Krause Springs and Hamilton Pool: how to visit both
March 18, 2026 | 6 min read
The two best known swimming spots in this part of the Hill Country sit within a half hour of each other, and they work very differently. One takes reservations and one does not. Plan accordingly and you can see both in a single trip.
Krause Springs, Spicewood
Krause Springs is a family owned property with 32 springs feeding a manmade pool and a natural swimming hole below it. Giant cypress trees shade the water, there is a rope swing, and the butterfly garden near the entrance is worth the walk.
No reservation is needed, entry is a modest day use fee, and camping is available. The catch is capacity. On hot weekends the gate closes once the lot fills, often before noon. Get there when it opens, bring cash, wear shoes you can walk rocky paths in, and plan to stay a few hours.
Hamilton Pool Preserve
Hamilton Pool is a collapsed underground river dome, which left a half dome grotto with a waterfall spilling into a green pool. It is roughly 30 minutes from Spicewood and reservations are mandatory, released on a rolling schedule and claimed quickly.
Swimming is not guaranteed. Travis County closes the water when bacteria levels rise or after heavy rain, so check the status the morning of your visit. Even without swimming, the quarter mile trail down to the grotto is one of the most striking short walks in Texas.
Fitting both into one trip
The simplest plan is Hamilton Pool on the morning you have a reservation, lunch on the way back toward Spicewood, then Krause Springs another day when you can arrive at opening.
Both are outdoor, unshaded in parts, and have limited food on site. Pack water, towels, a cooler and sunscreen. Cell service is patchy on the roads between them, so download directions before you leave the house.
If both are full
Pace Bend Park and Milton Reimers Ranch Park rarely turn people away and both offer swimming, shade and easy parking. The Pedernales River at Reimers is cold, clear and usually quieter than either of the famous spots.
There is also the obvious fallback. You are staying on Lake Travis, and the water at the property is open all day.
Plan your stay at The Reserve
Gated lakeside homes on Lake Travis in Spicewood, Texas, with lake and marina access, pickleball, a fishing pond and firepits.