Hamilton Pool Falls is a 46-foot plunge waterfall on Hamilton Creek in Travis County, Texas, where the creek pours off a limestone overhang into a collapsed grotto in Hamilton Pool Preserve. The county-run preserve, about 23 miles west of Austin off Highway 71, requires a reservation for every visit.
The falls
Hamilton Creek drops in a single plunge from the rim of a box canyon, a short distance upstream of the Pedernales River. The pool below formed when the dome of an underground river collapsed after thousands of years of erosion, leaving a grotto ringed by steep walls and a limestone overhang. The fall measures 46 feet. Older estimates put it at 60 feet.
Getting there
The preserve is at 24300 Hamilton Pool Road, Dripping Springs. Reservations are required every day and are sold only on the Travis County website: $12 per vehicle, up to eight people, for a morning slot (9:00 am to 12:30 pm) or an afternoon slot (2:00 to 5:30 pm). On arrival each adult aged 13 to 61 pays $8 and each senior 62 and over $3, in cash only; children 12 and under are free. Bring photo ID. The trail down to the pool is a quarter mile each way, steep and narrow with uneven steps; the county allows about 30 minutes for the round trip. The county updates conditions on its information line, 512-854-2581, each morning at 8:30.
When to go
The falls never dry up completely, but in drought they shrink to a trickle, while the pool's level stays fairly constant. Water access depends on bacteria levels and recent rain, so check the county page on the morning of a visit. Winter water can fall below 50°F.
On site
As of September 2026 the county allows swimming from the beach in a very limited part of the pool; it is not guaranteed with a reservation. The trail section under the overhanging cliff is closed because of falling rock, so visitors can't walk around the pool to the base of the falls. Rockfalls after the February 2021 winter storms closed the pool until a partial reopening in May 2022. There is no lifeguard; life vests are handed out while they last. In August 2016 a 17-year-old swimmer drowned in the pool. There is no drinking water, only portable toilets and picnic tables, and pets are not allowed, even left in vehicles.
History and name
The land is named for Morgan C. Hamilton, who owned it in the mid-1860s. The Reimers family bought it for ranching in the 1880s and opened the grotto to the public around 1900. Travis County bought 232 acres in 1985 and designated it a nature preserve in 1990; it is part of the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve and home to the golden-cheeked warbler.
Nearby
Westcave Falls is about 1 mile away, Pedernales Falls about 7.6 miles and Krause Springs Falls about 9.6 miles.
Distances are straight-line.