For an area in perpetual drought, the city of Austin and its surroundings have a surprising number of springs. When one of my friends invited me to visit Hamilton pool, she described it as a natural spring in a cave. Of course I was in! I did a little research just to make sure I could take the proper precautions with my recovering ankle. One of the first and most reoccurring warnings that other visitors to Hamilton pool had recommended was an early arrival.
As we cruised near the entrance, I celebrated how we weren’t trapped in a long line of cars. A mere two seconds later, we joined the line of cars. The pool opened at 9 AM and we were confident we’d get one of the 75 available parking spaces. Otherwise, we’d have to wait in the car until another visitor left in the great one-out-one-in scheme of things. Just as we were the next car to enter the lot, the parking attendant stated that the lot may be full. She said she was waiting on the count from the other attendant. I was prepared to mentally curse every oversized vehicle when the attendant asked for our $15 parking fee.
Another suggestion I’d read online was to use the one and only bathroom near the parking lot. From the distance where I took this shot, it smelled pretty ripe. Yet, I bravely approached the composting toilet shack and it stench actually lessened. No trip to the women’s bathroom would be complete without first waiting in line. For a facilities that only had two stalls, as least the line moved swiftly.
From the glorified outhouse, which had no plumbing, just composting toilets and a dispenser of hand sanitizer, we couldn’t see the trail head for the trees. I love when places have signs that direct you to something once you’ve already found that something. I guess the reassurance was nice.
With my ankle brace on and men’s size 8 Tevas (I dislike the women’s since they’re usually pink or flowery), I hiked the rocky .25 mile trail with no problem. If there had been any moisture on those rocks, then the trail would have been dangerous, but this is summertime in Austin.
That trail was bone dry!
And crowded with everyone who had the foresight to arrive early.
Although I knew we weren’t spending but a few hours, I’d packed a camelback and carried my bamboo mat, which folded efficiently small, and some snacks. I wasn’t actually tired…just wanted a shot of one of the benches that dot along the quarter mile hike. I figured that some visitors may need it on the way back up the trail.
My friend and her daughter posed in front of some impressive foliage and a rock formation.
Some parts of the trail truly made us feel like we were in a jungle.
Then it opens up to a small, crowded beach on what was touted as the “last free weekend” before most schools in this area began.
On this day, the water was 78.2 degrees–a full ten degrees warmer than the famed Barton Springs, which is surprising since the water is partially shielded by a cavern.
Some people holed up in an area in the back of the cave. I actually took this shot to capture the “waterfall,” which I had to get really close just to see. It’s easier to look just a centimeter in front of the rocks where the water surface is white. That’s where the water splashed into the pool. We all waded into the pool up to our bikini bottoms. I mostly read where we camped out. Nothing too physically tasking.
Yet the long car trip to our barbecue lunch destination proved to be too much for some people. We woke her up once we got there!