A Day Trip to Hamilton Pool

Hamilton Pool is located about a half an hour outside of Austin. I have been there twice since I’ve had my son. He is now 17 months old, and getting heavier to carry in my back pack carrier. This is not a problem at Hamilton Pool because it’s only a .25 mile hike to the actual pool. That’s not too bad, it’s just enough to give that “hiking” feel. Along the path you may catch a glimpse of some wildlife. I’ve seen baby armadillos, birds, deer, and squirrels. Once you are at the rocky beach that lays before the magnificent cliff that overhangs the waterfalls, there is plenty of room to lay out a blanket and picnic basket. The beach has a gradual decline into the water which is perfect for the little ones to wade in or sit and watch the curious catfish, perch, and turtles swim in the clear blue water. The water is cool and refreshing. There is a path that you can hike around inside the canopy of the cliff so you can get a close up view of the many species of birds building their nests into the rock and the stalagtite formations. It is truly unique!

On the weekends the pool is very crowded and you may even have to wait in line for a parking space if the lot has reached capacity. I recommend a trip during the week when you will be able to experience the space and sounds of the pool almost always to yourself.

I invited our playgroup on a Wednesday morning. We arrived at 9am and had the whole place to ourselves until visitors started to show up at noon. The fee is $8 per vehicle and it is always recommended that you call ahead in advance to make sure the pool is open. It does close due to high bacteria counts after a spell of rough weather.
There are restrooms with changing tables! This is always an important detail I like to mention.