Barton Springs Pool
A three-acre spring-fed pool that sits at 68°F all year round.
Duration
1 hr 30 min – 3 hrs
Best time
Early morning
Open
Every day
Entry price
To confirm
The pool covers three hectares and it was not dug: it is the natural bed of Barton Creek, dammed at both ends and fed by four springs rising from the Edwards aquifer. The water comes out at around twenty degrees all year, which makes it cool in summer and warm in winter.
The bottom is limestone, not tiles, and it holds an endemic salamander found nowhere else — protecting it has defeated several development schemes upstream. The pool closes on Thursday mornings for cleaning.
Getting there
In Zilker Park, south of Lady Bird Lake. Bus from downtown, or twenty minutes on foot from South Congress.
What the price covers
paid entry in season, rate to be confirmed; free when the gate is unstaffed
What to bring
- Walking shoes
- Reef shoes
- Swimsuit
Rules on site
Closed on Thursday mornings for maintenance, and entry is charged during guarded hours, free very early and very late. The bottom is uneven, slippery rock: water shoes help.