Barton Springs Pool The icon
Zilker Park · $
Photo: Konrad Rubio
Why it made the list: Austin's beloved heart, a three-acre, spring-fed natural pool in Zilker Park that stays a bracing 68–70°F year-round. Locals swim laps, sunbathe on the grassy banks, and treat it as a civic living room. It's the essential Austin swim and right in the middle of the city.
Hamilton Pool Preserve Most beautiful
Dripping Springs (~45 min) · $$
Photo: Robert Cullum
Why it made the list: A jaw-dropping natural grotto west of the city, a jade-green pool beneath a collapsed limestone dome, with a 50-foot waterfall spilling over ferns and stalactites. It's one of the most beautiful swimming spots in Texas and looks unreal in photos (because it is that gorgeous in person).
Krause Springs Most fun
Spicewood (~45 min) · $$
Photo: Krause Springs
Why it made the list: A privately-owned Hill Country oasis with dozens of springs feeding a man-made pool and a natural, cypress-shaded swimming hole complete with a rope swing and a grotto of ferns. It's family-friendly, camping-friendly and delightfully old-Texas, the fun, laid-back swimming-hole day.
The Barton Creek Greenbelt Free + wild
South Austin · Free
Photo: Miles Abernathy
Why it made the list: A wild, free ribbon of creek, limestone cliffs and hidden swimming pools running for miles through the middle of South Austin, hike-and-bike trails lead to spots like Twin Falls, Sculpture Falls and Campbell's Hole. It's the free, adventurous alternative to Barton Springs, and pure local Austin.
McKinney Falls State Park Easiest escape
Southeast (~20 min) · $
Photo: Zachary Longrigg
Why it made the list: A state park just 20 minutes from downtown where Onion Creek tumbles over wide limestone ledges into swimming holes below the Upper and Lower Falls. Easy to reach, with trails, camping and a big natural swimming area, the most convenient true state-park swimming escape.
⭐ Bonus Pick: Deep Eddy & Jacob's Well
Two more for the list: Deep Eddy Pool, a beloved 1915 spring-fed municipal pool near downtown (the oldest in Texas), is an easy, cheap, cold-water classic; and Jacob's Well in Wimberley (about an hour out) is a mesmerizing artesian spring and swimming hole, reservation-required and often closed to swimming, but stunning. Always check swim status before driving to the Hill Country spots.
