Hamilton Pool

A few weeks ago a co-worker texted me and said "Hey, I'm going to Hamilton Pool, do you want to go?"  To be honest, my first reaction (to myself) was "I have a pool here!".  I'm so glad I didn't listen to myself!

This place ranks as one of the coolest places I have ever experienced in person.
Hamilton Pool is a natural water feature located just outside of Austin, TX.  You can check out their website here.

As we were walking the trail down I learn that it used to be two giant sheets of limestone with an underground river that eventually collapsed, one sheet got pushed under the other.  What resulted in a natural pool with a waterfall that cascades down from over 45 feet above.

I was truly and sincerely blown away!  You really have no idea.  I love water SO much and I have dreamed of seeing a place like this on a tropical island somewhere. I did not expect to see it in the States.    

Being this late in the year, the water was a little cold, but for anyone that has seen me around water, it did not matter!  After warming up on the walk down, which took about 20 minutes, I was in the water within seconds.  I love being in and around water so much - it rejuvenates me!  

This place SOLD me on Austin!!!  I may never live here long term, but I will visit Hamilton Pool for YEARS to come! Once in the water, I swam over to a giant limestone rock that looks as if God positioned it directly under the waterfall.  You could clime on there and then let the water fall down around you.  After your natural shower, you could jump back into the pool.  This place was unbelievable!!!


There were huge flat broken pieces of limestone surrounding the left side, which had a 20 foot over hang from the limestone shelf above.  If you have seen the new Predators movie (where they are taken to a animal preserve and hunted) then you would recognize these rocks.  In the movie, the characters jump off of the cliff and climb out of the water onto these rocks.  

This will mark the second time that I was able to see famous "water rocks".  When I was 14 I rafted down the New River and got to see the rock that the actors jumped off of in the very first Mountain Dew commercial.


There was more to this place than just the pool.  After we swam, we hiked down the trails that were roughly 2 miles long and ended at a river (and another swimming spot) where the waterfall eventually empties.  The path along the way was absolutely beautiful.  It looked prehistoric and untouched by man!  I kept waiting for those little raptor dinosaurs (from Jurassic Park 2) to jump out.  But seriously, there were NO signs of man other than the occasional sign that reminded you that this was a nature preserve and to help keep it that way.  This whole area was beautiful!!!

My sincere thanks to Patrick for inviting me on his trip there.  As a native Austin resident, he has offered to show me some of the other great water features of this area.  I'll be honest though, I can't imagine anything that is as breathtakingly beautiful as Hamilton Pool.

Thanks for reading everyone!  If you ever make it down here to visit me, I will take you to this one-of-a-kind place!!!

Take care...