4 days · Road trip
The Swimming Holes Loop
A summer road trip built entirely around cold, clear water — the best way to beat a Texas July.
The trip
Four days, four kinds of water: a cypress swimming hole, a grotto waterfall, a long lazy river float, and a short cold one. The catch is logistics — every famous hole here is reserved and online-only now — so this trip rewards a little planning.
One update worth knowing before you build the trip: Jacob’s Well has been closed to swimming since June 2022 while the aquifer recovers. The natural area around it is still open for hiking, free and unreserved, and it is still worth the stop.
Best for Families and friends in summer; anyone chasing cold water and shade.
A schematic of the route — 5 stops, roughly 140 miles.
Day by day
The plan
- 1
Day 1
Wimberley waters
Base in Wimberley. Swim Blue Hole under the cypress on a pre-booked pass, walk the trails at Jacob’s Well in the cool of the morning (looking, not swimming), and spend the evening on the square.
- Blue Hole
- Jacob’s Well trails
- Wimberley square
- 2
Day 2
Hamilton Pool & the Pedernales
Drive to Hamilton Pool on a reserved slot for the grotto and waterfall, hike down to the Pedernales, then cross to Reimers Ranch for river access and a picnic.
- Hamilton Pool
- Pedernales canyon trail
- Reimers Ranch
- 3
Day 3
Float the Guadalupe
Head to the Guadalupe below Canyon Lake and spend the day tubing with an outfitter. Dinner and music in nearby Gruene.
- Guadalupe River
- Gruene Hall
- 4
Day 4
The Comal & home
A gentle morning float on the spring-fed Comal in New Braunfels — short, cold, and perfect — before the drive home.
- Comal River
- New Braunfels
Before you roll out
Trip tips
- Reserve Blue Hole and Hamilton Pool as far ahead as you can — both are online-only and both sell out.
- Check Hamilton Pool’s water-quality status and Jacob’s Well’s swimming status the morning you go.
- Water shoes, a dry bag, and a backup swimming hole save the day.
- Never get on a river that is rising or running muddy, and check the forecast upstream, not just where you are.
Plan it properly
Book the trip
Reserve the passes and check the calendars before you set off — several of these sell out weeks ahead.
- Blue Hole passes
Online only; non-resident season passes open April 1.
- Hamilton Pool reservations
$12 to reserve, $8 per person at the gate.
- Jacob’s Well status
Hays County posts the current swimming decision.
- Visit New Braunfels — rivers
Outfitters and river conditions for the Guadalupe and Comal.
On this route
Destinations you'll hit
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.
Hamilton Pool & the Pedernales
30.342°N 98.126°WTravis County
A collapsed grotto where a 50-foot waterfall spills into a jade-green pool. Reserve ahead — this is the most-photographed swimming hole in Texas.
Gruene & New Braunfels
29.738°N 98.104°WComal County
A 19th-century river town wrapped around the oldest dance hall in Texas, with the Guadalupe and the spring-fed Comal running right past the door.
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