Best Austin Swimming Holes
Hot days call for cooling off without the chlorine in some of the best swimming holes around Austin and Central Texas. Pack some sandwiches, leave the glass bottles at home, and check the individual websites for directions and details. You can rest assured that time at any of these pools will be hours well spent. Here are a few of our favorites. Last one in’s a rotten egg!
McKinney Falls
8 am – 10 pm
$6 adults / children free
Living in Easton Park, McKinney Falls is just down the road! Splashing in the rushing waters of Onion Creek is a wonderful way to cool off and relax. Walk along the limestone ledges or submerge yourself in the river’s pools. Ahhh…
Barton Springs
5 am – 10 pm (closed Thursdays)
$3 adults / $1 children
Within Zilker Park lies one of the crown jewels of Austin – Barton Springs Pool. The 3-acre pool is fed from underground springs with an average temperature of 68-70 degrees. Fish, turtles, and the famous Barton Springs salamander call the pool their home. Experienced visitors know to go in the back entrance (cash only, baby).
Deep Eddy Pool
8 am – 8 pm
$3 adults / $1 children
Deep Eddy offers cold, unchlorinated, spring-fed waters without a nature-y pool bottom. Parents with little tots like the gradual beach entry side and Splash Party movie nights during summer months. Hit Pool Burger or Deep Eddy Cabaret after swimming to get your strength back up. Fun fact: Deep Eddy is the oldest pool in Texas.
Hamilton Pool
9 am – 1 pm, 2pm – 6pm
$11 person & $15 cash parking
In the last 10 years, Hamilton Pool has gotten pretty popular, but the Travis County Parks Department has done an admirable job trying to make access fair and accommodating while protecting this natural gem. To visit, you’ll need to book your reservation online in advance, and the pool is available in two sessions daily (morning and afternoon). Trust us, it’s worth going to the trouble. The walk from the parking area to the pool is a little steep and rocky, so this might not be the best swimming hole for folks with mobility issues.
Krause Springs
9 am – 9 pm
$8 Adults / $5 children 4-11 / children under 4 free
This is Texas swimming at its finest. The private property in Spicewood offers 32 natural springs that feed a man-made pool as well as a natural pool. Bring a tube, try the rope swing, and even stay the night and camp if you’re so inclined. Coolers are fine, but no glass containers are allowed.
Blue Hole
9 am – 1 pm, 2 pm – 6 pm
$10 Adults / $5 children 4-12 / children under 4 free
Critical note—you probably want the WIMBERLEY Blue Hole, and not the (also lovely) Georgetown Blue Hole. Like Hamilton Pool, Blue Hole has implemented an online reservation system to prevent overcrowding that could harm the natural pool’s ecosystem, and morning and afternoon sessions are available daily. With a plush canopy of shade trees and nice rope swings, you’ll feel a few degrees cooler before your feet even hit the waters.
