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Swimming holes in Texas: 11 spots that hold up

Nearly every well-known swimming hole in Texas turns out to be managed, reserved or ticketed rather than a free wild spot, and this guide covers 11 of them honestly: a spring-fed pool in downtown Austin, a handful of state parks along the Frio, Guadalupe and Comal rivers, and a Hill Country preserve that books out days ahead in summer. Most sit inside a state, county or city park with a posted day-use fee; only a couple are genuinely free to enter. For the full multi-state locator, see our swimming holes finder.

Hill Country spring-fed sites cluster west of Austin and San Antonio, while the river parks (Frio, Guadalupe, Comal) run further out toward the Edwards Plateau. If you're weighing a longer drive, swimming holes in Arkansas has the nearest out-of-state cluster, and most of it is free.

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.

11 swimming holes: access, fees and status

Swimming hole	Nearest town	Access	Fee	Legal status
Barton Springs Pool	Austin	Walk-in, developed pool	$5 resident / $9 non-resident, spring break–October only	Official, City of Austin park
Jacob's Well	Wimberley	Reservation area; swimming currently closed	Free to visit; no swim fee while closed	Official, Hays County natural area
Blue Hole (Wimberley)	Wimberley	Reservation, half-day pass	$6–$15	Official, City of Wimberley park
Hamilton Pool Preserve	Dripping Springs	Reservation, short walk from lot	$12/vehicle reservation + $8/adult entry	Official, Travis County preserve
Krause Springs	Spicewood	Roadside, walk-in	$10 adult / $6 child, cash only	Official, private property
Balmorhea State Park	Toyahvale	Short walk from lot	$7/person	Official, Texas State Park
Garner State Park (Frio River)	Concan	Roadside/short walk	$8/person day use	Official, Texas State Park
Devil's Waterhole (Inks Lake SP)	Burnet	Short walk or paddle	$7/person park entry	Official, Texas State Park
Blue Hole (Georgetown)	Georgetown	Roadside city park	Free	Official, City of Georgetown park
Comal River	New Braunfels	Roadside, multiple access points	Free on weekdays; $2 wristband on summer weekends/holidays	Official, City of New Braunfels
Guadalupe River State Park	Spring Branch	Short walk from lot	$7/person day use	Official, Texas State Park

The swimming holes

Barton Springs Pool

A 68-degree, spring-fed municipal pool in Austin's Zilker Park, dammed into a three-acre swimming area on Barton Creek. The City of Austin charges $5 for residents and $9 for non-residents per day, with lower rates for children; admission is charged only from Austin ISD spring break through the end of October and is free the rest of the year; the pool is guarded most daytime hours, closes for cleaning on Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and early-morning swimming before lifeguards come on duty is at your own risk (Austin Parks and Recreation, Barton Springs Pool). Open daily, 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Full details are on the dedicated Barton Springs Pool page.

Jacob's Well

A deep artesian spring near Wimberley that normally opens for reservation-only swimming from May through September. Swimming has been suspended every season since June 2022 because of low flow tied to drought and groundwater pumping in the surrounding aquifer, and as of August 2026 it remains cancelled until further notice (Hays County Parks Department; Spectrum News, June 22, 2026). The natural area itself stays open for its roughly 3 miles of free hiking trails; only the water is off-limits. Check current status before planning a trip around swimming specifically. Current status and what's still open are on the dedicated Jacob's Well page.

Blue Hole (Wimberley)

A tree-shaded swimming hole on Cypress Creek, run by the City of Wimberley as a reservation-based park. Half-day passes cover 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. or 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. and run $15 for adults, $10 for youth, seniors and military, and $6 for Wimberley residents (City of Wimberley Parks and Recreation). Swim season runs May 1 through Labor Day. Pass prices and season dates are on the dedicated Blue Hole Wimberley page.

Hamilton Pool Preserve

A collapsed grotto with a waterfall feeding a green pool, reached by a short walk from the parking area. Travis County requires a reservation every day of the year, $12 per vehicle for up to 8 people, plus a separate $8 adult entrance fee ($3 for seniors, free for kids 12 and under) paid in cash on arrival; the preserve doesn't take cards (Travis County Parks, Hamilton Pool Preserve). Swimming isn't guaranteed even with a reservation: the county closes the water to swimmers when bacteria levels or rockfall risk require it. Reservation details and swim status are on the dedicated Hamilton Pool Preserve page.

Krause Springs

A privately owned 115-acre property in Spicewood with a spring-fed natural pool, a smaller developed pool, and a butterfly garden, open daily from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Entry runs $10 for anyone 12 and up, $6 for kids 4 to 11, cash only, with no reservation required (Krause Springs). Camping is available on-site for an additional fee. It's the one fully private site on this list, worth including for the honest range of what "a Texas swimming hole" actually means.

Balmorhea State Park

A 1.3-acre spring-fed pool in far West Texas, partly lined with concrete and partly natural limestone, deep enough in places for scuba diving and snorkeling. Texas Parks and Wildlife charges $7 per person 13 and up for day entry, with no separate swim fee; day passes often sell out in summer, so reservations are recommended (Texas Parks and Wildlife, Balmorhea State Park). The pool closes for several days each spring for annual cleaning. Fees and the cleaning dates are on the dedicated Balmorhea State Park page.

Garner State Park (Frio River)

A stretch of the spring-fed Frio River running through this popular Hill Country park near Concan, with shallow shoals for wading and deeper pools for swimming, all at your own risk with no lifeguard on duty. Day entry costs $8 per person 13 and up, free for kids 12 and under (Texas Parks and Wildlife, Garner State Park). Garner is also known for its summer evening dances at the concession pavilion, a Texas state park tradition since the 1940s.

