Summer's coming

Dive into the best swimming holes around Central Texas

Summers in Texas can be intolerable, which is why knowing where to find the best swimming holes is indispensable. Next time you travel to Central Texas for a few hot and steamy days, keep in mind that the area offers up a bounty of watery beauty. Here are a dozen of the best swimming holes to cool off and feel refreshed.

Barton Springs Pool
The grand dame of Austin swimming holes, and arguably America’s best urban bathing spot, Barton Springs features famously brisk water temperatures of around 68-70 degrees. Whether you’re into swimming laps, busting showy moves off the diving board, or just sunning on the grassy banks, Barton Springs is absolutely not to be missed.
Know before you go: No coolers, food, alcohol, or glass bottles are allowed.

2201 Barton Springs Rd., Austin. The pool is open daily year-round.

Deep Eddy Pool
The yin to Barton Springs’ yang and the oldest swimming pool in the state, Deep Eddy is a concrete-bottomed pool on the opposite bank of Lady Bird Lake. Open year-round, it’s popular with lap swimmers, sunbathers, and families.
Know before you go: The pool is refilled every other day with fresh well water and is not chlorinated, so you can dispense the goggles.

401 Deep Eddy Dr., Austin.

Hamilton Pool Preserve
Hamilton Pool looks like a movie set, with a waterfall spilling off the huge half-dome into a circular pool ringed by boulders and a perfect beach on one side. Reservation and entry fees make this a relatively pricey outing, and swimming is sometimes prohibited due to high bacteria counts, but the canyon’s natural beauty makes all worthwhile.

Know before you go: Reservations are required. Make your reservation online and pay $11 before going.

24300 Hamilton Pool Rd., Dripping Springs.

Campbell’s Hole
The seven miles of Barton Creek flowing through the greenbelt features several worthy swimming holes, including Twin Falls and Sculpture Falls. For ease of access, however, Campbell’s Hole tops the list. Entering from Spyglass Drive off MoPac, it’s a short hike to this pool just a mile upstream from Barton Springs.
Know before you go: Water level may be too low to swim much during dry spells.

1601 Spyglass Dr., Austin.

Rio Vista Park
The San Marcos equivalent of Barton Springs Pool is this park featuring a chute funneling the cool, crystalline waters of the San Marcos River into man-made rapids for tubers, kayakers, and surfers. You can rent tubes, canoes, kayaks, and paddleboards; picnic, barbecue; and even shoot baskets or play tennis.
Know before you go: Rio Vista can get crowded, so don’t expect to show up late and get a primo spot.

555 Cheatham St., San Marcos.

Hippie Hollow
“Clothing optional” is the key phrase forever associated with this Lower Colorado River Authority park on Lake Travis. It’s famously the state’s only clothing-optional park and is restricted to swimmers 18-and-up only. Rules forbid photographs, dogs, and lewd behavior.
Know before you go: Rangers close the park when it becomes too crowded, so arrive early on holiday weekends.

7000 Comanche Tr., Austin.

Lake Pflugerville Park
This 180-acre reservoir on the northeast side offers fishing piers, kayak rentals, and a launch ramp for non-motorized boats, but the main attraction for swimmers is the pocket-sized sandy beach. Bathers and sun worshippers of all ages spread blankets and picnic at the covered tables year-round.
Know before you go: Shade is in short supply, so consider bringing a pop-up or beach umbrella.

18216 Weiss Ln., Pflugerville.

Mansfield Dam Park
Scuba divers are common sights in this deep cove on Lake Travis near Mansfield Dam. The Lower Colorado River Authority has installed stairs, a wheelchair ramp, and even lifts to ease divers’ transition into the lake’s clear waters. There’s lots more to do, including sunbathing on the rocky shores, fishing, floating, and barbecuing.
Know before you go: If you plan to come here often, consider an annual permit.

4370 Mansfield Dam Park Rd., Austin.

Blue Hole — Georgetown
On the south fork of the San Gabriel River in downtown Georgetown, dammed waters create a scenic lagoon bordered by limestone bluffs on one side and grassy shores on the other. Climbing or diving from the cliffs is forbidden (no matter how many people you see doing it.)
Know before you go: Park for free in a public lot and garage at Third and Rock streets.

