The Swimming Holes of Texas

Julie Wernersbach is the literary director of the Texas Book Festival and a former marketing director at BookPeople, Austin’s largest independent bookstore. Carolyn Tracy is a freelance photographer who works for an animal welfare nonprofit. They are the authors of Vegan Survival Guide to Austin.

Introduction: Swim the Lone Star State
Planning Your Trip
Swimmers' Etiquette
History and Conservation
Park Rules and Regulations

State Parks
National Parks


North

Belton Lake

Cedar Ridge Park


Buffalo Springs Lake
Caprock Canyons State Park
Cleburne State Park
Copper Breaks State Park
Dinosaur Valley State Park
Fort Parker State Park
Grapevine Lake

Katie’s Woods
Meadowmere Park


Lake Arrowhead State Park
Lake Brownwood State Park
Lewisville Lake

Little Elm Park
Pilot Knoll Park
Stewart Creek Park


Lake Mineral Wells State Park
Possum Kingdom State Park
Ray Roberts Lake State Park

Isle du Bois Unit
Johnson Branch Unit


Stillhouse Park
Twin Points Park at Eagle Mountain Lake


East

Boykin Springs Recreation Area, Angelina National Forest
Daingerfield State Park
Fort Boggy State Park
Huntsville State Park
Lake Bob Sandlin State Park
Lake Livingston State Park
Lake Tejas
Martin Dies Jr. State Park
Ratcliff Recreation Area, Davy Crockett National Forest
Tyler State Park


Central

Badu City Park
Bandera City Park
Black Rock Park
Boerne City Lake Park
Cypress Bend Park
Flat Rock Park
Guadalupe River State Park
Hancock Springs Free Flow Pool
Ingram Dam
Inks Lake State Park
James Kiehl River Bend Park
Kerrville-Schreiner Park
Lions Park
Llano River Slab
Louise Hays Park
Moffett Park
Pedernales Falls State Park
Robinson Llano County Park
Wagon Wheel Crossing


Austin and Surrounding Area

Arkansas Bend Park
Barton Creek Greenbelt

The Flats and Campbell’s Hole
Gus Fruh
Twin Falls and Sculpture Falls


Barton Springs Pool
Blanco State Park
Blue Hole Park, Georgetown
Blue Hole Regional Park, Wimberley
Bull Creek District Park
Canyon Lake Park
Colorado Bend State Park
Deep Eddy Pool
Emma Long Metropolitan Park
Hamilton Pool Preserve
Hippie Hollow/McGregor County Park
Jacob’s Well Natural Area
Krause Springs
Landa Park
Laura Reed Park
Mansfield Dam Park
McKinney Falls State Park
Muleshoe Bend Recreation Area
Pace Bend Park
The Point at Bob Wentz Park
Prince Solms Park
Rio Vista Park
River Trail Park
Sandy Creek Park
San Marcos City Park
Sewell Park
William Eleanor Crook Park
Zedler Mill Park South


South

Choke Canyon State Park
Coleto Creek Park
“Come and Take It” Historic Swimming Hole
Lake Corpus Christi State Park
Max Starcke Park
Palmetto State Park


West

Amistad Reservoir
Balmorhea State Park
Del Rio’s Blue Hole at Moore Park
Boquillas Hot Springs, Big Bend National Park
Devils River State Natural Area
Fort Clark Springs Swimming Pool
Garner State Park
The Quince
San Felipe Lions Park
Utopia Park
Wes Cooksey Park


Our Top Fives
Acknowledgments