Springs Eternal

When the temperature hits 100, the best place to get wet is always the closest place. But if you’re willing to travel, we know 25 great spots where you can cannonball, belly flop, or do the can opener (instructions included) into cold, clear, flowing freshwater. (Our definition of “swimming hole” excludes salt water and any pool that isn’t spring-fed.) So grab your goggles, throw a towel and a magazine (we can think of a good one) in your backpack, and prepare to have your core temperature lowered. If only for an afternoon.

by Charlie Llewellin

August 2008

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13) City Tube Chute

New Braunfels

Picnic Tables - Lifeguard

If I ever left Texas, I think the memento I would most treasure would be one of the signs that hang across the Comal just before this chute, warning of its proximity. Zooming down the slippery S-shaped concrete channel is usually the thirty-second climax after two torpid hours on the river, but there’s nothing to stop thrill-seekers from repeating the rush all day. On a recent early morning I watched a bunch of cops in helmets and life jackets run it tubeless, which I bet they wouldn’t let civilians do during regular hours. If you’re hungry: schnitzel at Friesenhaus. Prince Solms Park, 100 Leibscher Drive. 830-608-2165. Open Memorial Day through mid-August, 10—7 (weekends only mid-August through Labor Day). $5.

14) Lake Raven

Huntsville

Crowded on weekends - Picnic Tables - Shade - Grilling - Camping

Thick pine forest surrounds this pretty lake fed by three creeks: Prairie Branch, Big Chiquapin, and Little Chiquapin. It was created in 1937 as a recreation destination. Fishing is what most people come here to do, but there is an area roped off for swimmers, with a sandy beach and a floating dock. Like at many East Texas holes, tannin in nearby pine trees has turned the water the color of iced tea. Recently I laid out on the dock and watched the morning sun sparkling on the water and couldn’t imagine anything much better. My only worry was whether the park’s alligators knew that the rope meant that the swimming area was off-limits to them. If you’re hungry: the daily special at the Café Texan. Huntsville State Park, six miles southwest of Huntsville off Interstate 45 on Park Road 40. 936-295-5644. Open year-round, 8—10. $4.

15) Utopia City Park

Utopia

Crowded on weekends - Picnic Tables - Shade - Rope Swing - Grilling - Camping

Two old dudes were sitting on a beat-up Dodge truck passing the time over Budweisers when I arrived at this lovely little park by the Sabinal River. “You’ve come to the best part of the best part of Texas,” one of them told me, and on a sunny afternoon, I wasn’t about to doubt him. Huge cypress trees stand like sentinels along the water, sheltering a number of camping and picnicking stations. This is one of several places along FM 187 that offer river access and riverside cabin rental or camping. If you’re hungry: panini and smoothies at Utopia Joe’s Coffee House. West of FM 187, at the intersection of Houston (FM 1050) and Cypress. 830-966-3643. Open year-round, sunrise to sunset. $5 per vehicle.

16) Burger’s Lake

Fort Worth

Crowded on weekends - Picnic Tables - Shade - Rope Swing - Lifeguard - Grilling

The main attraction at this old-fashioned park, located right by the Trinity River in the northwest part of the city, is a spring-fed, one-acre pool with fountains, sandy beaches, and diving boards—in other words, family fun that Fort Worthians have been enjoying for generations. If you’re hungry: Bring a picnic. 1200 Meandering Road. 817-737-3414. Open Mother’s Day through Labor Day, 9—7 (weekends only through the end of September). $12.

17) The Quince

Camp Wood

A few hundred yards along River Road off of Texas Highway 55, you can pull over and park by the Nueces. No frills here, just cold, clear water deep enough to dive into—fifteen feet deep, in fact, which accounts for the local sobriquet. I spent a happy half hour at this spot—also known to locals by the less-evocative tag “the Swim Hole”—and the empty beer cans suggested I was not the first. If you’re hungry: Angus burgers or all-day breakfast at B.J.’s Café and Sweet Shop. Half a mile west of Texas Highway 55 on River Road, opposite the Rocky River Camp. Free.

18) The Slab

Kingsland

Crowded on weekends

Just before the Llano River curves sharply to meet the Colorado, it tumbles through lilliputian mountains of pink granite, where you can drape yourself, Gulliver-like, over the rocks and lounge in the shallow pools. Though superb for those who just want to relax and enjoy the beauty of nature, this spot is not so good for actual swimming. So why is it eighteenth on my list? Because soaking up the sun to the sound of running water amid this much scenery is a pleasure not to be missed. Besides, the water’s deep enough to cover your belly. Be advised: Parking is extremely limited. If you’re hungry: burgers and ice cream at Storm’s. Where RR 3404 crosses the Llano River. Free.

19) Cypress Bend Park

New Braunfels

Crowded on weekends - Picnic Tables

A little more au naturel than the City Tube Chute, this convenient park gives access to the Guadalupe River where it makes one of a series of lazy curves around the eastern side of town. Gaze at the sky through the trees and you’ll feel as if you’re a long way from the center of town. If you’re hungry: the migas plate at El Nopalito. 600 Peace Avenue. 830-221-4350. Open year-round, 8—dusk. Free.

