Natural springs in Texas have long been vital to the state's history, shaping its culture, ecology, and heritage.
“Springs have been very important to Texas from the time of the first inhabitants. Many battles were fought between the pioneers and Indians for possession of springs,” wrote Gunnar Brune in his seminal Major and Historical Springs of Texas published in 1975. “Many springs afforded important stops on stagecoach routes, power for mills, water for medicinal treatment, municipal water supplies, and recreational parks.”
Brune documented 281 major and historically significant springs in Texas but there are many more natural springs in the Lone Star State with the U.S. Geological Survey in 2004 listing 1,891 springs.
However, since so much land in Texas is private (more than 96 percent), the precise number of natural springs is unknown. The best estimates are currently somewhere between 3,000 and 4,000.
Texas natural springs come in all shapes, sizes, and water temperatures. There was a time when people travelled from around the country to Texas to dip into the “healing waters” of mineral springs.
“The establishment of healing resorts near mineral springs and wells in Texas peaked from approximately 1890 to 1920,” says Texas Time Travel.
Natural springs are once again, according to Texas Monthly, making a comeback in popularity.
“Chalk it up to a post pandemic compulsion to treat ourselves, or maybe we’re just tapping more into a primal desire to float away our worries, but the choices for soaking in the state’s special waters are growing,” Russel Gold wrote in “Why Natural Springs Are the State’s New Hot Spots Again” in April 2024.
8 Springs to Visit in Texas
Here are 8 springs to visit in the Lone Star State:
- Barton Springs Pool (Austin): Not all springs are in remote, far away locations. Barton Springs is Austin’s well-known swimming hole that is fed by spring water that runs 68 to 70 degrees year round. Barton Springs Pool, which measures three acres, is part of Zilker Park’s sprawling 358 acres. Barton Springs Pool is very popular with more than 800,000 visitors in some years.
- Chinati Hot Springs (Ruidosa): These remote springs in the Chihuahuan Desert feature both “cold” and “hot” springs with the cold pool typically 70 degrees and the volcanic thermal springs as hot at 110 degrees! These springs were formerly known as Kingston Hot Springs and Ruidosa Hot Springs. Texas Time Travel says that Annie Kingston purchased over 1,000 acres around the springs in 1898 to build a property with adobe bathhouses. In the 1930s a formal resort was established that operated until 1990. Chinati Hot Springs reopened as a resort in 1997.
- Hamiton Pool Preserve (Dripping Springs): Hamilton Pool Preserve was designated a nature preserve in 1990. The pool resides where a 50-foot scenic waterfall plunges into the water. There is a beach entry for swimming, but only a limited portion of the pool is open due to falling rocks from the cliff. The trail under the overhanging cliff is currently closed. Reservations are needed and can be made for morning (9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.) or afternoon (2 to 5:30 p.m.). The hiking trail to the pool is a quarter mile down a steep, narrow and rugged path with uneven steps.
- Hancock Springs Park (Lampasas): A natural spring fed swimming pool is located at this park along the Sulphur Creek branch of the Lampasas River. The swimming pool at Hancock Springs Park opened in 1911 and was a popular destination for soldiers during World War II with Camp Hood nearby.
- Krause Springs (Spicewood): This has been a popular Hill Country hangout since 1955. Located on 115 acres with man-made pools fed by spring water at 68 degrees. The property, owned privately by the Krause Family, is listed on the National Registry of Historical Sites. There are a total of 32 springs on the property. Camping is available along with a Butterfly Garden to visit. Note: Krause Spring is temporarily closed and will reopen Feb. 15, 2025.
- Langford Hot Springs (Big Bend National Park): These springs are on the remains of what was once the J.O. Langford Bath House, built over 100 years ago on the north bank of the Rio Grande. The National Park Service says that “hot spring water is considered old water, fossil water, ancient and irreplaceable. Heated by geothermal processes and emerging at 105 degrees, the water carries dissolved mineral salts reputed to have healing powers. The spring is located at the end of a two-mile gravel road that descends down a rough, narrow wash to the Hot Springs Historic District and trailhead area.”
- San Solomon Springs (Balmorhea State Park): This 1.3 acre freshwater pool has crystal clear water and claims to be the world’s largest spring-fed swimming pool. People can enjoy swimming and scuba diving at this West Texas treasure. The pool was constructed in 1930 with surrounding walls but still has a natural bottom. More than 15 million gallons of water flow through the pool each day. The pool is 25 feet deep in some spots and holds 3.5 million gallons of water which is 72 to 76 degrees year-round.
- Sulphur Springs Camp (Bend): Located on three miles of riverfront on the Colorado River, this area has been popular for its springs for more than 150 years. Since 1961, the owners of the property have offered an area for camping, hiking, fishing, and swimming in a spring fed pool that is a constant 68 degrees year round. The pool is located just 50 feet from the river.
Planning Your Natural Springs Trip: Check Ahead
It is always advised to check ahead before planning your trip to a Texas natural spring because some springs are closed at certain times.
Jacob’s Well Natural Area in Wimberley, for example, is one of the more famous Texas natural springs with its submerged caves, but the swimming hole has been closed more than open over the past four years because of drought conditions and low to no flow at times.
Most of the natural springs require reservations and some have fees. Check for details prior to visiting.
Many of the natural springs of Texas are located on private property, especially the smaller, less well-known springs, and you should never visit these springs without property owner permission.
There may be no more stagecoach routes in Texas or thirsty cattle on drives to market that need the cool benefits of spring water, but natural springs in Texas continue to play an important role for the state, its residents and visitors.