A Hill Country Oasis
For people who have never visited Texas, envisioning the state may more closely resemble scenes from the movie "Giant", with a James Dean-like character in cowboy boots, ambling his way across sparse, arid, flat ground dotted with oil wells. Show those same people pictures of the Texas Hill Country and they may assume you are showing them pictures of Tuscany or the northern California wine country. Even native Texans are often surprised not just by the beauty of the Hill Country's rolling hills, but the abundance of water-rich oasis through-out the area. The Hill Country owes much of its scenic beauty to an entire network of springs, streams and rivers that thread their way through the area. Even in the middle of a Texas-style heat wave, relief and relaxation can be found at many secluded, but not-so-secret, springs and rivers throughout the area.
Perhaps the most famous of the natural swimming holes in the Texas Hill Country is the Hamilton Pool Preserve. To reach the pool, visitors must follow a path into a valley through a lush, green, wooded area, giving the feel of a trek through some romantic tropical locale. And this is just what the pool itself feels like - like a hidden, ancient grotto with its deep green waters and peaceful waterfall from above over moss-covered rocks. And in fact, the pool is ancient, having developed thousands of years ago due to the collapse of a cave over an underground river. The collapse, as well as years of erosion of the surrounding limestone, has created a bowl-like shape to the pool. This allows swimmers to climb up onto rocks under an overhang, to enjoy both a shaded area as well as to view the waterfall from behind. On the "sunny side" of the pool, a small beach area allows for sunbathing. The water in the pool generally stays level, though the waterfall can diminish during times of drought. Due to its popularity, particularly during warmer months, visitors should arrive at the preserve early in order to garner one of the limited number of parking spaces.
Just down from Hamilton Pool, in Spicewood Springs, TX, is the privately-owned Krause Springs. Krause Springs is actually 32 springs which feed into the site's natural swimming hole and manmade pool. Originally run by the Krause family as a farm, in the 1950's they opened the site to the public for a fee. The springs are popular for tubing, swimming or just lazing the day away in cool, 70-degree water. Large trees shade the area, making the site ideal for escaping the summer heat. Overnight or longer visits are made possible by campgrounds and RV sites.
The Pedernales River is a star in the swimming holes of the area. Not only does it help to feed the waters of Hamilton Pool, it is featured in its own preserve at the Pedernales Falls State Park. Located outside Johnson City, TX on Hill Country acreage, the park allows a variety of activities: hiking, bird/animal watching, bike and equestrian riding, as well as camping. The main attraction of the park is the gorgeous falls, which travel over a distance of 3000 feet in a graduated, stair-step decline of limestone rocks. Though swimming in this area is not allowed, a peaceful hour can easily be spent picnicking on a warm rock overlooking the falls with your bare feet dangling into cool, rushing water. Swimming is allowed, however, further down the river.
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