Devil's Waterhole (Inks Lake State Park)

A granite-walled cove on Inks Lake near Burnet, reached by a short walk or a paddle from the park's day-use areas. The $7 per-person park entry fee covers access; there's no separate charge for the swimming area itself. Granite ledges around the cove draw cliff-jumpers, and depth varies sharply within a few feet, so check before jumping rather than assuming every ledge clears the same depth of water.

Blue Hole (Georgetown)

A free city park on the San Gabriel River in downtown Georgetown, with a wading area, picnic tables and restrooms. There's no entrance fee and no reservation system, but parking is limited and fills early on summer weekends (City of Georgetown, Blue Hole Park). Jumping or diving from the bluffs is prohibited by city ordinance, and the city doesn't monitor water flow or bacteria levels, so read the river yourself. Open 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Hours and access details are on the dedicated Blue Hole Georgetown page.

Comal River

A spring-fed river running through New Braunfels, with public access points at Hinman Island Park and Prince Solms Park's Tube Chute, plus commercial outfitters renting tubes nearby. The city doesn't charge for river access on weekdays; on weekends and holidays from Memorial Day through Labor Day, a $2 River Activity Wristband is required per person, or a Resident River Pass for locals (City of New Braunfels, How to Go Tubing). One of the more crowded entries on this list during peak summer weekends.

Guadalupe River State Park

Several rapids and calmer pools along about 4 miles of Guadalupe River frontage near Spring Branch, a short walk from day-use parking. Entry runs $7 per person 13 and up, free for kids 12 and under, with no separate swim fee (Texas Parks and Wildlife, Guadalupe River State Park entrance fees). Water levels and current strength shift quickly after upstream rain, since the river drains a large watershed.

How this guide was researched

This guide was compiled from public land-manager sources (the City of Austin, City of Wimberley, City of Georgetown, City of New Braunfels, Hays County Parks Department, Travis County Parks and Texas Parks and Wildlife), the Texas Department of State Health Services and the CDC. We haven't visited these sites ourselves. Fees, reservation systems and swim closures change, and several sites on this list have closed to swimming before over drought and low flow; every listing links to its primary source, last checked August 2026. Verify current status with the park or land manager before you go.

Before you go

Every site on this list charges something or requires a reservation except Blue Hole in Georgetown and, on weekdays, the Comal River. State parks (Balmorhea, Garner, Inks Lake, Guadalupe River) all use the same Texas Parks and Wildlife day-entry model, and an annual Texas State Parks Pass covers the entry fee at any of them if you're visiting more than a couple of times a year. County and city sites (Hamilton Pool, Blue Hole Wimberley, Jacob's Well, Barton Springs) each run separate reservation systems, so check the specific site's own booking page rather than assuming a state parks pass applies.

Spring-fed sites like Barton Springs, Krause Springs and Balmorhea stay a fairly constant 68–76°F year-round, which makes them the more reliable summer option. River sites (Frio, Guadalupe, Comal) depend more on rainfall and can run low, slow and algae-heavy by late summer in drought years, the same pattern that's kept Jacob's Well closed to swimmers since 2022. Spring and early summer, after winter and spring rain but before peak drought, tend to give the best flow across most of this list.

Never jump or dive into water you haven't checked for depth and submerged rock first, especially at Devil's Waterhole and other sites with granite ledges above the water. Currents strengthen fast after upstream rain on river sites like the Guadalupe and Comal, even when the sky is clear where you're standing.

Texas also has the country's highest documented case count of Naegleria fowleri, a rare but usually fatal amoeba that thrives in warm, slow-moving or stagnant freshwater above about 80°F. Infection happens only when contaminated water is forced up the nose, typically from jumping or diving, not from swallowing it. The Texas Department of State Health Services recommends holding your nose or using nose clips when jumping into warm freshwater and avoiding stirring up bottom sediment (Texas DSHS, Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis FAQs; CDC, preventing Naegleria infection when swimming). The risk is very low in absolute terms, but it's specific enough to Texas summers that it's worth knowing before jumping into a warm, still pool.

FAQ

Is Jacob's Well still closed for swimming?

Yes, as of the 2026 season. Hays County has suspended swimming at Jacob's Well every summer since 2022 because of low flow from drought and groundwater pumping. The natural area's hiking trails remain open and free.

Which Texas swimming holes are free?

Blue Hole in Georgetown has no entrance fee at all. The Comal River in New Braunfels is free on weekdays and requires only a $2 wristband on summer weekends and holidays. Every other site on this list charges a day-use or reservation fee.

Do you need a reservation to swim in the Texas Hill Country?

Often, yes. Hamilton Pool Preserve requires a reservation every day of the year, and Blue Hole in Wimberley uses timed half-day passes during swim season. Krause Springs and the Texas state parks on this list don't require advance booking, though state park day passes can sell out on busy summer weekends.

Is it safe to swim in Texas rivers and springs?

Generally yes, with normal water-safety precautions: check depth before jumping, watch for current after rain, and supervise kids at unguarded sites. Texas also has the country's highest documented case count of the rare Naegleria fowleri amoeba in warm freshwater, so avoid forcing water up your nose when jumping or diving into warm, slow-moving water.

What's the closest swimming hole to Austin?

Barton Springs Pool, inside Austin's own Zilker Park. Hamilton Pool Preserve and Blue Hole in Georgetown are both under an hour's drive from downtown.

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 August 2026. Read our full methodology.