Hamilton Pool Preserve, Dripping Springs, TX

I remember the first time I ever saw a picture of Hamilton Pool. I was on Pinterest, looking up cool vacation destinations. Amidst my feed, one picture stood out above the rest. It was a picture of a swimming hole with gorgeous blue/green water and waterfall cascading off a domed grotto into the pool down below. I thought for sure this was found in some remote country somewhere I’d never be able to easily visit. But once I clicked, not only was I surprised to find out it was in the US, but that it was actually right here in Texas!

Perhaps to most Texans, this is a well-known and popular place, but being a relative Texas newbie, I was so excited with my find. After further research, I saw that the beautiful Hamilton Pool was actually just a short trip outside of Austin — an easy trip from my Dallas home. So I started planning my trip. In doing so, I realized that visiting Hamilton Pool actually requires a bit of advanced planning, and it wasn’t as simple as I originally expected. So today I’m sharing my tips for planning your visit.

Planning your visit

The first thing you need to know about visiting Hamilton Pool is that you need to plan in advance. As you can imagine based on what it looks like, Hamilton Pool is a very popular location, especially in the summertime when the weather invites you to take a dip in the swimming hole. What you might not know, though, is that Hamilton Pool is in a protected park, and the county restricts the number of visitors per day. The purpose of this is to protect the natural beauty of the park. By limited the number of humans in the area, they can preserve the ecosystem and keep it safe from human harm.

Reservations are not simply recommended, but they are a necessity, and in particular, they need to be made well in advance. Because they limit the number of reservations, the reservation slots actually fill up. In the colder months, you might be able to squeeze a last-minute reservation in if you visit on a weekday. But even when it’s freezing outside, you can count on the reservation slots being filled on the weekends.

And if you’re planning to visit during the summer, you need to plan even further in advance. Some of the slots fill up months in advance. If you want to go on a Saturday in summer, it might even be necessary to reserve your spot up to 4-6 months in advance. If you want to go during the week, there will be a lot more flexibility.

When we visited, it was early March and still pretty chilly, and we were able to snag one of their last Saturday morning reservation slots about 2 weeks in advance of our visit. As long as you plan ahead, you should be able to get the reservation you want.

How to reserve your spot:

Before making your reservation, you need to know what your options are. They have two reservation slots per day, each that is good for 3.5 hours – one in the morning and one in the afternoon. So pick whichever slot you think sounds most fun. We went for the morning slot so we’d then have the afternoon to check out some of the local wineries nearby.

To make your reservation, you need to visit the Travis County Parks website . It costs a small fee to reserve the time slot, which is paid via credit card online. Note that there will be an additional per-person entrance fee on top of this reservation fee, which I’ll cover more in the next section. The website is easy to use, and it’ll send you a confirmation email, which you will need to present when you arrive at the park. So make sure to file that in a spot you’ll be able to access on the day of your visit.

When making your reservation, it’s also important to know who will be visiting. Because of the popularity of this natural attraction, the park wants to discourage price gouging over second-hand sales of visitation reservation slots. So, upon arrival, they will need to see a photo ID of the name matching the reservation. You don’t need to know your entire party’s name — as long as the name of one person who is visiting is one of the people on the day of the visit, you’ll be ok.

The day of your visit

So, you’ve planned your trip and made your reservation, and then finally, the day comes for your visit! Once you arrive, you’ll wait in a line of cars to redeem your reservation slot and pay an entrance fee, which is charged per visitor. Once you’re confirmed, they will wave you through and you’ll park your car in the parking lot, which is at the entrance to the hiking trail. There is a hike required to get you from the parking lot to the pool itself, which I’ll talk more about in the next section. You’ll want to be prepared for the hike and the day, so on the day of your visit, make sure to bring the right stuff.

What to bring

• Your photo ID – to show you’re the person who made the reservation
• Cash – The per-person entrance fee must be paid on arrival and only cash is accepted (in 2020 it’s $8 per person)
• Plenty of water – There are no water fountains or potable drinking water, so bring all the water you’ll need for the day
• Sunscreen – There is shade along the hike, but especially if you plan to swim, sunscreen will be important
• Swimsuit/towel – If you plan to swim, I recommend that you wear your swimsuit as there is nowhere to change. There are port-a-potties near the pool, but it’d be much easier to just wear your suit. Be sure to pack a towel, too, so you can dry off before your return hike.
• Hiking shoes or sturdy workout shoes – The hike down to Hamilton Pool, and further to the nearby Pedernales River, is not an easy stroll. Shoes that tie on are a must.

