Austin"ish" / CenTex Swimming Holes

[texasdago 7,573]

Always trying to find new swimming holes for me and the family to go swimming, fishing and generally farting around.

 

We've gone several times to Pace Bend and we like Reimers Ranch.  Started trying Commons Ford Ranch.  Did Kingsland Slab once which we really liked but I'm satarting to look for other ideas.  What about Schneider Slab on the Llano?  I also spotted something called Slime Bridge on the Blanco.  Also plan on checking out Jessica Hollis Park below Mansfield.  Any other good but not obvious ideas?  

[HenryJames 66,052]

Barton Springs

[Kennythetiger 9,382]

We have a pool and a pond. Pond would be good for you. 

[CooterBrown 18,012]

Emma Long Park. Picnic tables along the lake with at least 100 feet between them so it's easy to stay away from people, especially if you turn right and go to the end.  Nice cool water and my kids like the waves the occasional boat generates. I will say the ants are fucking terrible there right now. 

St Edwards Park has a good swimming hole with a rope swing.  You'll be pretty much alone if you go before noon.

[texasdago 7,573]

Need to try Emma Long... if I can't go during the week, I just need to be smart on planning a visit with the reservation system.  Our MO is always to arrive to a place by 9:00 - 9:30 and then scram when there are too many people around.

 

St Edwards is on Bull Creek right?  Not as bacteria-laden up there?

[HenryJames 66,052]

A lot less dog shit.

[Mo Horn 8,837]

Hippie Hollow

[Judge Roybeanbag 11,819]

29 minutes ago, Mo Horn said:

Hippie Hollow

Hope you like grilled wieners.

[Jerry Callo 8,702]

Krause Springs in Spicewood is great for swimming and chilling out.

[jimmyjazz 45,945]

3 minutes ago, Jerry Callo said:

Krause Springs in Spicewood is great for swimming and chilling out.

Yeah, and it's never crowded.  Nobody ever goes there.

My non-snarky response, with the assumption that they are still limiting attendance for "social distancing", is Blue Hole in Wimberley.

Edited August 6, 2020 by jimmyjazz

[GRHorn 105]

You couldn’t take the kids because the hike is too difficult, but has anyone ever been to the Narrows on the Blanco River? It looks unbelievable but is a full day trek. 
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/texas/the-narrows

 

[4th&Five 41,546]

we got to do it a long time ago.  entered on some private land a friend had access to, so the hike was only about 15 minutes.  i never knew about it until then.

Edited August 6, 2020 by 4th&Five

[Dbeasy 15,050]

You couldn’t take the kids because the hike is too difficult, but has anyone ever been to the Narrows on the Blanco River? It looks unbelievable but is a full day trek. 
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/texas/the-narrows
 

My son has done it three times but I’d rather see this gem stay hidden. It’s an extremely difficult hike/swim that takes 12+ hours, and so it hasn’t been spoiled by the hordes - yet.

[RollLeft 5,045]

If you haven't swam the the San Marcos River at Sewell Park or Rio Vista Park you are doing it wrong.  Also Landa Park is a spring fed pool just like Barton but with slide for the kids, Comal Park is a great spot.  Sand beach beach for the kids and an a peninsula edge for deeper diving/swimming.  Most people never get this far up Canyon Lake they stop off somewhere on the Comal or Guadalupe.  Which reminds me drive River Rd to Comal Park.  Plenty of spots to swim all along there.  

[Biff Tannen 45,683]

[DoobieWah 1,436]

Is Hamilton's Pool still a thing?

 

[KaiserSoze 998]

2 hours ago, GRHorn said:

You couldn’t take the kids because the hike is too difficult, but has anyone ever been to the Narrows on the Blanco River? It looks unbelievable but is a full day trek. 

 

It's gorgeous. I spent a long weekend on some property that had very easy access to The Narrows. We spent all day out there 2 days in a row and never saw any other people. 

Krause Springs is a good one and a scenic drive as well, but as jimmyjazz mentioned, I think it'd be pretty damn tough to distance there... but it is open- maybe keep it on the list for post-pandemic swimming. 

Edited August 6, 2020 by KaiserSoze

[Steel Shank 9,425]

There's a rope swing just downstream from the kayak/canoe rental place on Barton Creek below the pool. The last three times I've taken my son down there a topless chick has been hanging out there. Weekdays, midmorning. Pretty attractive, too.  

[blacklab 11,929]

[wd40 1,976]

I don't understand how anyone sets foot in Bull Creek, right now.  rode the trail up to the top of St Ed's and down yesterday, and up the creek all the way to the T at Old Lampasas.  pretty stagnant.  and yet, cars all up and down Old Spicewood, still.

