Waterfalls in Texas: 9 falls worth the trip

Hamilton Pool Preserve

A collapsed limestone grotto west of Austin, with a waterfall spilling into a green pool beneath an overhang of ferns and moss. 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 booked slot: the county closes the water when bacteria levels or rockfall risk require it, so check current conditions before you drive out. Reservation details and current swim status are on the dedicated Hamilton Pool Preserve page.

Gorman Falls

A roughly 3-mile round-trip trail from Colorado Bend State Park's Gorman Falls trailhead descends steeply to a 70-foot cascade fed by a spring that keeps the surrounding cliff face green with travertine and moss, unusual for a state where most falls run dry by midsummer. The park charges $5 per person 13 and up for day use, and the trail is rated moderate to difficult, with steep, rocky sections and little shade (Texas Parks and Wildlife, Colorado Bend State Park). Gate hours run 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., and reservations are recommended since the park fills on weekends. Full trail details are on the dedicated Gorman Falls page.

Pedernales Falls

A wide stretch of stepped limestone rather than a single drop, where the Pedernales River cascades over a series of ledges visible from a short walk off the main overlook trail. Day entry costs $6 per person 13 and up, free for kids 12 and under (Texas Parks and Wildlife, Pedernales Falls State Park). Texas Parks and Wildlife puts the swimming rule plainly: "For your safety, we do not allow swimming and wading in the Pedernales Falls area." The reason is flash-flood risk; the park's designated swim area sits a few miles downstream, between Trammell's Crossing and the youth camping area. The swimming rules and day-pass details are on the dedicated Pedernales Falls page.

McKinney Falls (Upper and Lower)

Two falls on Onion Creek inside a park just 15 minutes from downtown Austin, an easy pairing on the park's roughly 9 miles of trail. The Lower Falls pool is shallower and better suited to younger kids; the Upper Falls pool runs deeper. Entry costs $6 per person 13 and up, free for kids 12 and under, and the park's own alerts page says day passes sell out every weekend and holiday, so reserve ahead (Texas Parks and Wildlife, McKinney Falls State Park). Gate hours run 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Full details are on the dedicated McKinney Falls page.

Westcave Preserve

A canyon grotto reachable only on a guided tour, run by the nonprofit Westcave Outdoor Discovery Center to protect a waterfall pool and a rock shelter draped in maidenhair fern. Public tours run Saturdays and Sundays at 10 a.m., noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., $20 for adults and $10 for children ages 4 to 15, by reservation through westcave.org, where booking opens a month ahead; weekday visits are limited to booked school and group programs. Independent walk-up access isn't offered, which keeps the site quieter than the roadside stops on this list. Tour details are on the dedicated Westcave Preserve page.

Krause Springs

A privately owned property in Spicewood with a spring-fed natural pool, a smaller developed pool below a small waterfall, and a butterfly garden, open daily 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Entry runs $10 for anyone 12 and up, $6 for kids 4 to 11, cash only, no reservation required (Krause Springs). It's the one fully private site on this list, and camping is available on-site for an additional fee.

Madrid Falls

At about 100 feet, this is the tallest waterfall in Texas that's actually open to the public, dropping through Chorro Canyon in the Bofecillos Mountains of Big Bend Ranch State Park. Unlike almost everything else on this list, it's fed by perennial springs and holds some flow year-round (Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine, Big Bend's secret waterfall). Reaching it takes a roughly 4-mile round-trip hike over rocky desert terrain, the access road requires a high-clearance vehicle, and the route isn't well marked, so get current directions from park staff when you check in. The $5 per-person day permit is sold at Fort Leaton and the Barton Warnock Visitor Center, where all park visitors are required to check in (Texas Parks and Wildlife, Big Bend Ranch State Park).

The Window

Not a waterfall most of the year, but a 220-foot pour-off at the end of Oak Creek Canyon in the Chisos Mountains, dry more often than not and dangerous during flash floods when it does run. The trail is a 5.6-mile round trip from the Chisos Basin trailhead, downhill nearly the whole way in with a steady climb back out. Big Bend National Park charges $30 per vehicle for a 7-day pass, cashless payment only as of 2026 (National Park Service, Big Bend fees and passes). It's included here less for reliable water than for what a Big Bend "waterfall" usually means: a dry pour-off worth seeing anyway for the desert views.

Capote Falls

Texas's actual tallest waterfall, dropping in two stages to around 175 feet on Capote Creek in the Sierra Vieja range, isn't a place you can visit. It sits entirely on the privately owned Brite Ranch, and permission from the landowners is rarely granted. Several blogs list driving directions or describe the hike as though it were open access; it isn't, and approaching it without permission is trespassing on private land. It's worth knowing this waterfall exists, and worth knowing you can't go.

This guide was compiled from public land-manager sources (Texas Parks and Wildlife, Travis County Parks, the National Park Service for Big Bend National Park, and the Westcave Outdoor Discovery Center), published trail reports and news coverage of access restrictions. We haven't visited these sites ourselves. Fees, reservation systems and road conditions change, and several sites on this list depend on recent rainfall to run at all; every listing links to its primary source, last checked August 2026. Verify current status with the park or landowner before you go.