Hamilton Pool Preserve is a natural swimming pool approximately 23 miles west of Austin, TX U.S.A. that was created when the dome of an underground river collapsed due to erosion spanning thousands of years.
In the mid-60s of the 19th century, this site was bought by Morgan Hamilton, after whom the lake now bears its name.
Lake Hamilton Poole gained popularity, and in 1985 the state drew attention to the unique natural monument: the state authorities bought this land from the Rymers family and a nature reserve was created here.
Since then, the site has been a popular summer swimming spot for visitors and residents of Austin. The Hamilton Pool Preserve site includes 0.94 km2 of protected natural habitat and includes a jade green pool into which a 15 meter high waterfall flows.
The picturesque lake is now the favorite vacation spot of Austin residents.
Access : Coordinates: 30.34227, -98.12693 / The pool is located approximately 23 miles west of Austin, TX, near Highway 71.
Highlights :
-Reservations are required to visit, and it is open for hiking and sight-seeing-swimming is occasionally restricted.
-The natural pool and stream are not chemically treated, so water quality is regularly monitored and swimming is restricted. Hamilton Pool is part of the Canyonlands Preserve Balconies and is a protected environment.
-For the sake of preserving nature, it is prohibited on the territory of the reserve: fishing, making a fire, carrying glass containers, putting up tents, bringing pets, riding mountain bikes.
-Attendance is also affected by the regular ban on visits to the reserve due to floods, as well as the periodic ban on swimming in the lake due to an increase in the concentration of bacteria in the water caused by the fact that swallows nest under the dome of the lake.
-As of January 2019, access to the pool and river requires a $ 15 vehicle entry fee to Travis County Park, with a variety of discounts for seniors, war veterans with disabilities, annual permits. For visits from March to October and on weekends and public holidays from November to February, a reservation must be made online.
Go next : Austin / Marble Falls / Burnet / Johnson City / San Antonio