BCGB, same deal.  May, maybe June, in a wet year:  primo.  now, not so much.  but there is some diehard buttfloss to be seen in places upstream.

loved Krause, back in the day.   it was very much less rustic, last time I was there than when we went when I was a kid, many years ago.  actual steps down to the pool.  but it didn't stop some jagoff from climbing over a chain at the top of the waterfall and jumping to his eventual death.  kind of put a damper on things.  so...don't be that guy.

 

Edited August 7, 2020 by wd40

[jimmyjazz 45,945]

Bull Creek is closed.  I thought all parks were closed, but I drove by St. Ed's and it was open.  Checked the city website, and it's just some  that are closed.

[Hank_Hill 18,806]

6 hours ago, Dbeasy said:

My son has done it three times but I’d rather see this gem stay hidden. It’s an extremely difficult hike/swim that takes 12+ hours, and so it hasn’t been spoiled by the hordes - yet.

The hordes are largely lazy pieces of shit so

[Biff Tannen 45,683]

5 hours ago, jimmyjazz said:

Bull Creek is closed.  I thought all parks were closed, but I drove by St. Ed's and it was open.  Checked the city website, and it's just some  that are closed.

I hiked St Ed’s a couple of weeks ago. The water is meh, but for hiking, still one of Austin’s gems, if you get there before 8am. 

[jimmyjazz 45,945]

I believe Bull Creek & Barton Creek greenbelts open tomorrow.

[NAVY 6,740]

Wimberley Blue Hole. Crystal clear water, lots of shade, rope swings.
https://www.cityofwimberley.com/?SEC=706A5ED8-666C-42B5-9565-92D952F842F4

[jimmyjazz 45,945]

1 minute ago, NAVY said:

Wimberley Blue Hole. Crystal clear water, lots of shade, rope swings.
https://www.cityofwimberley.com/?SEC=706A5ED8-666C-42B5-9565-92D952F842F4

Look up.  (He never responded to that suggestion, it may be too far, but in my view it checks all the boxes, particularly with their limited reservation policy.)

[NAVY 6,740]

3 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

Look up.  (He never responded to that suggestion, it may be too far, but in my view it checks all the boxes, particularly with their limited reservation policy.)

Much sorry. I R no read gud yet coffee now is 

[jimmyjazz 45,945]

5 minutes ago, NAVY said:

Much sorry. I R no read gud yet coffee now is 

No worries -- I love blue hole.  My mother-in-law did the rope swing a couple of years ago -- she was 88 at the time.  She's the classic Texas Baptist church lady, someone I would never in a million years would try something like that, but I looked up and there she was, going all Jane chasing Tarzan into the water.

[NAVY 6,740]

It’s a really amazing place and completely exceeded my expectations despite the social distancing and other covid yuck. 

Looking forward to going back 

Thanks for sharing the MiL story. Very cool. Maybe they have some of those cocoon pods in the water 

Edited August 7, 2020 by NAVY

[CooterBrown 18,012]

1 hour ago, jimmyjazz said:

I believe Bull Creek & Barton Creek greenbelts open tomorrow.

A few weeks ago, a friend that works in parks & rec said they were considering limiting capacity to the various greenbelts with staff stationed at entrances and trailheads to monitor traffic.  I wonder if they decided to do that.

[jimmyjazz 45,945]

They've had the north entrance to Bull Creek Park staffed for weeks now.  The south entrance has been fenced off for construction.  The lesser known back entrance, on the other side of the creek, has had a sawhorse that seems to slow down approximately one person in a hundred.

[texasdago 7,573]

So we just booked Blue Hole... for September.  Its booked out until then.  We're going to hit Blanco River State Park next week and I'm not sure what else.

Really want to do San Marcos.  The challenge is... what is or is not open.  It changes each week.

Also considering renting a house in Kerrville later in August - right on the Guadalupe.  Good idea?  I saw you can get out to Hunt pretty easily and it looks like there is nice swimming there.

Side note... went out to Zilker and we were walking below Barking Springs when we saw three young 20ish people walking around looking for where they left their stuff... they were dripping wet but one girl was all bloody and cut up since she fell on something metal on a rope swing.  Good times.  I don't know how anybody swims in the water just below Barking Springs unless you like feces.

[HenryJames 66,052]

6 minutes ago, texasdago said:

Also considering renting a house in Kerrville later in August - right on the Guadalupe.  Good idea?  I saw you can get out to Hunt pretty easily and it looks like there is nice swimming there.

Just stay in Hunt or Ingram. 

 

[jimmyjazz 45,945]

Someday I hope to do a west Texas swimming hole loop, with Balmorhea being the main goal.  I don't think it's happening any time soon.

[NoName 16,351]

1 minute ago, jimmyjazz said:

Someday I hope to do a west Texas swimming hole loop, with Balmorhea being the main goal.  I don't think it's happening any time soon.

to be fair, even if you wanted to do it today it is still closed until "Fall 2020" I think

[HenryJames 66,052]

Not sure what other swimming holes are out there, but Balmorhea slams and goes hard. They even have a diving board.

