Travis County
A collapsed limestone grotto where a 50-foot waterfall spills into a jade-green pool — the most photographed swimming hole in Texas.
The place
Thousands of years ago the dome of an underground river collapsed, leaving a natural amphitheater of limestone hung with ferns and stalactites, with a waterfall pouring over the lip into a deep green pool. That’s Hamilton Pool Preserve, on the western edge of Travis County.
It is breathtaking and, because of that, tightly managed. A reservation is required every day of the year, swimming is allowed only when bacteria counts test safe, and the waterfall is strongest a day or two after rain. Plan ahead and it’s unforgettable.
Things to do
A short, steep trail drops into the grotto. Swimming is seasonal and depends on water-quality testing, and the trail under the overhanging cliff to the base of the falls is currently closed — check the preserve’s alerts the morning you go.
A trail follows Hamilton Creek a quarter mile down to where it meets the Pedernales River — shady, green, and worth the walk.
Combine with Milton Reimers Ranch Park next door (climbing, mountain biking, river access, and a dark-sky observation site) for a full day out this way.
Plan it properly
Hours, fees, and closures change. These are the people who set them.
The only legitimate reservation system — and the current swim/trail status.
Reimers Ranch and the other county parks out this way.
Pair it with
Trips through here
Nearby
Hays County
The Gateway to the Hill Country — the first Dark Sky Community in Texas, a distillery-and-brewery corridor on US-290, and the road to Hamilton Pool.
Hays County
An arts town built around water — Jacob’s Well, Blue Hole, and the Cypress Creek. Market days, galleries, and the bluest swimming in Texas.
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