20) Lake Fryer at Wolf Creek Park

Perryton

Crowded on weekends - Picnic Tables - Shade - Rope Swing - Grilling - Camping

After a short time, I stopped thinking that the six flags hanging at the entrance might be some deluded attempt at false pretenses, since this roughly seven-hundred-acre county park can stand proud on its own merits as a delightfully low-key getaway with the emphasis, as usual, on fishing and camping. There are the usual picnic tables and grills. Designated swimming areas are on the north side of the lake by the concrete dam. Like many places on my list, Lake Fryer has drawn people for thousands of years, from the Indians who built villages along the creek to the local families who have gathered here since the land was settled. If you find yourself up in the Panhandle, Lake Fryer is well worth a visit. If you’re hungry: burgers at the Lobo Restaurant. Six miles east of U.S. 83 on County Road U. 806-435-4559. Open year-round, sunrise to midnight. Free.

21) Rio Vista Park

San Marcos

Crowded on weekends - Picnic Tables - Shade - Rope Swing - Grilling

The San Marcos River bubbles up through the springs at Aquarena Center and heads south right through town on its way to the Guadalupe. The water (a constant 72 degrees) is perfect for swimming and tubing, and it’s also a popular destination for snorkelers and scuba divers. Renting tubes upstream at City Park and floating down to the tube chute at the Rio Vista Falls is a good choice. If you’re hungry: Bobcat cheese fries at the River Pub and Grill. 555 Cheatham. 512-393-8400. Open year-round, 6—11. Free.

22) Hunt Crossing

Hunt

Crowded on weekends - Rope Swing

Ah, the Guadalupe River . . . the only difficulty is getting into it. Its beauty and proximity to San Antonio and Austin mean that those who have river access guard it jealously (and often charge for it). The path of least resistance is to join the armies of tubers that jam the river below Canyon Lake, but generally I prefer the waters above the reservoir. For a classic park-and-dip experience I recommend pulling over at Hunt Crossing, where the sound of splashing and laughter will quickly make you forget the din of cars zipping over the bridge. (Other spots nearby: Kerrville-Schreiner Park and Louise Hays Park, in Kerrville; Ingram Dam, Johnson Creek bridge, and Schumacher Crossing, all along Texas Highway 39 east of Hunt. For those looking to try Guerrilla Swimming Tactic No. 3—according to which any place a road crosses a river is a potential swimming hole—the highways between Kerrville and Comfort are promising, but be mindful of private property.) If you’re hungry: burgers at the Hunt Store. At the eastern end of Hunt, the first place that Texas Highway 39 crosses the Guadalupe River. Free.

23) Village Creek State Park

Lumberton

Crowded on weekends - Shade - Camping

Village Creek, as wide and brown as the real Limpopo, slips slowly and silently through the Big Thicket to its confluence with the Neches, south of Lumberton. A one-mile hike through a dense forest of beech, tupelo, and magnolia trees takes you to a place where the stream makes a stately curve past a large sandbar. No need to worry about alligators here: The creek is spring-fed, which keeps the temperature lower than other bodies of water in the area, 74 to 78 degrees, making this hole less hospitable to the giant, fanged reptiles. Despite the constant metallic banging and screeching from an invisible manufacturing plant (which, one hopes, would be closed on weekends), I spent a pleasant hour or so here, alternately lounging in the sun and wallowing in the hole, and gradually the noise of civilization merged into the buzz and hum of the woods behind me and the gentle splashing of the water at my feet. If you’re hungry: Bring a sandproof picnic. Half a mile east of FM 3513 (Village Creek Parkway) down Alma Drive. 409-755-7322. Open year-round, 8—10. $2.

24) Blanco State Park

Blanco

Crowded on weekends - Picnic Tables - Shade - Grilling - Camping

Oak and pecan trees shade the ducks waddling along the grassy banks of the Blanco River at this quiet spot near the welcoming town square. A small dam creates a wide lagoon for swimming and floating and a waterfall for splashing. This little city park (that’s what it is, despite being in the state parks system) has a perfect small-town-Texas feel. If you’re hungry: apple pie at Deutsch Apple Bakery. 101 Park Road 23. 830-833-4333. Open year-round, 8—10. $4.

25) Hancock Springs Pool

Lampasas

Crowded on weekends - Picnic Tables - Shade - Lifeguard - Grilling

Lampasas grew up around these sulfurous springs, which were famous in the late 1800’s as a health resort. Train travelers would be ferried by mule, one trolley carload at a time, from the station to the Park Hotel. The open-air swimming pool was built in 1911. There’s a tearoom in the quaint two-story building next to the pool, which was restored in the nineties by the Daughters of the Republic of Texas. If you’re hungry: cheeseburgers at the Country Kitchen & Bakery. Hancock Park, at the intersection of U.S. 281 South and U.S. 190 (E.E. Jr. Ohnmeiss Drive). 512-556-6831. Open June through August, Thur—Sat 12—7, Sun 1—6. $3.

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