Making waves

Stunning Hill Country pool cannonballs onto Condé Nast Traveler list of top swimming holes

Condé Nast Traveler says Hamilton Pool has unrivaled “storybook majesty.”

Photo by Deborah Stachelski

As Mother Nature cranks up the heat in Texas, it's time to think about a getaway to cool off in the country’s best swimming holes.

A list published May 24 by Condé Nast Traveler magazine crowns Hamilton Pool in the Hill Country — west of Lake Travis and north of Dripping Springs — as one of eight “stunning” swimming holes in the U.S. (But before you jump in the car and drive south from Dallas, there's something to know about it now — read on.)

No other spot in Texas made the unranked list.

While giving a nod to two other watering holes in Central Texas, Barton Springs and Blue Hole, Condé Nast Traveler insists “they can’t rival the storybook majesty” of the Hill Country’s Hamilton Pool.

“The crown jewel of a 232-acre preserve, its 50-foot waterfall gushes over a limestone outcrop, making for wildly dramatic photos. The falls can slow to a trickle in drier weather, but the pool water remains consistently high,” the magazine says.

But that's a bit of a tease.

Unfortunately, all swimming is prohibited at Hamilton Pool “for the foreseeable future,” the Travis County Parks department recently announced.

“Following the big freeze in February,” the department says, “rocks have been falling with increased frequency at many locations in and around the pool. We are working with geologists to assess the hazard. We do not expect swimming to be allowed this summer.”

Furthermore, the section of trail that flows underneath the overhanging cliff at the pool also is closed for safety reasons, and Saturday morning guided hikes at Hamilton Pool are suspended indefinitely.

Even when this “crown jewel” is accessible, you can’t just show up. Reservations to visit Hamilton Pool are required every day of the week. People seeking a respite from the hot Central Texas summer can usually plunge into Hamilton Pool during the 9 am-12:30 pm and 2-5:30 pm daily reservation periods. The per-car entry fee is $12, while the per-person entry fee is $8 for adults and $3 for seniors; children 12 and younger are admitted at no cost.

Swimming at Hamilton Pool also isn’t allowed after heavy rainfall or if there are high bacteria levels.

So, what if you arrive at your reserved time but aren’t able to swim there?

“Most visitors enjoy hiking to the pool and photographing the waterfall, as well as relaxing on the beach or in the shade of the rock overhang. On most occasions, you can hike three-quarters of a mile through the plush canyon to the Pedernales River,” Travis County Parks says.

If you want to add "top swimming hole" to your out-of-state vacay plans, try another one on the Condé Nast Traveler list: Devil’s Punchbowl, Colorado; North Chick Blue Hole, Tennessee; Fanning Springs State Park, Florida; Robert H. Treman State Park, New York; Falling Water Falls, Arkansas; Slide Rock State Park, Arizona; or McCloud Falls, California.

parks lists vacation

GRAPE EXPECTATIONS

Napa wine brand The Debate uncorks new Texas Hill Country tasting room

The Debate/ Facebook

The Debate will source both Napa Valley and Hill Country grapes.

Need further proof that the Texas wine industry has arrived? Acclaimed Napa Valley wine brand The Debate is expanding into the Hill Country with plans to open a new Stonewall tasting room in spring 2027.

The brand was founded in 2010 with a slightly esoteric philosophy. The Debate believes that wine isn’t just a product, but a way of “fostering connection through conversation.”

One topic will surely be about the finer points of Napa versus Hill Country terroir. The tasting room will pour The Debate's top-rated wines from California alongside new bottles made from Texas fruit. Additional wine programs under the brand's umbrella will target a range of wine drinkers.

"We've always believed that wine is at its best when it brings people together," said Todd Kerlin, the brand's general manager, in a statement. "Texas Hill Country is writing a genuinely exciting chapter in wine right now, and we saw an opportunity to be part of something real here, not to import an experience, but to build one that belongs to this place and the people in it."

The Debate tasting room Once completed, The Debate's tasting room will presumably look less like The Sims.Rendering courtesy of The Debate

Wine industry vet Jean Hoefliger will spearhead the project in Texas. He's not an area newb — he's spent the past five years working with Hill Country producers with Texas Wine Consulting.

"After years of working across wine regions around the world, nothing prepared me for Texas," Hoefliger said. "The energy here is unlike anywhere else, and so is the sense of place."

The Debate plans to partner with regional restaurants and take part in Hill Country wine events as part of its rollout. Membership details, programming, and information on the brand's first Texas releases are expected to be announced closer to the opening.

Once open, it will join two other recently opened tasting rooms on Wine Road 290 between Fredericksburg and Johnson City: playful concept Acquired Taste Wines in Stonewall and Rebecca Caroline, William Chris’ new sparkling wine tasting room in the historic Hye post office.

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