[jimmyjazz 45,945]

I've never been to Marfa, so that would be part of the loop.

[KaiserSoze 998]

I visited Balmorhea in 2016- it's a fun little place and a bit of a surreal feeling being at the pool and looking across the desolate landscape toward the mountains. The night before I did one of the Star Parties at the McDonald Observatory during a new moon- it was bad ass.

Edited August 7, 2020 by KaiserSoze

[jimmyjazz 45,945]

Yeah, I've basically done nothing in west Texas but drive through.  Ate at John Madden's favorite joint in Van Horn (Chuy's, not the chain) and that was about it.  I need to hit the observatory for sure, and go to Big Bend.

[4th&Five 41,546]

Pro tip: don’t get too high at the star party to make it back to your campsite in big bend. You may end up sleeping in a parking lot in ft. davis. 

[CleverNickname 1,310]

We make a point to break up driving from ATX to New Mexico with an hour at Balmorhea.  Just buy passes ahead of time. Sometimes in a weekday there are fewer than a dozen people there and none of them in the water.

[Kennythetiger 9,382]

Take goggles, too, or buy them from the diving stand right down the road.  Pretty cool to swim with a gazillion little fish in the swimming pool.  

[Kennythetiger 9,382]

48 minutes ago, CleverNickname said:

We make a point to break up driving from ATX to New Mexico with an hour at Balmorhea.  Just buy passes ahead of time. Sometimes in a weekday there are fewer than a dozen people there and none of them in the water.

Have you ever swam in the blue hole in Santa Rosa, NM?

[BillyGoatHill 4,312]

12 hours ago, NAVY said:

Wimberley Blue Hole. Crystal clear water, lots of shade, rope swings.
https://www.cityofwimberley.com/?SEC=706A5ED8-666C-42B5-9565-92D952F842F4

And if you're down that way, make sure you check out Jacobs Well also.

[Firemans4Horn 18,048]

I checked out Colorado Bend State Park on my way back from Horseshoe Bay to Dallas last week. Some beautiful swimming/hiking options inside the park. Looks like it’s a little less than 2 hours from Austin  I think the best way to see it would be at least a one night camp out there instead of a day trip.

Remote as hell location. 

[Bill Brasky 1,448]

10 minutes ago, Firemans4Horn said:

I checked out Colorado Bend State Park on my way back from Horseshoe Bay to Dallas last week. Some beautiful swimming/hiking options inside the park. Looks like it’s a little less than 2 hours from Austin  I think the best way to see it would be at least a one night camp out there instead of a day trip.

Remote as hell location. 

yes, the spicewood springs trail is the way to go for swimming/wading there 

also chalk ridge falls park below stillhouse hollow reservoir is a good spot, especially if you have kids 

[Wiler77 1,566]

What about Pedernales Falls?  Is there any water there this time of year?  I know you need to reserve day passes, but curious if it's even worth the trip.

[Steel Shank 9,425]

On 8/7/2020 at 9:52 AM, texasdago said:

So we just booked Blue Hole... for September.  Its booked out until then.  We're going to hit Blanco River State Park next week and I'm not sure what else.

Really want to do San Marcos.  The challenge is... what is or is not open.  It changes each week.

Also considering renting a house in Kerrville later in August - right on the Guadalupe.  Good idea?  I saw you can get out to Hunt pretty easily and it looks like there is nice swimming there.

Side note... went out to Zilker and we were walking below Barking Springs when we saw three young 20ish people walking around looking for where they left their stuff... they were dripping wet but one girl was all bloody and cut up since she fell on something metal on a rope swing.  Good times.  I don't know how anybody swims in the water just below Barking Springs unless you like feces.

I've been swimming below the pool three times in the last 8 days. If the creek is not flowing above the pool, 100% of the water is coming from the pool (springs), and since the pool is closed, that's pretty clean water in the creek.

[Biff Tannen 45,683]

21 hours ago, Wiler77 said:

What about Pedernales Falls?  Is there any water there this time of year?  I know you need to reserve day passes, but curious if it's even worth the trip.

You generally don't really swim at the falls, but yes, there is water.  To swim in the river, I like Reimer's Ranch.  There's a parking lot and a ramp down to the river after you pass the rock climbing areas.

[texasdago 7,573]

Hit Blanco State Park last week and the water was nice - not too busy. The reservation system helps plus we got there relatively early.

Reimers is great - one of our favorite "easy to get to" places to just chill.

Next up - instead of Kerrville, we booked a cabin on the Nueces River by Lake Nueces.  That article in Texas Highways sealed it for us.  Can't wait...

https://texashighways.com/things-to-do/on-the-water/rivers/shhh-this-just-might-be-the-prettiest-body-of-water-in-texas/

Sounds a lot less busy than the Frio.

Edited August 17, 2020 by texasdago