Every spot on this list is natural water. Springs, rivers, creeks, and one granite cove on a reservoir. No chlorine and no concrete basins.
This is not a ranking. A 40 foot granite ledge and a shallow sandy river bend are not competing for the same afternoon. Each of these is beautiful in a way the others are not, and the right one depends on whether you are bringing a toddler, a cooler, a dog, or a group of twelve.
Every one of these is fragile, and most are only public because someone chose to protect them. Ranching families, climbers, and small-town volunteers spent decades keeping these places open. Pack out everything you carry in, including what someone else left. Stay on marked trails and out of closed areas. Respect property lines, because in Texas the land next to the water almost always belongs to somebody. Leave no trace, leave no trash, and honor the land.
Two practical notes. Water levels swing hard with rain, and bacteria closures happen at nearly all of these after a storm upstream, so check the morning you leave. And bring cash.
Quick Comparison: Swimming Holes Near Austin
Swimming Hole | Drive from Austin | Cost | Reservations |
|---|---|---|---|
Blue Hole Regional Park, Wimberley | 50 min | $15 adult half day | Required in season |
Krause Springs, Spicewood | 45 min | $10 to $11 adult | None |
Frio River at Garner State Park | 3 hrs | $8 adult | Required, 30 days out |
The Narrows, Blanco River | 1 hr drive, plus 14-20 mile hike | Free | None |
Chalk Bluff Park, Uvalde | 3 hrs | $20 per person | None |
San Marcos River | 35 min | Free, $5 at Rio Vista on weekends | None |
Blue Hole Park, Georgetown | 35 min | Free | None |
Milton Reimers Ranch Park | 50 min | $10 per vehicle, cash | None |
Devil's Waterhole, Inks Lake | 1 hr 15 min | $7 adult | Recommended |
Hamilton Pool Preserve | 45 min | $12 vehicle plus $8 adult cash | Required daily |
1. Blue Hole Regional Park, Wimberley
Where: Blue Hole Lane, Wimberley
Drive: about 50 minutes southwest
Hours: park open 8am to sunset. Swim slots run 9am to 1pm and 2pm to 6pm, with the swim area closed to day pass holders from 1pm to 2pm
Cost: $15 adults 13 to 59, $10 youth 4 to 12, $10 seniors 60 and up, $10 military, $6 Wimberley residents, free under 3
Reservations: required for the swim area during swim season