble Falls HOT Advisory Committee takes grant applications from local agencies and awards grants based upon their ability to fulfill the criteria for an effective use of HOT money. The committee is made up of five appointed members: Marble Falls EDC Executive Director Christian Fletcher, City Manager Caleb Kraenzel, City Councilor Craig Magerkurth, Marble Falls resident Darlene Oostermeyer, and Hotel Motel Association Representative Jamee Lynn Smith. Kraenzel is the chairman of the committee and a non voting member.
Funded projects
Marble Falls Finance Director Jeneen Peterson estimated that the city would bring in about $800,000 in total HOT revenue for the coming fiscal year. According to Marble Falls EDC Executive Director Fletcher, the city has historically allocated about 10 percent of its total HOT budget towards grants, with the remaining 90 percent being divided between paying off debt obligations, operations, and marketing.
“Word has gotten out that Marble Falls supports live music and local artists,” Fletcher said.
The committee awarded $83,000 in grants to the following applicants:
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Agendas for Highland Lakes governments are posted 72 hours before a meeting so are not always ready by the time this story is published. Check the links for more information.
Tuesday, July 7
Burnet County Commissioners Court
2 p.m. regular meeting
AgriLife Auditorium, 607 N Vanderveer St in Burnet
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The city of Burnet is applying for a federal grant to assist in the rehabilitation of the Valley Street Well, which could produce upwards of 1,000 additional gallons of groundwater per minute for the city.
The well, which was previously abandoned due to a broken casing that compromised its water quality, has been undergoing rehabilitation since at least 2023 when the city released a request for qualifications to hire an engineering firm to spearhead the project.
City Council approved a resolution during a Tuesday, June 23 meeting, to allow the city to apply for a grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration to assist in the rehab project. If approved, the entire project would cost roughly $4.91 million, with the city on the hook for $983,000, or 20 percent.
“If approved, (the grant) would put the Valley Street Well back into production,” City Manager David Vaughn told DailyTrib. “It would loop our water system from the south end of town to the north, thereby increasing capacity to serve areas of the city that do not currently have service and improve fire flow throughout the south end of town.”
The city previously contracted Alsay Inc. to remove the well’s old casings, install new ones, and clean the well, with the company beginning work on Jan. 26, 2026.
Multiple attempts to remove the old casings, however, were unsuccessful, prompting the city to terminate its contract with the company during the same June 23 council meeting, and seek federal assistance instead.
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The Hangar at Log Country Cove is now open at 111 CR 135 with a Burnet address, offering new indoor recreation opportunities in the Highland Lakes.
The facility is open daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., with reservations available through its mobile app. Visitors can reserve pickleball courts for private play or participate in open play sessions. Membership is not required, although members receive additional benefits.
The Hangar features five pickleball courts, including three sport court-style courts and two acrylic courts. The facility also offers five indoor batting cages, an indoor golf simulator, and an outdoor putt-putt course.
Team reservations will be available for the batting cages. Private parties can be booked for all rentable attractions by contacting the venue directly.
For more information, contact Sean Kistler at sean@logcountrycove.com or 936-520-7322.
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