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Austin
Experience Home > Outdoors
Hamilton
Pool
24300
Hamilton Pool Rd.
Austin, Texas 78738
512-264-2740
Hours
Open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
(cars are not permitted into the park after 5:30 p.m.)
Fees
$5.00 per vehicle
$2.00 per bike/pedestrian
Directions
Hamilton Pool is approximately 30 miles southwest of Austin. Take
Highway 71 west of Austin through the town of Bee Cave and turn
left onto FM 3238 (Hamilton Pool Road). Travel 13 miles to the Preserve
entrance, on your right.
General
Information
Hamilton Pool is by far one of the coolest places to hang out in
the Austin area. Essentially, it is an underground cave or grotto
that collapsed thousands of years ago, leaving a half dome-shaped
ledge that covers part of the pool below. Much of the year, a steady
stream of water falls to the rocks and water below. The pool leads
into a brook that eventually feeds into the Pedernales River. Hamilton
Pool is a preserve that occupies approximately 232 acres of the
Balcones Canyonland Preserve.
Rules
Because it is a preserve, the park limits the amount of cars that
can enter to about 75 cars. Once at capacity, cars can only enter
as others leave. Other rules are in effect to maintain the park.
For example, visitors must stay on the trails at all time. No pets
are allowed. No camping, fishing, or fires are permitted. And glass
containers are prohibited. I realize that this sounds like a lot
of restrictions, but the end result is that visitors are treated
to a spectacular experience.
Good
to Know
- The
hike from the parking lot to the pool is about 1/4 mile with a
fair amount of stair climbing on the way back. You will regret
trying to carry heavy items like large coolers. Take the essentials.
- There
is no concession stand of any kind. Bring your own water.
- Remember
to leave the pets at home.
- Call
ahead to make sure that swimming is permitted. Sometimes after
heavy rains, swimming is restricted.
- If
you head out on the weekend or a holiday, get there early. They
usually reach capacity by noon. If you're lucky enough to head
out during the week, do it.
- Rafts
are a plus if you want to relax and drift.
- Keep
an eye on your kids. The water becomes deep very quickly.
- If
you plan to head to the LCRA parks a lot, you may want to consider
getting an annual permit for $50.00. Well worth it if you head
to Lake Travis on a regular basis.
- Carpool.
The entrance fee is $5.00 per vehicle. They don't care if you
cram 15 people into your Suburban.
Austin
Experience Home > Outdoors
Written
by Jason Massey
© 2002 AustinExperience.com
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Check
out some of these books for more Texas getaways:
Shifra
Stein's Day Trips from Austin: Getaways Less Than 2 Hours Away
Official
Guide to Texas State Parks
52
Texas Weekends: Great Getaways and Adventures for Every season
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