Other tips for your visit

• I recommend arriving exactly at the start of your reservation slot, or even 5-10 minutes early. This will allow you to get first access to the park. We did this and were able to have some peace and quiet at the pool before too many other tourists arrived.
• There are no public restrooms outside of one port-a-potty not far from the pool. So be prepared to use a port-a-potty or to wait until your visit concludes to use the facilities.
• Note that swimming is not allowed every day at the pool. The bacteria levels are monitored daily, and the park will restrict swimming if they’re concerned about the ecosystem’s stability. You can check the website the day of your visit to know whether swimming is allowed.

What to expect along the hike

When you visit, you start your hike at the trail entrance located at the end of the parking lot. The hiking path takes you directly to Hamilton Pool. Once you reach the entrance to the pool, the path forks off in two directions: One takes you the last few yards to the pool itself, and the other one takes you on a hike to the Pedernales River.

The hike from the parking lot down to Hamilton Pool itself is just about 1/4 mile. However, it’s a rocky trail, so as I mentioned, be sure to wear sturdy shoes — you can always pack flip flops to change into at the pool if you plan to go swimming. The hike itself does have a bit of elevation change, so a moderate level of fitness will be required, and strollers will not be practical.

If, in addition to seeing the Hamilton Pool, you’d like to also do the hike to the Pedernanes River (which I recommend), you can definitely do that too, either before or after your visit to the pool. This leg of the trail is a 1.5-mile out-and-back trail. The hike is a bit flatter than the hike down to Hamilton Pool, but definitely still requires solid footwear. The hike itself is quite lovely and a really enjoyable way to spend some time.

Experiencing the Pedernales River

The Pedernales River at the end of the river trail is probably not the reason that most people visit the park, but is actually very beautiful, and the river itself would also make for a great swim. When we visited, the river was wide, shallow, and slow-moving — it had the perfect conditions for swimming. There is a rocky beach at the edge of the river, so it could be a good place to stop for a picnic. If you want to do that, just bring foldable chairs or a blanket, since the rocky beach won’t be that comfortable on its own.

Experiencing Hamilton Pool

The Hamilton Pool is the reason you’ve visited, and I can attest that it is fully worth the hype — it is absolutely beautiful. The water is greenish blue and incredibly clear. There is a waterfall cascading down from the top of the grotto, drizzling water into the pool. Depending on the time of year, this waterfall will range from a slight trickle to a heavy flow.

When I visited, it was very early spring, and a bit of an overcast day. But even without the direct sunlight, I was impressed by how vibrant the water looked. I can only imagine that a sunny day would make the pool almost unreal in its appearance.

One reason people want to visit the Hamilton Pool is to swim — it is a swimming hole, after all. In warm weather, it would make a great swim as the water is crisp and clear. There is a small “beach” near one side of the pool, or you can enter the water from the rocks surrounding the pool. The park provides life jackets for those who would like one, and those can be found at the entrance to the pool.

But even if you’re not planning to swim, or if the park has restricted swimming on the day of your visit, it’s totally worth a visit. When I visited it was pretty chilly, so I had no desire to swim, but I still loved it. My favorite part about Hamilton Pool is that you can walk all the way around and behind it. The grotto has a little built-out walking path out of rocks and dirt, so visitors can easily walk all the way around the pool and under the dome of the grotto. In my opinion, the best pictures of the pool are taken from underneath the grotto, under the overhang. From behind the water, you can really see the amphitheater-like structure of the cave, which provides a beautiful frame for the gorgeous water. Just check out all the pictures of this beautiful spot:

Concluding your visit

Hamilton Pool is an Insta-famous natural landmark, and after having visited, I can assure you that it’s famous for good reason. The park management does a great job of maintaining the pool – they limit the number of visitors which helps protect the ecosystem, as well as allows visitors the space and freedom to enjoy the natural beauty without too many crowds.

As I mentioned, on our visit in early March, we did not swim as the water temperature was in the 50s, but we loved the hike and getting to see the pool and river. We spent about 1.5-2 hours at the park, and if we had swum, we would have probably used up most of our 3.5-hour reservation slot.

I highly recommend visiting Hamilton Pool if you’re in the area. We live in Dallas, so we’re quite lucky to live close to such a natural beautiful formation. If you live in Austin, San Antonio, Houston, or Dallas, or are visiting the area from out-of-state, I’d say it’s a must-do! I’m thankful that Texas has this hidden gem.