100 Blue Hole Park, Georgetown.

Blue Hole — Wimberley
Rope swings; towering cypress trees; and the cool, shaded waters of Cypress Creek characterize this gem stashed in the center of the village of Wimberley. The swimming hole is open daily Memorial Day through Labor Day, weekends in May and September, and closed the rest of the year.
Know before you go: Swimmers are encouraged to make reservations online for one of two time slots: 9 am-1 pm or 2-6 pm.

100 Blue Hole Ln., Wimberley.

Krause Springs
Krause Springs is the only privately owned swimming hole on this list and the only one that allows camping. Dozens of springs fill both manmade and natural pools flowing into Lake Travis and the waterfalls, grottos, and abundant vegetation combine to make for breathtaking beauty.
Know before you go: The Krause family does not accept credit cards, so bring cash.

404 Krause Spring Rd., Spicewood.

Jacob's Well
Limpid 68-degree water from the Trinity Aquifer wells up to fill this 140-foot deep cavern and form Cypress Creek. In order to swim, you must have a reservation for a specific two-hour slot to guarantee your spot in the water.
Know before you go: There is no public drinking fountain. Bring water but not strollers. The 15-minute hike in has multiple sets of stairs.

221 Wood Acre Dr., Wimberley.

Jacob's Well

Jacob's Well/Facebook

Jacob's Well

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These 2 haunted Texas hotels promise a spirited overnight stay

The Emily Morgan Hotel/ Facebook

The Emily Morgan is steps away from the Alamo.

If you hear something knocking during a vacation in San Antonio, it might not be housekeeping. Two of the city's downtown landmark hotels — the Gunter and the Emily Morgan — have been named among the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s 25 most haunted hotels in the U.S.

Each year, the nonprofit’s Historic Hotels of America program recognizes iconic properties where things are said to go bump in the night. It’s a playful way to highlight the organization’s work to preserve the nation’s diverse historic buildings and neighborhoods, whether one believes in the supernatural or not. The San Antonio pair were the only Texas properties to earn the hair-raising honors.

“The list invites heritage and cultural travelers to discover historic hotels where lore and legends make for memorable stays,” explained the trust in a release. “For believers and skeptics alike, these one-of-a-kind hotels preserve tales of guests who never want to leave and staff who never stopped helping.”

The Emily Morgan returned to the list after a year’s reprieve (maybe someone forgot this year’s blessing). The trust noted that the 102-year-old building is considered one of North America’s most active paranormal sites, owing to its original use as a medical building. Carved grotesques on the facade writhe from tooth pain and stomachaches. Inside, spectral nurses are said to be still providing care.

“On the fourteenth floor, guests have reported a hospital-like smell and, on rare occasions, visions of a hospital scene rather than their guestroom when they open the door from the hallway,” wrote Historic Hotels. “On the twelfth floor, guests have reported bathroom doors opening and closing on their own, lights flashing, and apparitions of nurses pushing rickety gurneys down the corridor before vanishing.”

Gunter Hotel Not pictured: Gunter's resident shadowy figure.Photo by Daniel Kelleghan Photography

Although medical manifestations are unsettling enough, the other San Antonio hotel on the list has a more gruesome claim to fame. Built in 1909, the Gunter Hotel boasts a room that is only slightly less notorious than The Shining’s Room 237. Room 636 was the site of one of Alamo City’s most famous murders.

In 1965, a housekeeper found ex-con Walter Emerick standing beside a blood-soaked bed. Police found empty wine bottles, bloody footprints, strands of blonde hair, and women’s clothing, but never found the body. Emerick left a psychic stain all over downtown, booking it to the St. Anthony’s room 536 (he reportedly asked to stay in 636 again), where he offed himself before arrest. The Gunter never quite recovered from his brief stay.

“Since the 1960s, guests and staff have reported unsettling phenomena, including unexplained cold spots, flickering lights, and faint whispers or footsteps when no one is present,” said Historic Hotels. “Some claim to have seen a shadowy figure lingering near the doorway or caught the faint scent of cigar smoke despite the hotel’s smoking prohibition.”

Still, the dark specters have not kept the Gunter from receiving another honor this year. Historic Hotels recently named it the Best City Center Historic Hotel, given to the property that “best celebrates its history in the guest experience and provides exceptional customer hospitality and service.”

Both of San Antonio’s haunted hotels have largely embraced their eerie reputations. The Emily Morgan proudly touts its mysterious occurrences on one of its webpages. The Gunter glosses over some of the more grisly details of room 636 on its own page, and assures guests the room has since been remodeled.

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