Swim & float
Texas swimming holes, spring-fed pools, tubing and float trips.
At a glance
The field guide
19 places in the Texas Defined guide, with the details you need to choose where to go next.
19 places in this guide
Bandera · Bandera County · Hill Country
A Medina River Hill Country town where cowboy heritage meets public river swimming, tubing and paddling, with music, horseback riding and access to rugged country west of San Antonio.
Dripping Springs · Travis County · Hill Country
A protected Hill Country canyon and collapsed limestone grotto west of Austin, where Hamilton Creek drops into a jade-green pool beneath a broad rock overhang, reached by a rugged trail and managed through required reservations to protect sensitive habitat.
Balmorhea · Reeves County · Big Bend Country
A West Texas oasis built around San Solomon Springs and the world’s largest spring-fed swimming pool, where clear 72-to-76-degree water fills a historic CCC-era park in the desert.
Austin · Travis County · Prairies & Lakes
Austin's landmark spring-fed swimming pool in Zilker Park, supplied by the Edwards Aquifer and holding near 68–70 degrees year-round beneath limestone slopes and mature pecan trees.
Blanco · Blanco County · Hill Country
A small Hill Country park wrapped around a mile of the Blanco River, with limestone dams, swimming, fishing, paddling and shaded picnic areas within walking distance of downtown Blanco.
Wimberley · Hill Country
A spring-fed swimming area on Cypress Creek inside Wimberley's Blue Hole Regional Park, shaded by mature cypress trees and managed through a seasonal reservation system that protects the experience from uncontrolled crowding.
Quitaque · Briscoe County · Panhandle Plains
Red-rock canyon country beneath the Caprock Escarpment, home to the official Texas State Bison Herd, Lake Theo and a trail network that connects with a long converted-rail Trailway across the Panhandle.
Bend · San Saba County · Hill Country
A rugged Colorado River park northwest of Austin with 70-foot Gorman Falls, spring-fed pools, cave tours and more than 35 miles of hike-and-bike trails through limestone canyon country.
Glen Rose · Somervell County · Prairies & Lakes
A Paluxy River park near Glen Rose where 113-million-year-old dinosaur tracks appear in the limestone riverbed, backed by more than 20 miles of trails through rugged North Texas terrain.
Concan · Uvalde County · Hill Country
A Hill Country favorite on the Frio River, where limestone hills, cypress-lined water, Old Baldy and the park’s long-running summer dances make the destination as social as it is scenic.
Spring Branch · Comal County · Hill Country
Four miles of Guadalupe River frontage between San Antonio and the Hill Country, pairing cypress-lined swimming and paddling water with trails, camping and access to the protected Honey Creek landscape.
Lampasas · Lampasas County · Hill Country
A historic spring-fed city park in Lampasas built around one of Texas' oldest continuously used public swimming pools, with cool artesian water, mature shade and a strong connection to the town's mineral-springs history.
Spicewood · Burnet County · Hill Country
A privately operated Hill Country swimming destination near Spicewood with spring-fed pools, a small waterfall, cypress trees, gardens and camping on a family-owned property.
Fritch · Hutchinson County · Panhandle Plains
A large Canadian River reservoir in the Texas Panhandle surrounded by breaks and dry plains, with free access to boating, fishing, swimming, hiking, camping and backcountry roads.
Austin · Travis County · Prairies & Lakes
An Austin state park where Onion Creek drops over broad limestone ledges at Upper and Lower Falls, with swimming holes, trails, camping and reminders of Central Texas history only minutes from the city.
New Braunfels · Comal County · Hill Country
A German-Texan Hill Country city built around the Comal and Guadalupe rivers, with tubing, historic neighborhoods, Gruene and strong access to Canyon Lake.
Johnson City · Blanco County · Hill Country
Thirty miles west of Austin, the Pedernales River pours across broad shelves of Hill Country limestone, creating a dramatic falls area plus separate places for swimming, hiking, camping and river access.
San Marcos · Hays County · Hill Country
A Central Texas city built around powerful artesian springs and the clear San Marcos River, with tubing, paddling, a walkable downtown and a major university presence.
Junction · Kimble County · Hill Country
A clear-river Hill Country park near Junction where swimming, tubing, paddling, turkey habitat, pecan bottomlands and miles of trails come together along the spring-fed South Llano River.
Build the bigger picture
The strongest Texas trips usually cross categories. These nearby topics add context, places and practical next steps without creating duplicate destination pages.
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TexasDefined Top 25
These places are part of TexasDefined's statewide Top 25 reference collection. Each guide includes official-source verification, a review log, trip-planning assessments, three itinerary options and a full nearby-area layer.
Top 25 · #18
Hamilton Pool PreserveA protected Hill Country canyon and collapsed limestone grotto west of Austin, where Hamilton Creek drops into a jade-green pool beneath a broad rock overhang, reached by a rugged trail and managed through required reservations to protect sensitive habitat.
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