The grotto & pool
A short, steep trail drops into the grotto. Swimming is seasonal and depends on water-quality testing — check the preserve’s status before you drive out.
Travis County
Hamilton Pool & the Pedernales
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 to enter, swimming is allowed only when bacteria levels are safe, and the waterfall is strongest after rain. Plan ahead and it’s unforgettable.
Don't miss
- Swim beneath a 50-foot grotto waterfall
- Hike the canyon down to the Pedernales
- Reservation required — book ahead
- Pair with a Pedernales River paddle
Things to do
How to spend your time
Canyon trail
A trail follows Hamilton Creek a quarter mile down to where it meets the Pedernales River — shady, green, and worth the walk.
Make it a loop
Combine with Reimers Ranch next door (climbing, biking, river access) or a paddle on the Pedernales for a full day on the water.
Pair it with
Experiences here
Trips through here
Ready-made itineraries
Nearby
More destinations close by
Wimberley
29.997°N 98.099°WHays 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.
Johnson City & the LBJ Ranch
30.277°N 98.412°WBlanco County
Boyhood home of a president and the Texas White House. In December the whole town lights up; in spring the roadsides run blue with wildflowers.
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