Texas Swimming Holes

Texas summers can be almost unbearable with temperatures topping over 100 degrees Fahrenheit for many of the days. This summer seems especially hot with record-breaking temperatures.

One of the great ways to stay cool without spending lots of money is to go swimming at local swimming hole. Many of them are free, and the ones that do charge are well worth the price of admission.

So, why not plan a get-away weekend?  Load up the kids, pack up the car, head to one of the fun swimming holes around the state.  When you get there, hopefully you've already got yours swimsuit on underneath your clothes so that all you have to do is kick off your clothes and shoes and jump right in.  You'll probably find that the water's a chilly 70 degrees in many locations around the state.  

I feel cooler just thinking about it, how about you?

Location: Austin's Zilker Park 2101 Barton Springs Rd, Austin TX

Features: 3 acres of natural spring-fed 68 degrees Fahrenheit water year-around making it the fourth largest in the state

Website: Barton Springs

Claim to fame: Legislators have concocted state laws there, topless sunbathers in the seventies, and even Robert Redford learned to swim at the pool when he was five years old while visiting relatives in Austin.

Location: Georgetown, north of downtown at the bend of the San Gabriel River W. Second and Rock Streets

Features: Scenic lagoon with a limestone cliff on one side with a hillside with picnic tables

Website: Blue Hole Park

Location: A sandy peninsula across from South Padre Island about 20 miles east of Brownsville on Tx Hwy 4

Features: No facilities, but has amazing birdwatching, fishing, swimming, kiteboarding, surfing and snorkeling

Location: Almost 4,900 acres 30 minutes from Houston with 6 lakes

Features: Alligators! Twenty miles of hiking and mountain biking trails, horseback riding, and did I mention, Alligators! This park has a hands-on alligator discovery area. They also have white-tailed deer, raccoon, bobcat and over 270 bird species. Fishing is permitted from the lighted fishing piers. Picnic tables can be found in some of the scenic lakeside areas throughout the park.

The park has several hundred campsites for RVs, tents and screened shelters. An amphitheatre and dining hall are available. They have an observatory near one of the lakes that houses several telescopes, including a 36-inch reflector that is usually available for public viewing on Saturday evenings from 3 PM to 10 PM.

Website: Brazos Bend State Park

Location: About 90 miles west of San Antonio along the Nueces River.

Features: Traditional camping sites or air-conditioned cabins

Horseback riding, putt-putt golf and boating

Website: Chalk Bluff Park

Claim to fame: On May 29, 1861, two of southwest Texas' most feared Indian fighters were ambushed by a band of 20 hostile Indians at this location. Go to their website to learn more about this event.

Location: Just north of Austin, Devil's Waterhole is a favorite swimming spot made up of natural pools nestled among some rocks within the Inks Lake State Park

Features: Inks Lake State Park is comprised of 1,200-acres in the pink granite of the Llano Uplift. The park is has scenic vistas overlooking expansive granite hills and 803-acre Inks Lake. There are over 7 miles of hiking trails. The park offers recreational activities such as camping, fishing, picnicking, wildlife observation, SCUBA diving, swimming, boating and water sports.

There are boat ramps, two fishing piers, a playground, 9-hole golf course, and mini-cabins.

The wildlife includes white-tail deer, wild turkeys, lizards, snakes, and songbirds. Between mid-November and mid-March, the Vanishing Texas River Cruise on nearby Lake Buchanan affords visitors the best chance of viewing bald eagles.

Location: About 30 miles from Austin, take Tx Hwy 71 past Bee Cave to FM 3238, 13 miles to entrance

Features: Picturesque swimming with a waterfall. Click here to see 17 breathtaking photos of it, along with 23 reviews.

Daily car limit, so arrive early

Location: About 30 miles west of Austin

Features: Lush swimming hole surrounded by cypress trees, privately owned for over 50 years by the Krause familly. The springs are open year around.

Website: Krause Springs