Blue Hole (Georgetown): hours and access

Blue Hole is a free city park on the South Fork of the San Gabriel River in downtown Georgetown, with a wading area, picnic tables and restrooms tucked below limestone bluffs. There's no entrance fee and no reservation system, which makes it one of the simplest sites in this locator to plan around, and the only swimmable entry in our swimming holes in Texas guide that never charges a fee or requires a booking. Two things the city posts up front: jumping from the bluffs is against a city ordinance, and the city doesn't test the water.

No sourced coordinates are available yet for swimming holes — there is no government register for this category to map against (see methodology). Every spot is listed in the table below with directions in the text.

Fact box

Field	Detail
Coordinates	Approximate, about 30.643°N, 97.680°W; Blue Hole Park, entrance near Second and Rock streets, downtown Georgetown, Williamson County
Access type	Official, City of Georgetown park; free, no reservation
Water source	South Fork of the San Gabriel River
Depth	Shallow wading areas near the bank, deeper sections further out; exact depth hasn't been independently measured for this guide
Parking fee	None; free public parking nearby fills early on summer weekends
Legal status	Official, City of Georgetown park
Season	Open daily, 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., year-round

Access and hours

Blue Hole Park sits right in downtown Georgetown, a few blocks north of the courthouse square, with its entrance near Second and Rock streets, a block from N. Austin Avenue. The city charges no admission and doesn't run a reservation system, so it's genuinely walk-up: show up during park hours, 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, and use the river (City of Georgetown Parks and Recreation, Blue Hole Park). Free public parking is available nearby at 3rd and Rock streets, in a surface lot and a parking garage, though the closest spots fill quickly on hot summer weekends.

Because it's free and unreserved, Blue Hole tends to draw a crowd exactly when it's most appealing, meaning a weekday or early-morning visit is the more reliable way to find open space along the bank.

The swimming hole

The South Fork of the San Gabriel River widens into a lagoon below limestone bluffs at this stretch, with a wading area near the bank that's popular with families and deeper pockets of water further from shore. The bluffs are the park's signature and also its main rule: a City of Georgetown ordinance makes it unlawful to dive or jump from any cliff or rock face in a city park, and the parks department says violations can draw a citation or fine. The same page states that the city doesn't monitor water flow or bacteria levels at Blue Hole, so there's no official "safe to swim" signal to check before you go; you're reading the river yourself.

How this guide was researched

This page was compiled from the City of Georgetown Parks and Recreation Department's official page for Blue Hole Park, the Texas Department of State Health Services and the CDC. We haven't visited this site ourselves. Hours, rules and access are set by the city and can change; verify current details before you go. Last checked September 2026.

Before you go

Park early on summer weekends if you want a close spot, since the free lots at 3rd and Rock fill up fast. Watch footing on the limestone rock around the bank, and check depth and current before wading or swimming further from shore, since the river isn't lifeguarded, isn't tested and rises after upstream rain. Skip the bluff jumps entirely; they're prohibited, not just discouraged. Our swimming hole safety guide covers reading depth, current and water quality at an untested river like this one. For sites with a managed swim area, our swimming holes finder lists the state and county parks nearby.

An untested, slow-moving river in a Texas summer is also the kind of water where Naegleria fowleri turns up, a rare but usually fatal amoeba that lives in warm freshwater; Texas has the country's highest documented case count. The risk is very low in absolute terms, and infection only happens when water is forced up the nose, not from swallowing it. The Texas Department of State Health Services recommends holding your nose or using nose clips when going under in warm river water and avoiding stirring up bottom sediment in the shallows (Texas DSHS, PAM FAQs; CDC, preventing Naegleria infection when swimming).

FAQ

Is Blue Hole in Georgetown free?

Yes. There's no entrance fee and no reservation required, the only fully free swimmable site in this state's swimming-holes guide.

What are Blue Hole Park's hours?

5 a.m. to 10 p.m., daily, year-round.

Can you jump off the cliffs at Blue Hole Georgetown?

No. A city ordinance prohibits diving or jumping from any cliff or rock face in a Georgetown park, and the parks department warns that violators can be cited or fined.

Is there parking at Blue Hole Georgetown?

Yes, free public parking near 3rd and Rock streets, but it fills early on summer weekends given the park's no-fee, no-reservation setup.

Is Blue Hole Georgetown the same as Blue Hole Wimberley?

No. They're two separate, unrelated swimming holes in different Hill Country towns. Blue Hole in Wimberley is a reservation-based City of Wimberley park on Cypress Creek.

We haven't visited these places ourselves, and every page says so rather than implying otherwise. Details are compiled from public land-manager, USGS and NOAA sources and cross-checked where possible; conditions, access rules and fees change without notice, so confirm with the managing agency before you go. Page last checked September 2026. Read our full methodology.