Hamilton Pool Preserve in Austin Texas
Hamilton Pool Preserve
The Hamilton Pool Preserve is a very well known water hole with in the Austin, Tx area. The little peace of heaven is located just outside of Austin in Dripping Springs.
Amenities include picnic tables, hiking trails and restrooms too! I highly suggest wearing comfortable shoes to get to this place. It’s a bit of a hike downwards and not friendly for those who have a hard time getting around. It’s about a 1/2 mile hike down to the water per the Lower Colorado River Authority.
There is a $10 day use fee per vehicle to gain entrance into the Hamilton Pool Preserve. Hours are from 9am to 6pm daily with the weather permitting. This is a day use only park.
I highly suggest you call ahead of time if you plan on doing any swimming. The Hamilton Pool Preserved is check frequently for the bacteria level and they will tell you if it’s safe enough to swim or not. Call (512) 264-2740 for daily updates. Head directly to the Hamilton Pool Preserve website for even more information.
Here are a few more photos I shot during our visit. These photos were taken just after a day of rain and the pool was was too high in bacteria to swim in. We do plan on going back during the summer months.
Here’s a photo that will show you just how big this pool really is. When you see photos you can’t really get the feeling of the size until you see people in the photos!
Hamilton Pool Preserve History
Hamilton Pool Preserve is a historic swimming hole which was designated a preserve by the Travis County Commissioner’s Court in 1990. Located 3/4 mile upstream from its confluence with the Pedernales River, Hamilton Creek spills out over limestone outcroppings to create a 50 foot waterfall as it plunges into the head of a steep box canyon. The waterfall never completely dries up, but in dry times it does slow to a trickle. However, the pool’s water level stays pretty constant, even during periods of drought.
The preserve is home to the Golden-Cheeked Warbler, and a great variety of other birds. The diverse vegetation of Hamilton Pool ranges from semi-arid species in the uplands to riparian species in the canyon. The uplands of the preserve are a juniper and oak savannah with a variety of native grasses and wildflowers. Several rare plant species including canyon mock-orange, red bay (western-most colony of this eastern species), and chatter box orchid are known to occur in the canyon areas along Hamilton Creek.
Hamilton Pool Preserve is a part of the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve (BCP). The BCP is a 30,428-acre system of endangered species habitat owned by Travis County, the City of Austin, The Nature Conservancy, the Lower Colorado River Authority, Travis Audubon Society, as well as privately owned lands. The BCP represents a regional effort to balance protection of endangered species habitat with economic development. For more information about BCP, call the Travis County BCP coordinator at (512) 854-9383
Hamilton Pool Preserve Location:
24300 Hamilton Pool Rd.
Dripping Spgs, TX
78620
